Concerts
European Foundation for Support of Culture/Summer Music Academy/Opera Studio
Atelie Lyrique/dir. Andriana Yordanova;Julia Miller, piano
Robert Samut Hall/Sir Temi Zammit Hall/MCC
Bulgarian soprano Andriana Yordanova has recently directed a series of masterclasses spread out over a number of weeks.
A good number of mainly-young local singers took part, with two others from Bulgaria. The level was mixed, with some who had only started lessons last October and others who have been studying for much longer and one was even a graduate from UK colleges.
As Yordanova was to say, what unites them is their passion for singing opera, even if to varying degrees they still have a hard road ahead. Still, the enthusiasm and commitment were there to be seen as these singers did their best to put into practice what they had been working at.
A special mention is appropriate in Julia Miller’s regard. She was very busy throughout the course, accompanying the singers at the piano, not to mention three evenings of concerts which were held last month.
Undoubtedly, Francesca Aquilina is among the most promising of the sopranos, and one could tell that she was the most experienced.
One is glad to see that even a discreetly-seasoned singer continues to study and broaden her experience.
She easily sailed through different styles as in Donizetti’s Prendi, per me sei libero from L’elisir d’amore, and Quel guardo from Don Pasquale, also by Donizetti.
Always with clear diction, even Kommt ein schlanker Bursch from Weber’s Der Freischütz was excellently sung, and so was her interpretation of Comme autrefois from Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles and Sul fin di un soffio from Verdi’s Falstaff.
Among the male singers bass Josef Cassar was the local revelation. He has such a beautiful timbre, warm and powerful voice, with more work needed to reach an even better level of singing. I really liked his Madamina, il catalogo è questo from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, which he sang with much tongue in cheek, and the way he adapted so well to the different mood in Studia il passo from Verdi’s Macbeth. I expected more from the brief Vecchia zimarra from Puccini’s La Bohème.
The other very fine male singer was Bulgarian tenor Emil Pavlov, who has a most endearing grazioso edge to his voice.
The enthusiasm and commitment were there to be seen as the singers did their best to put into practice what they had been working at
This could be heard in the widely-varying pieces he sang, such as the Bulgarian Zlatev Cherkin’s Farewell, in Parigi o cara from Verdi’s La Traviata with Stefani Krusteva, and with her again in Lippen schweigen from Léhar’s Die lustige Witwe, and solos in other styles like Cardillo and Cordiferro’s Core ‘ngrato and Di Capua’s O sole mio.
Charlene Portelli shows some promise, as apparent in Crudele non mi dir from Mozart’s Don Giovanni and O mio babbino caro from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. David Debono’s formerly dominant light baritone has a darker edge to it now, and he gave convincing interpretations of songs by R. Strauss, Tchaikovsky and the tongue-twisting Donne mie from Mozart’s Così fan tutte.
Miguel Rosales in Là ci darem la mano with Krusteva was at his roguish best.
Other singers were sopranos Astrid Cacciatore, Marie Claire Dingli, Flavia Grima and Deborah Vella; mezzo-soprano Miriam Camilleri, a finer actress than singer at this point; and tenor Christian Abela (still working at finding his true voice).
Tenor George Saliba, who was indisposed, missed out on the two concerts.
A bonus was the promising very young Elisa Azzopardi, who sang the charming non-operatic Love Has Eyes by Henry Bishop.
Yordanova sang with great class Non ti scordar di me by De Curtis, Les filles de Cadiz by Delibes and the Brindisi from Verdi’s La Traviata with a very worthy Pavlov.