Tafelmusik: Samuel Mariño at the Opera: Bologne & Mozart | Bologne: Overture from L’amant anonyme: Allegro presto; Concerto for violin, op. 3, no. 1: Adagio; Accomp & Aria “Enfin un foule importune” from L’amant anonyme, Act 2, sc 1; Mozart: Overture & Aria “Intendo amico rio” from Il re pastore; Marianne Martines: Overture in C Major: Andante ma non troppo; Mozart: Symphony 10 in G Major KV 74: Allegro; Accompagnato & Aria “Dove sono” from Le Nozze di Figaro; Salieri: Aria “Sento l’amico speme” from Semiramide; Salieri: Sinfonia from Armida; Gluck: Accompagnato “Berenice che fai” and Aria “Perché se tanti” from Antigono; Maria Antonia Walpurgis: Overture to Talestri; Gluck: “Che farè senza Euridice” from Orfeo ed Euridice; Walpurgis: Aria “Da me ti dividi” from Talestri, arranged for cello & orchestra; Haydn: Accompagnato “Barbaro! E ardisci ancor” & Aria “Odio, furor” from Armida, Act 2. May 23, 2025, Koerner Hall. Repeated May 24 & 25.
This past weekend, Koerner Hall resonated with the incredibly beautiful voice of Samuel Mariño, and Tafelmusik. A rare bird, Mariño sings in the highest range of the classical voice category.
Following up on his wildly successful 2023 Toronto debut with Tafelmusik, Mariño’s careful musical selections illustrated his unusual voice, with lesser-known classical orchestral works interspersed in between, exposing the audience to composers who many may never heard of: Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George — a first notable biracial musician of Western classical music — along with Marianne Martines and Maria Antonia Walpurgis, two rare female composers of the Classical period.
The Music
It is easy to pigeonhole such a unique voice as a curiosity. However, Mariño’s incredible dedication in cultivating his own place in the rigid, traditional classical music scene has given him the sweet reward of freedom — he was truly being himself, from the first note, to the two encores he added to the program: Voi che sapete from the Marriage of Figaro, and Alleluia from Exsultate Jubilate, both by Mozart.
Mariño’s third choice, Glucks’ accompagnato “Berenice che fai” and aria “Perché, se tanti siete,” was especially stunning. Compared to the well-known recording of Cecilia Bartoli, whose voice is noted with power, Mariño’s voice is not a loud one; however, with clever diction, brilliant coloratura, and plenty of external physical emotional gestures, the lack of volume was hardly noticeable.
Tafelmusik
Tafelmusik had a quite a challenge in this program; much of the music was new, and the technical brilliance of Mariño required full-focus and dedication from everyone, especially for the complicated coloraturas and accompagnato recitatives where the entire orchestra needed to be in exact sync with the singer. Tafel’s love for Mariño felt genuine, if a bit difficult in spots. Perhaps this program could have benefitted from having a conductor for clarity and synchronicity, and a little delicate adjustment to the orchestral choices — as the playing lost a little brilliance and consistency, noticeably in the later part of the program .
An interesting contrast to Mariño was the cello solo adaptation of ‘Da me ti dividi’ from Walpurgis’ opera, Talestry. Keiran Campbell, positioned in the centre of the ensemble, was wonderful as the soloist, yet the lack of vowels, consonants, and explicit human breath — so innate and natural to singers — brought up the century-old question: could instrumental music be as expressive as vocal music? Does the absence of words give a wider opportunity for the listener for emotional connection, or…? What happens when we adapt from one to another setting?
Encores
The two encores were a great success, bringing the audience to their feet each time. Voi che sapete, a beloved aria for Cherubino from Le Nozzi, is a notoriously difficult pants role. As a ‘boy,’ Cherubino, usually a mezzo, sings in the top range of the voice, and negotiating the registral difference can be tricky, especially for the softer dynamics. This has become a signature song for him, wildly popular from Mariño’s Decca recording ‘Sopranista’: Mariño is uniquely well-set for this aria, as his voice, which did not drop during puberty, continues to exist in that magical boyhood state.
The ease and grace of Mariño’s Alleluia was also quite poignant — in this world where gender expressions bring division and violence, how could anyone fault such beauty, and for what valid reasons? If we are to believe in God, shouldn’t we also believe that God’s creations include everyone, especially when we are presented with such beauty, generously shared with no barriers? Mariño said that ‘…(he) simply wishes to bring joy to others’ — and this is a true gift that he did bring to us.
Beyond his brilliant singing, Mariño showed his whole self as an artist; the confidence and joy of his freedom, to sing, and to be who he wishes to be, away from the social conventions and expectations, is beautiful to witness. From the choices of concert attire — his love for vintage jewelry is well-known: the ‘grandma brooch’ on the cream-lilac suit he wore for the second half especially suited him — to the easy manner that he connects with his audience, this intimate evening was a great success, making it difficult to imagine why, or how, anyone could be against such joyful human expression.
With great pleasure, I await his return to Toronto already. At age 31, Mariño is just reaching his full potential, and his exuberance and sense of freedom is infectious. A great legacy is being made here.
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