SLO opens the 2007 season with gala concert Viva Verdi, a tribute to the most beloved of operatic composers. Music from his most popular operas will be presented by established singers in the region, supported by the SLO Chorus and the Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Bundit Ungrangsee. Local favourites Nancy Yuen and William Lim will be taking part, as well as Malaysia-based Cecelia Yap and Korean Lee Jae Wook. In a month of operatic highlights, the concerts will take place one week before Renee Fleming's local debut in two recitals. 

Surely no other composer has contributed as much to the current repertory as Verdi did. Part of Verdi's genius is his ability to combine theatrical effects and musical experimentation with melodic crowd-pleasing tunes. Starting as a young composer of the current bel canto styles exemplified by Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti, he gradually moved away from the virtuosic musical effects typical of the bel canto style to create a musical language rich in dramatic motivation that would come to be known as the verismo movement.  The development of Verdi's musical style is to bring emphasis to the dramatic conten;.even as a young composer, his works feature characters more well-defined and plot developments richer than most works typical of the bel canto era. From the jagged, 'screaming' coloratura lines of Lady Macbeth and Nabucco's Abigail, to the pathos of Violetta and il Trovatore's Leonora, and the moral dilemmas of Giorgio Germont and Macbeth, Verdi's characters are consistently rich and always identifiable with the everyman, an effect borne out of close collaboration between words and music. Much of his early success also came from his choruses, the most popular being Va Pensiero, the patriotic anthem from Nabucco, which will be presented in the concerts.  

Not content to simply stamp his mark on current musical trends, he has sought to bring closer synthesis between words and music by removing all virtuosic elements not essential to plot development. Rigoletto features a title character that sings mostly accompanied recitative without an aria of his own, an attempt to make the character more 'real'. However, he realized that revolution does not occur in a day and sought to please canary fanciers at the same time with the coloratura-laden 'Caro Nome' by his daughter Gilda and the catchy tunes of 'La Donna è Mobile' and 'Questa O Quella' by the Duke of Mantua. By the time he got to Aida and Requiem, all such effects have been removed from his pen. What remains is heart-felt music rich in orchestration that fully reflects the characters' hopes, dreams, sadness and tragedy. Otello, his last serious opera, brought this dramatic musical style to the height of his element, creating music that is powerful, tragic, heartfelt and deeply engaging at the same time. He then showcased his comedic flair with Falstaff, his last opera and only successful comedy; truly a master of the genre with range broad enough to suit many different styles. 

Given Verdi's contribution to opera, the SLO could not have chosen a better way to start the new season than with a gala concert of the composer's greatest hits, all mainstays of the operatic repertoire. Look out for Nancy Yuen's Sempre Libera, a crowd favourite always capped with a lovely High E-flat, as well as highlights from Rigoletto, Don Carlos, Otello, Nabucco and many more. Soon to come is Rossini's perennial favorite The Barber of Seville, more concerts and a full Traviata production next year.

Viva Verdi will be held on 23 March 2007 at the Esplanade Concert Hall at 7.30pm.

Tickets are available at all SISTIC counters; you may also order online at www.sistic.com.sg.

By Steven Ang

 

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