Opera in the Capital was very much the sort of programme I enjoy: a handful of wellknown arias from operas, a couple of famous intermezzi, a well-loved Lehár aria and the everpopular Italian/Neapolitan canzoni, which I can never get enough of. Singers like Enrico Caruso sang the popular music of his native city as encores at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in the early 1900.
There were about one thousand people at St George's square that evening. The organisation was impeccable with staff there checking the tickets and others leading you to our seats. There was a pleasant breeze and not the high humidity we have been suffering from in the last few days.
The Malta Philharmonic orchestra on the podium, with Palazzo Verdelin and in the background behind a video wall which brought colour and ambience to the evening.
Present in the red VIP seats was soprano Miriam Gauci, her husband Maestro Michael Laus was directing the MPO that evening.
Also present Minister Owen Bonnici with his partner, Remenda Grech, Jason Micallef who is Chairman of the Valetta Cultural Agency and his wife Josie and the CEO of VCA, the always stylish Catherine Tabone are the ones I recognised. Also Commissioner Helena Dalli and her artist husband Patrick.
Yes, at this stage of my life there are few operas which could keep me on my seat throughout. Certainly it is not the likes of Nabucco or Aida not to mention the rare ones that are performed every fifty years, if at all. I no longer have the patience to hang around waiting for the arias I enjoy. A mixed programme is what I like best and that evening I had it.
Claire Agius presented in her usual style. The singers were three promising young talents. I had heard both tenors, Alan Sciberras and Cliff Zammit Stevens, several times before. Love them. I had interviewed soprano Nadia Vella and was looking forward to hearing her sing for the first time. She did not disappoint. Far from it. She had just given birth to baby Bonnie, too. Looking glamorous in a white Luke Azzopardi evening gown she was the second to come on stage with Quel guardo il cavaliere from Donizetti's opera buffa, Don Pasquale. A most promising debut. That evening she went on to sing with Alan Sciberras the evergreen Lippen Schweigen ('Lips are silent, Violins are whispering...') from Lehár's The Merry Widow which is always a popular choice even if I have to say that I don't know any merry widows.
Then the aria Je veux vivre from Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. This opera is a thrilling, rapturous, and heartbreaking counterpart to Shakespeare's transcendent poetry. This is a concert favourite. It is not an easy aria with many high notes. Nadia sang it with verve and feeling and came out with flying colours.
Nadia and Cliff also sang Lloyd Webber's All I ask of you from The Phantom of the Opera.
The three singers sang together Philip Vella's Fil-Qrib and later Grech's Xemx and finally the Brindisi, from La Traviata, when champagne flutes were brought out.
The MPO played two overtures: one from Verdi's I Vesperi Siciliani. After the popularity which Verdi's three operas, Rigoletto, Trovatore and La Traviata achieved, Verdi had hoped that Vesperi would have a similar success in Paris especially as the story was based on the French occupation of Sicily. But it didn't. However there are some sections that remain well-known. The Overture for one, gets performed quite often and is most famous for the cello melody that is also used during the Montforte-Arrigo duet. I know I have no desire to sit through the whole Vesperi although I love Verdi, but am happy to listen to the Overture, again and again.
The other great Overture played that evening was from Puccini's Manon Lescaut. Puccini had nearly decided to join his brother in South America. He now had Elvira and two children to support. 'The theatres here are stingy,' he wrote to his brother Michele, 'and because of the critics the public becomes more and more difficult. God help me! ' But his brother dissuaded him saying that he himself was struggling against poverty and illness in South America and was hoping to save enough to return to Italy.
Puccini was reading Abbé Prévost's The Story of the Chevalier des Grieux and of Manon Lescaut, popularly referred to as Manon Lescaut, and had decided that this was the opera he wanted to compose. 'Manon is a heroine I believe in and therefore she cannot fail to win the hearts of the public.' He was right. With Manon Lescaut, Puccini's fame was assured.
That evening, the MPO treated the audience to an excellent version of this famous overature.
Alan Sciberras sang La fleur que tu m'avais jetée, from Bizet's Carmen, Donna non vidi Mai from Manon and then Cardillo's Core 'ngrato and Gastaldon's Musica Proibita with Cliff Zammit Stevens. Both sensitively sung and very moving.
Cliff gave us Quanto è bella, from L'Elisir d'Amore, Cilea 's E la solita storia del pastore from L'Arlesiana and to my delight Piaf's La Vie en rose. I have to confess when I saw this on the programme I thought to myself that no one can really sing this except Piaf. Cliff sang it with great sensitivity and it was very moving. The worst versions I have ever heard were by singers who try to jazz up this famous chanson. Thank you Cliff. Your interpretation was truly wonderful. You gave it subtle vocal colour.
That evening provided a tonic. I am sure many like me, wished it could have gone on. I hope there will be similar evenings in the coming winter schedule.
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