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| foto: Anne |
Muchas gracias a Eleonore, Willeke y Anne por su colaboración.
Vocal beauty, emotional tension, intensity of stage presence at their highest - and an adorable napkin bunny
My third concert in this series started with a slightly confused first part of the overture of the 'Le Roi de Lahore'. During the beginning moments, the music seemed somewhat 'disorderly', with strange tempi. In the Intermezzo of 'Manon Lescaut', Maestro Voronkov and the orchestra found the sweetness, the fine sounds, the music became heartrending with all its colors and emotions and a great cello solo. The closing notes were gorgeous with all their painful beauty. The orchestra gave his best in Ravel's sparkling, vibrant, multicolor music. The playing was lively and energetic. I loved the lyrical bassoon solo that opens the 'signature' aria of Rolando, 'Una furtiva lágrima' and the warm sound of the harp accompaniment.
Maestro Voronkov is a "singer's conductor", very attentive every second to the singers.
Pumeza Matshikiza sang beautifully. With her voice, acting, scenic presence, she impressed the audience. She sang with sweetness in 'Elégie', with great intensity and passion in Liu's aria, and I particularly loved her immense energy in Ravel. She not only sings the music, she feels it in every note. And in the duets, she was a great partner of Rolando.
ROLANDO
The first notes of Rolando promised a wondrous evening. And the promise was kept.
"Ah, tout est bien fini" sung with gravity, depth and a magical dark voice, showed that we were at the beginning of an extremely intense concert. In the aria of 'El Cid', there was a deep meaning behind every syllable: "Je vais où ta loi me réclame, libre de tous les regrets humains"..., "C'est le soldat que désespère, mais le chrétien garde sa foi"..., "Le serviteur d'un juste maître répond sans crainte à ton appel" - and every thought got its own gorgeous shade of musical colour.
After the duet of 'Les pecheurs de perles" full of love , in Federico's aria (one of the climaxes of Rolando's art and of these concerts), the expressive singing and the powerful performance were accompanied by a tremendous sensitivity . The voice offered all possible nuances of suffering: "Perché degg'io tanto penar?" ..."Fatale vision, mi lascia...". Rolando's voice was stunningly beautiful with a heart-wrenching tone, his singing had lyricism, poetry .
'O sove fanciulla' gave a bewitching vocal delight.
This 'Caro elisir' was for me one of the best performances ever, with brilliant use of all kinds of elements. Comic moments alternated with dance steps, funny gestures, juggling elements, and Rolando had another "partner" in the "person" of a white napkin bunny made by Rolando himself on the stage, with incredible skill and ingenuity.
In 'Una furtiva lágrima', Rolando's Nemorino is imbued with emotional tension, he is vulnerable, and this vulnerability melded with the charisma of Rolando makes him a captivating and very lovable figure. Rolando's singing was dazzlingly brilliant. His voice sounded magically in the a capella part of the aria.
A boundless expressive power characterized 'Ya mis horas felices'. Rolando's voice was thrilling, passionate, spirit-filled, and he was the most involved I've seen him sing in this song.
In Düsseldorf, the first encore was 'Tonight, tonight', sung with great lyricism. The two voices blended sweetly in this lovely melody.
We had a magnificent 'No puede ser'.Rolando sang with great sincerity and with a mesmeric voice. As sung by him, this song is a miracle of music, and it makes me want to cry.
"Pata, pata" with the gestures, the dance, the rich elements of jazz in the singing and acting was phenomenal.
The 'Brindisi' closed this tremendous evening where the atmosphere became so apparent that you could physically have touched it. As "usual" in this series of concert, Rolando danced a waltz with a lady.
The concert was a frenetic success, the audience just did not want to let the artists go, even after the 'Brindisi'. A standing ovation was given after each encore. The sense of the dramatic, the humour, the ability of Rolando to create atmosphere, to built tension and the magic of his voice offered us another unforgettable evening.
GRACIAS, ROLANDO!
Eleonore
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| foto: Willeke |
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| foto: Willeke |
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| foto: Anne |
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