{"id":57742,"date":"2019-01-01T17:06:50","date_gmt":"2019-01-01T22:06:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=57742"},"modified":"2019-01-01T17:06:50","modified_gmt":"2019-01-01T22:06:50","slug":"scrutiny-bravissimo-sings-in-the-new-year-with-operatic-swagger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2019\/01\/01\/scrutiny-bravissimo-sings-in-the-new-year-with-operatic-swagger\/","title":{"rendered":"SCRUTINY | Bravissimo Sings In The New Year With Operatic Swagger"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Bravissimo:
Bravissimo didn’t disappoint with an enduring musical tradition of saying goodbye to the old and ushering in the new. (Photo: Joseph So)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bravissimo! Opera\u2019s Greatest Hits | Arias, choral and orchestral selections from Tannh<\/em>\u00e4user, Romeo et Juliette, Rigoletto, Il trovatore, Le nozze di Figaro, Idomeneo, Die Zauberfl<\/em>\u00f6te, La traviata, Eugene Onegin, and Turandot. Ekaterina Kudryavtseva, sop.; Sera G<\/em>\u00f6sch, sop.; Gergely Boncs<\/em>\u00e9r, ten.; Johannes Kammler, bar.; Michelangelo Mazza, cond. Opera Canada Symphony and Chorus. Rick Phillips, host. Dec. 31, 7 p.m. Roy Thomson Hall.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s that time of year again!<\/p>\n

Since the founding of Attila Glatz Concert Productions three decades ago, Canadian-Hungarian impresario Attila Glatz and his wife Marion have been bringing a musical double-header to Toronto \u2014 the operatic gala concert Bravissimo<\/em> on New Year\u2019s Eve, and on New Year\u2019s Day, Salute to Vienna<\/em>, a mixed program of ballet, operetta and ballroom dancing. \u00a0These shows give North American audiences a taste of Mitteleuropa<\/em>\u2019s musical tradition of saying goodbye to the old and ushering in the new. I was lucky enough many years ago to catch a New Year\u2019s Concert in Munich and in Vienna \u2014 both unforgettable experiences.<\/p>\n

The 2018 edition of Bravissimo<\/em> is unusual in that there\u2019s no homegrown talent on the roster \u2014 the quartet of soloists are all making their Canadian debuts: sopranos Ekaterina Kudryavtseva and Sera G\u00f6sch, tenor Gergely Boncs\u00e9r, and baritone Johannes Kammler. Of the four, I was only familiar with Herr Kammler\u2019s warm and ingratiating baritone, whom I\u2019ve heard recently as Dominick in Arabella<\/em> in Munich. \u00a0And we\u2019ll get to hear him again very soon, as Guglielmo in the COC Cosi fan tutte<\/em> in February!<\/p>\n

Having attended many Bravissimo<\/em> concerts, I do detect a pattern \u2013 a typical program is made up of the tried and true from Italian and French operas, plus the occasional Russian or Slavic works, not to mention a sprinkling of Mozart or Handel. The concert typically ends with \u201cNessun dorma\u201d by the tenor, who usually brings the house down. Then it\u2019s encore time, invariably \u201cLibiamo, libiamo,\u201d followed by \u201cAuld lang Syne.\u201d Not a complaint, but to point out how comfortably predictable it is.<\/p>\n

Therefore, it was a wonderful surprise to see Wagner on the program, Tannh<\/em>\u00e4user<\/em> no less! It opened with Maestro Michelangelo Mazza leading the Opera Canada Symphony in Elisabeth\u2019s \u201cDich teure Halle,\u201d sung by Sera G\u00f6sch. A budding jugendlich dramatischer<\/em>, she filled Roy Thomson Hall with exciting, attractive sound and the requisite big volume, a rather stentorian high B at the climax notwithstanding.<\/p>\n

Then it was the 40-voice strong Opera Canada Chorus, with a large contingent of COC choristers, in a sonorous Entrance of the Guests. Johannes Kammler contributed a mellow Wolfram\u2019s \u201cO du, mein holder Abendstern,\u201d this aria is surely Wagner\u2019s gift to the lyric baritone. Indeed, it makes me wonder why Tannh<\/em>\u00e4user<\/em> has never been staged by the Canadian Opera Company. C\u2019mon, COC \u2014 it\u2019s long overdue!<\/p>\n

Russian soprano Ekaterina Kudryavteva brought bright tone and fine coloratura to Juliette\u2019s Waltz, while Hungarian Gergely Boncs\u00e9r showed off his beautiful lyric tenor in \u201cLa donna \u00e8 mobile.\u201d\u00a0 The first half concluded with a group of Mozart. Sera G\u00f6sch served up plenty of fire and brimstone in Elettra\u2019s \u201cD\u2019Oreste, d\u2019Ajace,\u201d followed by Kammler as an ingratiating Birdcatcher in \u201cDer Vogelf\u00e4ngler bin ich ja.\u201d\u00a0 The big surprise was the two of them in the very fun Papageno-Papagena duet, complete with cartoonish costumes. It must have been one of those rare moments in performance history for a spinto<\/em> soprano to go from Elettra to Papagena in a matter of minutes!<\/p>\n

The second half was devoted mostly to La Traviata<\/em> and Eugene Onegin<\/em>. Kudryavtseva sang affectingly Violetta\u2019s great scena in \u201cE strano\u2026Sempre libera,\u201d including a huge E-flat at the end. Boncs\u00e9r was every bit as good in Alfredo\u2019s Act 2 aria, and the two of them joined forces for an enjoyable duet. Kammler, while not a true Verdi baritone, acquitted himself honourably in \u201cDi Provenza il mar.\u201d Sera G\u00f6sch was excellent in Tatiana\u2019s Letter Scene \u2014 sadly only the second half was performed. The official program ended with the obligatory \u201cNessun dorma,\u201d and when you have a tenor with as fine a voice as Boncs\u00e9r, he naturally brought the house down.<\/p>\n

By then, the audience was whooping it up, and they were rewarded with \u201cLibiamo, libiamo.\u201d\u00a0 The chorus came down from the choir loft to share in the merriment and the bubbly. Was that real champagne?\u00a0 The ultimate piece was \u201cAuld lang syne\u201d with the audience joining in. Through it all, Michelangelo Mazza proved to be a very fine conductor, singer-friendly but always serving the music. He held the pick-up orchestra together very well, given the tight rehearsal schedule.<\/p>\n

One down, one to go. Host Rick Phillips announced that Salute to Vienna<\/em> was nearly sold out. Get ready for another fun afternoon!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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