Opera Primavera

Opera Primavera was the jewel in the crown, the defining event, of the Italian Festival, for what true Italian does not love opera? 

What other than opera epitomises love, hatred, revenge, sacrifice, joy, and heroism? 

It was all there in the Norwood Concert Hall as four singers and one pianist brought the world of opera to life, ensuring an afternoon of sheer delight. 

Baritone, Mario Bellanova, singing Il Prologo from I Pagliacci set the bar very high, but those who followed,  soprano Imogen-Faith Malfitano, mezzo-soprano Sally-Anne Russell and tenor Kyle Stegall, proved that they, too, could scale the heights. Not only are they all accomplished and experienced opera singers, but they are able, on a bare stage, to create the characters and scenes from well-loved operas. 

As master of ceremonies, Eugene Ragghianti, in his inimitable style, introduced each number, giving the context, salient facts, and little bits of gossip. 

Michael Ierace, pianist, was a great support to the singers, as well as showing his own abilities as a soloist, in  Piccolo Valzer by Puccini.

Those familiar with opera traditions know that tenors are notoriously fickle when it comes to romance. Thus we have Kyle Stegall singing ecstatically of his love for Violetta in De’miei boleti spiriti when  shortly after he is haggling for the money to buy a love potion to woo Adina in venti scudi from ‘L’Elisir d’Amore’.

Not content with that contest he woos Mimi, in the beautiful duet from ‘La Bohème’ before he tries his luck with Maddalena in ‘Rigoletto’. All is forgiven because in his truly wonderful Una furtive lagrima we are convinced that he has found true love. The joyous ‘m’ama’ (she loves me) says it all.

Baritones generally portray rulers, villains or side-kicks, but even here Mario Bellanova showed his cloven feet as he entices Zerlina away from her own wedding into a place where they would find happiness! But apart from this lapse as Don G. he showed a nasty side as an unscrupulous recruitment officer, or a jealous lover. It was in his part as the stern father, protecting his family’s honour that he showed a nobler character and the scene with Imogen-Faith Malifitano as Violetta was extraordinarily moving. She, as a so called ‘fallen woman’ being asked to renounce the true love she had now found, for the good of others, with her agreement, showed that far from a fallen, she was a noble woman. 

Were then Imogen-Faith and Sally-Anne innocent young women in the thrall of unscrupulous men? Far from it. Sally-Anne Russell proved to be a spirited, self-willed and thoroughly determined young woman in Una voce poco fà from  ‘Il Barbiere di Siviglia,’ sung with spirit and aplomb, nor did she show too much resistance to Don Giovanni when he asked for her hand, despite the trembling of her heart warning her that this might not have a good ending.

Imogen-Faith Malifitano, performing the recative and aria Ah, forsè lui….Sempre libera from La Traviata, gave a virtuoso performance both of the technical difficulties and the competing emotions she experiences. Her gentler side  was revealed in excerpts from ‘Madama Butterfly’ and in the Duetto buffo di due gatti which both she and Sally-Anne sang with feline  felicity.

The final quartet from Rigoletto brought the four opera stars together in a fitting finale.  Bravi tutti!