How often could one put together so much talent in one evening? These islands are blessed with gifted young people and, when these are carefully nurtured and guided, the combination is little less than astounding. This was the case during a recent concert hosted by President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and her spouse at San Anton Palace, Attard.
Local vocal talent shone supreme when well-known soprano Juliette Bisazza Zanni, a formidable voice coach if ever there was one, presented four of her star students in a recital of mainly operatic excerpts. It came not long after a successful solo recital by another of Juliette’s students, soprano Rosabelle Bianchi at the same venue.
In both these concerts the pianist accompanying the singers was Irina Fedchenko-Carbonaro. Unassuming, but totally reliable, supportive and in a constant, understanding rapport with the singers, she has qualities needed as an essential ingredient contributing to such a concert.
The singers taking part were soprano Stephanie Degiorgio Wismayer, mezzo-soprano Gabriella Debattista Briffa, tenor Edward Camilleri and baritone Charles Buttigieg. It was Edward Camilleri who started off the evening with La Mia Letizia Infondere from Verdi’s I Lombardi Alla Prima Crociata. He was one of the vocal quartet whom I had heard singing the odd solo here and there. There was more than a hint of promise in his voice and, it is amply clear that he has made great strides forward.
This was more than confirmed not only in the Verdi aria but also with even greater passion in E’ Lucevan Le Stelle from Puccini’s Tosca. He sang one of the very few non-operatic pieces, the vastly popular but far from easy Cujus Animam Gementem from Rossini’s Stabat Mater and effortlessly worked up to that amazing D Flat towards the end of the piece, beautifully so too.
When gifted young people are carefully nurtured and guided, the combination is little less than astounding
Completely new to me was mezzo-soprano Graziella Debattista Briffa. She, too, sang one of the few non-operatic pieces, the Liber Scriptus Proferetur from Verdi’s Requiem. The singer projected the admonishing tone of this piece. As with all the singers on the evening, the mezzo displayed greatly convincing interpretative powers but, in this piece, one felt the voice had not warmed up enough.
However, one must say that the way she handled Stride La Vampa from Verdi’s Il Trovatore and, even more so that great recitative and aria O Mio Fernando, from Donizetti’s La Favorita, would have graced an opera stage anywhere.
On the few occasions I heard soprano Stephanie Degiorgio Wismayer I always thought that there was more she could do. Now that I have heard her again, I was certainly not disappointed. Her beautiful light soprano, often subtle yet so effective, is of an admirable limpid agility as she clearly showed in Se Come Voi Piccina from Puccini’s Le Villi, in Toselli’s superbly poignant Serenata and in Michael Head’s The Singer.
Last, but definitely not least, the concert featured that phenomenal baritone from Gozo, Charles Buttigieg, not yet 17. As others who have heard him confirmed, when I heard him privately for the first time I could not believe that this angelic-faced adolescent could produce such a mature baritone voice. It was being witnessed there and then, but one looked elsewhere to find out from where that beautiful, mellow voice was coming.
He started with Malotte’s lovely The Lord’s Prayer, which had a tremend-ous impact on the audience. As if by magic, he could easily discard those angelic looks and when necessary put on a stern visage in Vien Leonora, from Donizetti’s La Favorita. He continued displaying his interpretative versa-tility in another Donizetti piece, this time Bella Siccome Un Angelo from Don Pasquale.
Two lovely duets were performed: closing the first half were mezzo-soprano and tenor in Ai Nostri Monti from Verdi’s Il Trovatore, then concluding the evening the Barcarolle from Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann.
They were both interpreted with the same commitment, fine technique and conviction which reflect the great care and preparation all these singers are endowed with. They deserve every possible support and encouragement.