sexta-feira, 23 de dezembro de 2016

No Tenors Allowed, Fundação Gulbenkian, Dezembro / December 2016


(text in English below) 

Foi apresentado em Lisboa, na Fundação Gulbenkian, o concerto No Tenors Allowed, aqui cantado pelo barítono Thomas Hampson e pelo baixo-barítono Luca Pisaroni, acompanhados ao piano por Christian Koch. A minha expectativa era grande porque o concerto prometia – na primeira parte, árias de ópera (maioritariamente de Mozart) e, na segunda, canções do musical americano e de opereta. Luca Pisaroni é um cantor que respeito. A sua voz tem um timbre agradável e, não sendo grande, é facilmente audível. Por Thomas Hampson tenho grande admiração dado que é um dos barítonos “no activo” que mais aprecio pelas suas qualidades vocais.

No programa de sala, o texto introdutório de Jorge Rodrigues é notável.

Iniciou o concerto Luca Pisaroni com a aria Non più andrai, das Bodas de Fígaro. Seguiu-se, da mesma ópera, a aria Hai già vinta la causa! cantada por Thomas Hampson. Quase não acreditei no que ouvia. Notas em falso, desafinações frequentes e atropelos ao texto! Voltou Pisaroni que cantou Madamina, il catalogo è questo (o catálogo era o programa da temporada da Gulbenkian) do Don Giovanni. Os dois interpretaram Eh via, buffone e Hampson cantou novamente, com muitas fragilidades, Deh, vienni alla finestra, o mio tesoro também do Don Giovanni.

Terminada esta sequência de árias de Mozart, Thomas Hampson, de microfone na mão, dirige-se ao público e explica que está a cantar “sem pneus”, dado que tem uma bronquite há dias, mas decidiu não cancelar a sua participação tendo enumerado, com graça, as sete fases pelas quais passa um cantor quando lhe acontece tal situação. Estava explicado, Hampson não tinha condições para cantar e, na minha opinião, não deveria ter aparecido. Talvez não tenha cancelado porque estava acompanhado pelo genro, Luca Pisaroni.

Na primeira parte ouviram-se ainda árias de Rossini e Bellini. Os momentos melhores foram o solo de piano da ópera Os Palhaços de Leoncavallo, numa expressiva interpretação de Christian Koch, e a ária La calunnia, do Barbeiro de Sevilha, onde Pisaroni teve a melhor interpretação.

Por motivos pessoais não pude ficar para a segunda parte, mas o que assisti foi um concerto parcialmente frustrado porque Thomas Hampson, um dos grandes barítonos da actualidade, não estava em condições de cantar.



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No Tenors Allowed, Gulbenkian Foundation, December 2016

The concert “No Tenors Allowed” was performed in Lisbon at the Gulbenkian Foundation, sung by baritone Thomas Hampson and bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni, accompanied by the piano by Christian Koch. My expectation was high because the concert was appealing - in the first part, opera arias (mainly by Mozart) and in the second, songs of American musicals and operetta. Luca Pisaroni is a singer that I respect. His voice has a pleasant tone and, not being big, is easily audible. For Thomas Hampson I have great respect since he is one of the "active" baritones that I admire most for his vocal qualities.

In the program, the introductory text of Jorge Rodrigues was remarkable.

The concert began with Luca Pisaroni singing the aria Non più andrai, from Le nozze di Figaro. It was followed, by the aria Hai già vinta la causa! from the same opera, sung by Thomas Hampson. I hardly believed what I heard. Fake notes, frequent defacements, and run over text! Pisaroni returned to sing Madamina, il catalogo è questo (the catalog was the program of the Gulbenkian’s music season) from Don Giovanni. The two singers interpreted Eh via, buffone and Hampson sang again, with many frailties, Deh, vienni alla finestra, o mio tesoro also from Don Giovanni.

After completing this sequence of arias by Mozart, Thomas Hampson, microphone in hand, addressed the audience and explained that he was singing with "no tires" given that he had bronchitis for several days, but decided not to cancel his participation having listed, the seven stages through which a singer passes when this situation occurs. It was explained, Hampson was in no condition to sing and, in my opinion, should not have appeared. Maybe he did not cancel because he was accompanied by his son-in-law, Luca Pisaroni.

In the first part there were still arias of Rossini and Bellini. The best moments were the solo piano of the opera Pagliacci by Leoncavallo, in an expressive interpretation of Christian Koch, and the aria La calunnia, from the Barber of Seville, where Pisaroni had his best interpretation.

For personal reasons I could not stay for the second part of the concert, but what I attended was a partially frustrated concert because Thomas Hampson, one of the great baritones of our times, was not in a condition to sing.


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1 comentário:

  1. I do agree that the first half fell short of one's expectations (they were rather high indeed). Nonetheless, I felt that in the second part they both excelled (sorry, all three were marvellous in different ways at singing, with Christian Koch joining in for a couple of seconds, without leaving his piano stool, in the funny surprise of the night). In fact, in the second part Hampson made full use of his experience, filling-in with a witty performance, far more feasible for a chest weighed down by bronchitis. I surely would bet nobody will forget their adaptation of"Anything You Can Do" any time soon. Even famous Christmas Carols were sung, appealing to the audience's participation, ending the night with with the famous duet from Don Pasquale akin to Gilbert and Sullivan's patter songs. In the end I was glad he hadn't cancelled it.

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