It's something of a paradox to think that while Italy is the undisputed cradle of opera, some of the greatest opera houses exist in countries where opera has a much lower profile. There is the Sydney Opera House, Covent Garden in London, the Paris and Vienna Opera Houses etc... Oh, yes, and of course the Manoel Theatre in Malta. This baroque gem is surely the southernmost opera house in Europe and has been hosting the annual Bank of Valletta Opera Festival every March for the past eight years. In fact, this year sees the ninth such edition and it promises a veritable feast of quality singing.
This evening sees the second and final performance of Gioacchino Rossini's take on the Cinderella story Cenerentola. This is being presented by Teatro Borgatti di Cento.
Then on March 10 and 12 Operalaboratorio from Palermo, with the National Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Mro Michael Laus, will present two one-act operas: Gianni Schicci by Giacomo Puccini, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth, and Notte di un Nevrastenico by the 20th-century Italian composer Nino Rota.
At last year's BOV Festival - and for the first time - a Maltese singer, tenor Charles Vincenti, appeared in the cast of Opera Laboratorio's production of L'Elisir d'Amore. This year another young Maltese singer will get the chance to perform with the company. Kevin Caruana is a highly-thought-of young baritone, on the verge of enjoying a successful career in opera.
Mr Caruana, a graduate from the University of Malta with an honours degree in communications, started piano tuition at an early age and undertook initial voice training with mezzo-soprano Marie-Thérèse Vassallo.
Latterly he has been studying under mezzo-soprano Claire Massa and recently attended master classes with the celebrated baritone Renato Bruson in Siena, Italy. He has performed in various concerts and operas, singing with several of Malta's leading performers. He sang roles in Puccini's Madame Butterfly and La Bohème, Kalman's operetta La Principessa Della Czarda, Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, Verdi's Rigoletto and Bernstein's Candide. In addition he sang the baritone solo in Saint-Saëns' Oratorio de Noël last December.
Showtime spoke to Mr Caruana about his upcoming performance. "Naturally it's a very big opportunity for me and I'm very much looking forward to working with Elizabeth Smith (the artistic director of Operalaboratorio)," he said. "The role that I will be singing in Gianni Schicci is that of Betto.
He is the brother-in-law of Buoso Donati, a rich Florentine who has just died. All his relatives - close and not so close - are gathered around his deathbed sobbing and generally pretending to mourn Donati. In reality they are waiting to discover what's in Donati's will - and, most importantly, what they will get. Amid all the chaos, Betto has the unenviable task of spilling the beans about the rumour that Buoso Donati has left all his money to a monastery of friars. This drives his relatives frantic and they all embark on a comic and hysterical search for Donati's will.
The minute they realise in horror that Betto's fears are founded, they start thinking how to change the will to their advantage. They think they have found their 'saviour', as they call him, in Gianni Schicci, a notorious schemer known for his devious mind. What they don't realise is that he is equally able to deceive them too. The dénouement comes as a major shock to the money-grabbing relatives."
He continued: "The great thing about this opera is that despite it being a compact one-act affair, Puccini manages to bring out the character traits of each role in a subtle but very effective manner. The music is aided by a very good libretto that is considered one of the most solid in the repertoire of comic opera."
We at Showtime wish Mr Caruana the very best of luck in his debut with Operalaboratorio.
As in the past two years the opera festival is also being supported by Valletta Fund Management Ltd and Middlesea Valletta Life Assurance Co. Ltd.
This evening sees the second and final performance of Gioacchino Rossini's take on the Cinderella story Cenerentola. This is being presented by Teatro Borgatti di Cento.
Then on March 10 and 12 Operalaboratorio from Palermo, with the National Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Mro Michael Laus, will present two one-act operas: Gianni Schicci by Giacomo Puccini, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth, and Notte di un Nevrastenico by the 20th-century Italian composer Nino Rota.
At last year's BOV Festival - and for the first time - a Maltese singer, tenor Charles Vincenti, appeared in the cast of Opera Laboratorio's production of L'Elisir d'Amore. This year another young Maltese singer will get the chance to perform with the company. Kevin Caruana is a highly-thought-of young baritone, on the verge of enjoying a successful career in opera.
Mr Caruana, a graduate from the University of Malta with an honours degree in communications, started piano tuition at an early age and undertook initial voice training with mezzo-soprano Marie-Thérèse Vassallo.
Latterly he has been studying under mezzo-soprano Claire Massa and recently attended master classes with the celebrated baritone Renato Bruson in Siena, Italy. He has performed in various concerts and operas, singing with several of Malta's leading performers. He sang roles in Puccini's Madame Butterfly and La Bohème, Kalman's operetta La Principessa Della Czarda, Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, Verdi's Rigoletto and Bernstein's Candide. In addition he sang the baritone solo in Saint-Saëns' Oratorio de Noël last December.
Showtime spoke to Mr Caruana about his upcoming performance. "Naturally it's a very big opportunity for me and I'm very much looking forward to working with Elizabeth Smith (the artistic director of Operalaboratorio)," he said. "The role that I will be singing in Gianni Schicci is that of Betto.
He is the brother-in-law of Buoso Donati, a rich Florentine who has just died. All his relatives - close and not so close - are gathered around his deathbed sobbing and generally pretending to mourn Donati. In reality they are waiting to discover what's in Donati's will - and, most importantly, what they will get. Amid all the chaos, Betto has the unenviable task of spilling the beans about the rumour that Buoso Donati has left all his money to a monastery of friars. This drives his relatives frantic and they all embark on a comic and hysterical search for Donati's will.
The minute they realise in horror that Betto's fears are founded, they start thinking how to change the will to their advantage. They think they have found their 'saviour', as they call him, in Gianni Schicci, a notorious schemer known for his devious mind. What they don't realise is that he is equally able to deceive them too. The dénouement comes as a major shock to the money-grabbing relatives."
He continued: "The great thing about this opera is that despite it being a compact one-act affair, Puccini manages to bring out the character traits of each role in a subtle but very effective manner. The music is aided by a very good libretto that is considered one of the most solid in the repertoire of comic opera."
We at Showtime wish Mr Caruana the very best of luck in his debut with Operalaboratorio.
As in the past two years the opera festival is also being supported by Valletta Fund Management Ltd and Middlesea Valletta Life Assurance Co. Ltd.