Tonight we will hear eight opera amateurs falter and wobble their way towards a usable result. After the technically strong vocalist Melis had to give up last Saturday, it is probably Mari Bella and Odd René Andersen that I have the most faith in tonight. Mia Gundersen has extensive experience with several different vocal genres, and can definitely be an outsider to the best performance, but tonight is primarily about breathing technique, power and, not least, communication. The evening’s performances in order: Odd René Andersen: “La donna è mobile” from “Rigoletto” by Giuseppe Verdi (1851) CLASSICS: Odd René Andersen goes wild on “La Donna è mobile” from Verdi’s “Rigoletto”. Picture from dress rehearsal. Odd René has made a smart choice here – La Donna É Mobile is known to the vast majority of people, and that makes it easier for him to show viewers and judges that he hits what he needs to hit. As usual, there is little to complain about Odd René’s understanding of tone, but of course you can hear the soul rock vocalist in the higher parts. Empathy and storytelling, on the other hand, are so-so. After all, opera often has to be as theatrical as possible, and here Odd René can advantageously go a little further. He is so loose in his own genre, so there is definitely something theatrical in him! Of course, Odd René does it flawlessly vocally, but it was never the big challenge either. One would only wish for a little more outspoken role interpretation. Tone Damli: “Les tringles des sistres tintaient” from “Carmen” by Georges Bizet (1875) Photo: Jonathan Kise / news Elle Maija Klefstad Bear: “Duetto buffo di due gatti” (Duet for two cats) based on “Otello” by Gioachino Rossini (1816) Photo: Jonathan Kise / news Mia Gundersen: “Habanera” from “Carmen” by Georges Bizet (1875) Photo: Jonathan Kise / news Adrian Sellevoll: “I am a birdcatcher, yes” from “The Magic Flute” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1791) Photo: Jonathan Kise / news Mari Bella: “Una voce poco fa” from “The Barber of Seville” by Gioachino Rossini (1816) Photo: Jonathan Kise / news Aleksander With: “‘O sole mio” by Eduardo di Capua and Alfredo Mazzucchi (1898) Photo: Jonathan Kise / news Damien: “Estuans interius” from “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff (1937) Photo: Jonathan Kise / news Hi! I’m Espen. I am a freelancer who writes about music and humor for news. You’ll find all the latest at news.no/reviews.
ttn-69
Stjernekamp 2023 – opera, 23 September – Reviews and recommendations
