Mozart Overture to Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K.620
Mozart Die Zauberflöte, Papagena! Papagena (Papageno's Suicide Scene)
Mozart Die Zauberflöte, Pa-Pa-Pa (Papagena, Papageno)
Mascagni Cavalleria Rusticana, Voi lo sapete, o mamma
Mascagni Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana
Offenbach Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Tales of Hoffmann), Les oiseaux dans la charmille (The Doll Song)
Cilea Adriana Lecouvreur, Io son l'umille ancella (Ecco: respira appena)
Wagner Tannhauser, "O du mein holder Abendstern"
Mozart Così fan tutte, Soave sia il vento (Terzettino)
Britten Peter Grimes, Embroidery in Childhood (Embroidery Aria)
Britten Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, op.33a - IV. Storm
Puccini Intermezzo from Manon Lescaut, Act III
Puccini La Bohème, Quando m'en vo' (Musetta's Waltz)
J. Strauss Jr. Fledermaus, Mein Herr Marquis – English translation
Love and other Catastrophes is the third in a series of five of the Music on Sundays concerts and the Concert Hall was packed to the brim for the outstanding line up. The concert was presented by the irrepressible Guy Noble, the QSO, and guest Conductor Daniel Carter, who flew over from Zurich for the concert and three intense days of rehearsal. It was another eclectic concert showcasing the Queensland Symphony Orchestra with four guest singers from the Lisa Gasteen National Opera School. The music selection for the concert highlighted the ups and downs of life using fourteen pieces illustrating the trials and tribulations of love and romance. As the title suggested, the selection included the catastrophes caused by love, as Guy pointed out, with the mention of a death in seven of the eleven collections!
Three movements from Mozart’s Magic Flute started the concert, including the popular Pa-Pa-Pa duet between Papagena and Papageno performed lustrously by Baritone Oliver Boyd and the effervescent Soprano Rachel Pines. The audience were amused when the magic flute made a comical appearance, eventually drawing Papagena to her love, Papageno.
The incredible Concert Hall organ made an appearance, if only briefly, in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. The organist, Eduarda Van Clinken travelling from Toowoomba to accompany the QSO and Mezzo Soprano Eleanor Greenwood for the emotive short piece.
The outstanding favourite of the concert was Offenbach’s Les Oiseaux dans la Charmille (The Doll Song.) Soloist Rachel Pines performed as the doll, using jerky mechanical movements to dance whilst singing animatedly, until slowing and stopping as her spring wound down. Luckily, the host Guy Noble was on hand with a large key to wind her up each time her clockwork spring unwound during the playful song, enabling the ‘doll’ to continue to trill her beautiful lament.
There were two excerpts from Puccini with La Boheme, featuring Quando m'en vo' (Musetta's Waltz), and Manon Lescaut. Both were audience favourites, with the waltz featuring the powerful clarity of Soprano Morgan England-Jones. The two moving pieces epitomise a quote by Thomas Edison that “Men die and lovers change, but Puccini will live on forever!”
Benjamin Britten’s lament from Peter Grimes included Embroidery in Childhood and The Storm, creating a torrent of waves with the crash of cymbals and frenetic strings over an underlying constant deep bass rumble from the brass. The Laughing song, Mein Herr Marquis from Strauss’ Die Fledermaus was accentuated by the coquetish laugh of the animated Rachel Pines as she duelled with Oliver Boyd over a disagreement in a hilarious English translation of an argument between husband and wife. The audience were treated to a short encore from all four choristers, with Guy Noble even crooning a few bars.
It was an invigorating way to relax on a Sunday. With two more Sunday concerts left in the series; The Best of Movie Music playing many of the cinematic favourites and Tradies and Artists. I recommend you book quickly for the opportunity to taste the QSO Magic!
Conductor Daniel Carter
Host Guy Noble
Soprano Morgan England-Jones
Soprano Rachel Pines
Mezzo Soprano Eleanor Greenwood
Baritone Oliver Boyd
9th August, 2018
Concert Hall, QPAC
Dr Gemma Regan