Recital Emerging Artists 2019Scottish Opera
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The new class of Scottish Opera's Emerging Artists present four concerts spread over the winter months. A quartet of singers, soprano Charlie Drummond and mezzo-soprano Heather Ireson, with baritones Mark Nathan and Arthur Bruce, are accompanied by repetiteur Michael Papadopoulos.
The first recital was in Edinburgh (National Museum of Scotland) in October. This report is based on the second one, in November, at St Salvator's Chapel in St Andrews. This was a well-supported event, slotted neatly into the University's regular series of mid-week lunchtime concerts. Accompanist Michael Papadopoulos was quite outstanding, bringing plenty of subtlety to the varied repertoire.
Particular highlights among the solos were Charlie Drummond's Massenet, Heather Ireson's Gluck and Britten, Mark Nathan's Tchaikovsky and Arthur Bruce's Richard Strauss. Emmerich Kálmán's operettas seem so good that it is hard to account for his neglect compared with other Viennese masters. This number from Countess Maritza is a super piece and was well delivered.
Arthur Bruce was perhaps not seductive enough as Don Giovanni, but he projected Belcore's self-conceit well. In the Gendarmes' Duet, much comedy was made from the obvious disparity in height between the two baritones. The only non-operatic item was the revue skit Flanders & Swann item supposedly sung by a tone-deaf soprano (not Florence Foster-Jenkins). Charlie Drummond made a nice little party piece of it.
All items were sung in the original language apart from the Offenbach. The complete programme was:
Mozart: Duet 'Ah, guarda sorella' Così fan tutte (CD, HI).
Donizetti: 'Come Paride vezzoso' L'elisir d'amore (AB).
Massenet: 'Adieu, notre petite table' Manon (CD).
Tchaikovsky: 'Onegin's aria Eugene Onegin (MN).
Mozart: 'Là ci darem la mano Don Giovanni (HI, AB).
Gluck: 'Che farò senza Euridice?' Orfeo ed Euridice. (HI).
Mozart: 'Pa....pa...pa' Die Zauberflöte (CD, MN).
R Strauss: 'Lieben, Hassen, Hoffen, Zagen' Ariadne auf Naxos (AB).
Britten: 'Give him this orchid' The Rape of Lucretia (HI)
Kálmán: 'Komm, Tzigany' Gräfin Maritza (MN).
Offenbach: Gendarmes' Duet Geneviève de Brabant (AB, MN).
Flanders & Swann 'A Word on my Ear' (CD).
J Strauss II: Champagne Song Die Fledermaus (CD, HI, AB, MN).
The final two are in January at two different Glasgow venues (at the University and the Conservatoire).
For dates and times click list above map.
