Conducted by Leonard
Weiss
Soloists: Tobias
Cole, Louise Page and Sarahlouise Owens
Llewellyn Hall 24
March
Reviewed by Len Power
24 March 2018
Canberra Youth Orchestra’s first concert for 2018 was an
‘Opera Gala’ with a fine program ranging from arias from Handel and Gluck to
Von Weber, Donizetti and Verdi and some modern-day Kats-Chernin as well.
The program commenced with the finale of the William Tell
Overture, rousingly played by the orchestra.
Then counter-tenor, Tobias Cole, took us into Handel territory with the
first of three items from ‘Julius Caesar in Egypt’. He sang ‘Va tacito e nascosto’ (Silently and
Stealthily) with great feeling, accompanied by the fine trumpet playing of
Samuel Hutchinson.
Tobias Cole was then joined by Louise Page for ‘Caro bella’
from the Handel opera. Their expert and emotionally truthful singing of this
duet where Caesar and Cleopatra sing of their love for each other proved to be
one of the highlights of the evening.
 |
| Tobias Cole |
Sarahlouise Owens’ singing of ‘Sempre Libera’ from Verdi’s
‘La Traviata’ was thrilling and thoroughly deserved the thunderous applause
from the audience.
 |
| Sarahlouise Owens |
The second half of the concert commenced with the orchestra
playing Ernest Giraud’s ‘Carmen Suites’ from the opera by Bizet. The Intermezzo was especially well-played.
 |
| Louise Page |
Louise Page showed what a fine actress she is with her sublime
performance of ‘Il dolce suono’ (the Mad Scene) from Donizetti’s ‘Lucia di
Lammermoor’. She was accompanied superbly by Serena Ford on flute and the combination of voice and instrument was magical. The concert finished with all three soloists singing the celebratory ‘Brindisi’ from ‘La
Traviata’ with great gusto.
 |
| Leonard Weiss and Canberra Youth Orchestra - Photo by William Hall |
The orchestra under the baton of Leonard Weiss accompanied
the singers very well throughout the concert, especially the demanding
recitative sections.
This was a delightful concert with three of Canberra’s most
distinguished singers and a pleasing range of music from baroque to
contemporary.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7’s ‘On Stage’ program on Mondays from
3.30pm and on ‘Artcetera’ from 9.00am on Saturdays.
