Conductor Giovanni Reggioli
Soprano Natalie Aroyan
Tenor Kang Wang
Bass-baritone Jeremy Kleeman
Chorus Brisbane Chorale
Verdi Overture to Nabucco
Verdi 'Va pensiero' Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco
Verdi De' miei bollenti spiriti from La Traviata
Puccini Vissi d'arte from Tosca
Bizet Au fond du temple saint from The Pearl Fishers
Puccini Act 1 finale from La Bohème
Verdi Triumphal March from Aïda
Rossini Come un'ape ne' giorni d'aprile from La Cenerentola
Puccini Bimba dagli occhi pieni de malia (Love Duet) from Madama Butterfly
Puccini Intermezzo from Manon Lescaut, Act III
Verdi 'Vedi, le fosche notturne spoglie’, (Anvil Chorus) from Il Trovatore
Verdi Brindisi (Drinking Song) from La Traviata
An unmissable evening for Opera Fans!
The night was electrically charged with the anticipation of opera fans, young and old in the foyer of the QPAC. Many were suitably attired in dicky bows and formal dress, although there were some rebels in civvies. The Opera Gala was the perfect concert both for opera aficionados and also for the less operatically acquainted, as a brilliant introduction to opera with the boring bits removed! The program highlighted the best of the “big four” in opera with excerpts from Verdi, Puccini, Bizet and Rossini. Excerpts from the most popular iconic operas were included with the hilarious drinking song from La Traviata, the March from Aida, the beautiful duet of Madama Butterfly and Bizet’s tragic duet from the Pearl Fishers.
Two excerpts from Verdi’s Nabucco opened the evening, after a heartwarming speech thanking Sarah Butler for her friendship and skills as the principal trumpet player, for whom sadly it would be her last performance with the QSO, as she moves onto teaching.
A ninety-six strong symphonic Brisbane Chorale, directed by musical director Emily Cox, had the Concert Hall ringing with the famous chorus as part of the medley of melodies which formed the Nabucco Overture. The solos by the Australian-Chinese tenor Kang Wang, were robust and full with a balanced, but unique tone, like a well-aged whisky. The Bizet duet Au fond du temple saint from The Pearl Fishers, between the tenor Kang and the Australian bass-baritone Jeremy Kleeman, was blissful and my personal highlight of the evening. Puccini’s tragic love duet from the Act I finale of La Boheme was another extraordinary highlight. Rodolfo realises that Mimi may be sick with tuberculosis, common in 1830’s Paris, when he feels that “her tiny hand is frozen” during their duet. The Armenian-Australian soprano Natalie Aroyan, is a principal artist with Opera Australia and played a heart-rending Mimi. A nice touch to the duet was how they finished singing their finale together off-stage, singing as they sauntered off.
The Italian conductor Giovanni Reggioli, a critically acclaimed international maestro, was in his element at the helm of the QSO. Waving his baton with aplomb and a latin flourish, he was the perfect guest conductor when celebrating a gala night at the Opera.
After a fiesta of intermezzo’s, duets and dramatic choruses, the evening ended with the famously debauched Brindisi (Drinking Song) from La Traviata. Violetta, the fallen woman gives many ’A toast to the pleasures of life!’, with her new admirer Alfredo. At the concert’s conclusion, the audience treated the performers, musicians, music and enormous chorus to an almost unending applause as a finale, knowing that the Queensland Symphony Orchestra is one of the few guilt-free pleasures of life!
Opera Gala, Maestro series, Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Concert Hall, QPAC
June 1st, 2019
Dr Gemma Regan