Am estimable pleasure of New Year’s Eve for Toronto opera fans is Bravissimo!: the operatic concert that takes place annually at Roy Thomson Hall for the past eight years. This show is the brainchild of Hungarian-Canadian impresario Attila Glatz of Attila Glatz Concert Productions. I have been attending these events since its inception. It took a couple of years to catch on, but now the hall is virtually sold out each time.
Billed as “Opera’s Greatest Hits,” Bravissimo stars well-known Canadian and international singers in an operatic potpourri familiar to even the casual opera fan – a mixture of arias, duets, and ensembles, usually drawn from the Italian and French warhorses like Aida, Tosca and Carmen. To spice things up, there’s the occasional German, Czech or Russian pieces. There’s the obligatory overture and intermezzo to show off the orchestra and to give the singers a rest, plus a few set pieces for the chorus. Nothing too contemporary or too challenging for the audience – after all, they are there to have fun! The Opera Canada Symphony is made up of experienced and professional free-lance musicians, invariably under the direction of an internationally known maestro. These feel-good concerts are designed to appeal to the Holiday reveller, a tried and true formula that brings in the crowd each year.
I am happy to report that the 2015 edition of Bravissimo that took place last evening at Roy Thomson Hall was as enjoyable as ever. Three enormous floral arrangements and the strings of lights along the lip of the choir loft gave the setting a festive atmosphere. Judging by the many languages I overheard, the audience – mostly of a certain age – was more international than usual. It was nice to see Roy Thomson Hall at or near capacity for a change. (Incidentally, Rick Phillips, the MC, remarked that the sister show today at RTH, Salute to Vienna, is completely sold out.)
The quartet of soloists was a very strong one, with two excellent Canadians – soprano Karina Gauvin and mezzo Krisztina Szabo. The Quebec soprano Gauvin recently scored a triumph as Alcina in Madrid, and she’s Canada’s most prolific recording artist. But for some reason, she doesn’t sing in Toronto very often so this was a great opportunity to hear this exquisite singer. Mezzo Szabo’s fearless vocalism in a wide-ranging repertoire has made her an authentic star in recent years. Recent triumphs include the Woman in Erwartung and the triple bill Pyramus and Thisbe. The Canadians were joined by two Italians – the clarion-voiced tenor Stefano La Colla and the renowned baritone Lucio Gallo. Italian maestro Marco Guidarini, last in town two months ago for a run of La traviata at the COC made a welcome return. There was also the Opera Canada Chorus – curiously I counted 20 men and 19 women. Was one person indisposed?
Kicking off the proceedings was the cute and bubbly overture from Il signor Bruschino by Rossini, given a spirited reading by Guidarini. It was a treat to hear Krisztina Szabo sing Rosina’s ‘Una voce poco fa’ from Barbiere, the kind of repertoire that she rarely sings these days. Given her high mezzo bordering on soprano, her top was impressive, and she fully embodied the vixen quality of the street-smart Rosina. Her two big Carmen arias were delivered with gleaming tone and abundant stage allure. She also did the totally unexpected – a diminuendo in the B natural ending of Musetta’s Waltz. I can’t think of another mezzo capable of doing that!
Then it was Karina Gauvin’s turn, in the bravura Handel aria “Da tempeste” from Giulio Cesare – the full uncut version with every filigree in place. MC Rick Phillips made a point of mentioning that this was the first Baroque aria at Bravissimo, ever! The choice of Gauvin in this concert was quite unexpected, given these gala events tend to focus on the ‘blood and guts’ Italian verismo, not Handel and Mozart. Through it all, Gauvin sang with her customary beautiful tone and musical refinement, refusing to push for volume. Her best moment was the recitative in Donna Elvira’s ‘Mi tradi,’ lightly accompanied, with her voice clear as a bell yet weighed with emotion. It was followed by seamless coloratura, even with extra appoggiaturas! In the second half, the two women joined forces in the Lakme duet, their timbres blending beautifully, a true highlight of the evening.
The men were also impressive. Stefano La Colla’s beautiful and well focused tenor was a pleasure. He sang ‘Celeste Aida’ with clarion tone, making a huge sound – not exactly subtle, with a gigantic high B flat at the end, no morendo ending for this tenor! Right away, he had the audience eating out of his hand. Well, you can imagine the reception he got with ‘Nessun Dorma’ later on! Let’s face it, subtlety isn’t what the audience wants in these galas – it’s voice, voice, and more voice. Signor La Colla has enough voice for the whole subdivision, as they say!
His compatriot Lucio Gallo is perhaps the biggest name among the quartet of soloists, having sung in the greatest opera houses in the world. His baritone has darkened with maturity – instead of a Marcello or Papageno, he’s now a Iago and Scarpia. While marginally not as fresh as in the past, his sound has gained in power, authority and gravitas, not to mention his terrific stage presence. His ‘Credo’ from Otello packed a dramatic wallop, as did the Te Deum that ended the formal part of the program, enhanced in no small way by Guidarini who turned up the fire and brimstone from the orchestra and chorus.
I mustn’t forget the marvelous work by the chorus, whose contributions were substantial – I counted nine pieces, plus the encores. At 39 strong, it was on the small side especially when you consider what they were asked to do. But this is basically the COC chorus who is well versed in this repertoire, from Carmen and La traviata to Cosi and Don Giovanni. Plus they benefited from having worked with this maestro multiple times in the past. The chorus rose to the occasion, producing an unforced volume of sound bigger than their number would indicate. As expected ‘Va, pensiero’ was among the more memorable moments of the evening.
Like the chorus, many of the orchestra musicians are stalwart members of the COC Orchestra, including concertmaster Marie Berard, who incidentally contributed a lovely Meditation from Thais, though uncredited in the program. Given that Berard and many members of the orchestra have worked extensively with Guidarini who’s regarded as one of the top conductors from Italy, the result was a smoothly executed, thoroughly idiomatic concert. The audience showed its appreciation, giving the artists sustained ovations at the end.
As I had predicted, the soloists returned to the stage holding flutes of champagne for the obligatory “Libiamo, libiamo” – this must have been the first time Gauvin and Szabo sang Violetta’s music! Then it was the traditional Auld Lang Syne. For the first time in memory, a Bravissimo concert had more than two encores. The audience clapped rhythmically Radetzky March, and hugely enjoyed the Finale from Die Fledermaus. A wonderful way to bid farewell to 2015.
#LUDWIGVAN
Want more updates on Toronto-centric classical music news and review before anyone else finds out? Get our exclusive newsletter here and follow us on Facebook for all the latest.
- SCRUTINY | Opera Atelier’s All Is Love Makes Triumphal Return - April 15, 2024
- SCRUTINY | From The Heart: Ema Nikolovska And Charles Richard-Hamelin Offer Unique Program At Koerner Hall - March 26, 2024
- SCRUTINY | The Glenn Gould School Spring Opera Presents A Superb Dialogues Des Carmélites - March 22, 2024
