Verdi Spectacular

The great Giuseppe Verdi once said, “The artist must yield himself to his own inspiration, and if he has true talent, no one knows and feels better than he what suits him.”

Verdi obviously knew what suited him and so does Opera SA with their latest offering Verdi Spectacular.

Conductor Stephen Mould has constructed a night of some of Verdi’s most famous overtures, solos, duets, trios, quartets and chorus numbers, all backed by the illustrious Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

The night features musical numbers from La Forza del Destino (The Force of Destiny), La Traviata, Otello, Il Travatore, Rigoletto, Falstaff, Don Carlos, Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball), Macbetto, Aida and Nabucco – a virtual feast for any lover of Verdi.

Verdi Spectacular also includes the talents of Mario Bellanova (baritone), Gisele Blanchard (soprano), Elizabeth Campbell (mezzo soprano), Bradley Daley (tenor), Teresa La Rocca (soprano), Jeremy Tatchell (baritone) and Norbet Hohl (tenor).

Each contributes their own special moments, dressed in evening wear and pouring out their musical hearts to the appreciative packed audience.

There were many highlights for me. Firstly, the overture from La Forza del Destino, an apt choice for the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Under conductor Stephen Mould the sound is rich, moving and stirring. On a side note, I did feel sorry for a flautist, bassoon and trumpet player who were not scored for this piece and sat patiently.

Gisele Blanchard’s seems to pick seemingly impossible high notes from thin air and handle difficult cadenzas with ease singing Violetta’s aria, ‘Sempre Libero’ from La Traviata, a stand out.

Mario Bellanova embodies Rigoletto, the tortured clown. We feel his every heartache as he demonstrates his ability to show emotion to an audience utilising both acting and voice. This was my special moment of the night. He also gives us an evil Iago from Otello.

Teresa La Rocca demonstrates her mastery of the dramatic soprano repertoire in ‘Ecco l’orrido campo’ from Un ballo in maschero. Her voice soars above the orchestra and envelops the audience and Adelaide Town Hall. She is a true Diva.

Any opera goer waits for ‘La Donna e mobile’ from Rigoletto and Bradley Daley does not disappoint. He makes singing in the tenor range look simple when it is far from that. His face lit up in the ovation received at the end of the aria. I wish he had incorporated more of this in his arias.

The chorus of State Opera SA Show their power and richness in the famous Anvil Chorus from Il Travatore and ‘Va Pensiero’ (the chorus of the Hebrew slaves) from Nabucco earning an encore.

My only complaint (which has nothing to do with the production) was the woefully inadequate bar service at interval which resulted in many patrons not finishing drinks they had lined up for or having to quickly finish them, not a good promotion for responsible drinking.

It is safe to say that every patron of Verdi Spectacular went away elated, inspired and uplifted.

Barry Hill

Images: Gisele Blanchard and Teresa La Rocca.