BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2007

BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2007 Evan Dickerson [N.B. For each round of both competitions, I offered my impressions of the competitors, their repertoire and the buzz from the audience. I was the first critic to review the event in such detail online or in mainstream media. In so doing, I paved the way for other critics to follow my example in subsequent years.]

Main Prize reviews Main Prize Concert 1: Orchestra of Welsh National Opera conducted by Carlo Rizzi St David’s Hall, 7.30pm, 10.6.2007

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2007/Jan-Jun07/cardiff_mp_concert1.htm KOREA: Sae Kyung Rim Soprano Born 1975 Catalani: Ebben? Ne andrò lontana (La Wally) Sae Kyung Rim walked on to the stage at St David’s Hall with little fuss and started the competition with a fair amount of style. It took the opening passages for her to scale the voice appropriately to the size of the hall, but once done she displayed more than competent phrasing along with the ability to launch soaring high notes at volume relatively easily. The aria’s ending was noteworthy for its spirited attack and gutsy tone.

Verdi: Ritorna vincitor! (Aida) Attacked the opening with some passion, and the quieter passages were shaded down well to convey emotion. When in full flow Sae Kyung Rim produced impressive fortissimo notes that showed a sense of flair.

Puccini: Principessa, l'amore...Tu che di gel sei cinta (Turandot) Coped well with changing the placing and size of her voice from the large scale needed for Aida to the more intimate needed for Liu in Turandot. Started to express some emotion in her face and relaxed towards the end to give a performance that drew the audience in.

General comments about singer Moments of brief uncertainty were overcome, although taken as a whole the La Wally aria was the most convincing interpretation.

BRAZIL: Luciano Botelho Tenor Born 1975 Mozart: Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön (Die Zauberflöte) A slender-scaled tenor voice that was used with feeling to project Tamino’s feelings of love for Tamina. Clearly a stylish singer with an awareness of Mozartian line. Brought delicate shading to the piano passages of the aria.

Lalo : Puisqu'on ne peut...Vainement, ma bien-aimée (Le Roi d'Ys) An ideal voice for this serenade of ardour, sung with lightness and precisely floated lines. French diction was good. Overall, the tempo taken was faster than that normally used for the aria and he coped well with maintaining it.

Verdi: Dal labbro il canto (Falstaff) Fenton’s woodland aria was sung with bags of atmosphere and romance. Careful shaping of the aria’s line made one wonder why, still, Falstaff remains so (relatively) under-acknowleged as an opera.

Rossini: Si, ritrovarla io giuro (La Cenerentola) The aria explored the high head voice extensively, which he clearly has the ability to produce, if on this occasion the top notes were not quite totally secure – affected no doubt by the need for the tone to be supported more. Coloured well in the lower vocal range.

General comments about singer There is a range of repertoire for his voice, so there is future employment once he has all the elements of vocal production securely in place.

CROATIA: Ante Jerkunica Bass Born 1978 Verdi: A te l'estremo addio...Il lacerato spirito (Simon Boccanegra) In short, he walked on stage and wowed us with a rich, resonant bass that proved rock solid at the lower end of his range. Had the ability to enter into the heart of the part at the drop of a hat.

Really filled the auditorium with a tangible presence.

Massenet: Dors, ò cité perverse!...Astres étincelants (Hérodiade) Another aria that played to his strengths of commanding attention from the audience, as the majority of bass roles are wont to require. Brought more than a fair share of malevolence to it.

Occasionally higher notes were a bit pinched: had he raised his chin slightly and sung out to the rear of the hall instead of the front stalls there would have been no problem.

Verdi: Che mai vegg'io...Infelice!...e tuo credevi...Infin che un brando vindice (Ernani) Communicated Silva’s shock at finding intruders to Elvira’s quarters with ease. As vocally strong as the rest.

General comments about singer A singer one could cast tomorrow and know what he would produce, his voice is clearly established. Apart from the point noted above, he was the most impressive singer so far.

ENGLAND: Elizabeth Watts Soprano Born 1979 Massenet: Je suis encore tout étourdie (Manon) Well integrated vocally, coping decently with the florid ornamentation. The voice itself lacked scale to completely fill the hall.

Mozart: Giunse alfin il momento...Deh vieni, non tardar (Le nozze di Figaro) Projection again was a slight issue at times, although Elizabeth did well to shade down and maintain the integrity of her already slight tone. A good Mozart stylist.

Handel: Credete al mio dolore (Alcina) This high-lying aria caused a few problems, notably in terms of intonation at the very top of her range. The tone could have done with a touch more support, but it was daring of her to choose an aria so reliant on fine piano singing as this. Fortunately, the accompaniment of harpsichord and cellos did not cause the delicate vocals to be swamped.

Szymanowski: Taniec (Songs of a Fairytale Princess Op 31 No 3) An unusual choice that at least varied the repertoire to some extent, but to what effect? (Many wondered this, not just me.) To Szymanowki’s orientally infused colourings she brought much upbeat enthusiasm. I’d like to hear her perform the cycle some time.

General comments about singer Slight toned, but uses the entire range well. Needs to avoid large-scale repertoire in big halls. She has charm and sings with affection. Clearly won many friends with her programme.

HUNGARY: Levente Molnár Baritone Born 1983 Rossini: Largo al factotum (Il barbiere di Siviglia) A confident actor who knew how to play the audience and engage their attention. Looked casual on stage in terms of posture and perhaps over-used gesture too. Vocally though he projected well much of the character and brought a lot of fun to the old claptrap, which the audience duly fell into.

Mozart: Hai già vinta la causa!...Vedrò mentr'io sospiro (Le nozze di Figaro), Donne mie, le fate a tanti (Così fan tutte) Taking these two arias together, there was little to distinguish them in terms of tone or approach.

Sung rather suavely with a clarity of approach they had momentary interest.

Verdi: È sogno? O realtà (Falstaff) A strong conclusion, and in one of Verdi’s best baritone roles too. Good characterization and general sureness of tone, ability to point the text as he wanted – all were in evidence.

General comments about singer I’d have taken one of the Mozarts and replaced it with something by another composer to show a greater range as a singer. That said, he was entertaining and no doubt has a future.

The Buzz from the Audience There was a wide spread of opinion as to who should win: Brazil, Croatia (my personal favourite), England and Hungary all impressed for different reasons. Having canvassed a range of opinion from all ages (a couple of teenage girls proved remarkably perceptive, showing that serious music can engage younger minds), agreed that it was a difficult decision with no clear-cut winner.

The Judges’ Decision Elizabeth Watts was declared the evening’s winner, much to the delight of her supporters including a large Royal College of Music contingent. For the unity of her voice throughout its range and its ability to affect an audience I can understand the decision. Will she get to the final? Possibly not – from this concert Ante Jerkunica, the Croatian bass, surely deserves serious consideration when the time comes.

Main Prize Concert 2: BBC National Orchestra of Wales / Jacek Kaspszyk , St David’s Hall.

11.6.2007

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2007/Jan-Jun07/cardiff_mp_concert2.htm NORWAY: Johannes Weisser Baritone Born: 1980 JS Bach: Mache dich, mein Herze, rein (St Matthew Passion) The chief virtue of this extract from the St Matthew Passion was that it never sounded stolid or set in its ways. Conveying a sense of reverence, Weisser’s voice was nonetheless well projected.

Mozart: Hai già vinta la causa!...Vedrò mentr'io sospiro (Le nozze di Figaro) The music brought out a lightness of tone in Weisser’s voice, which aided his articulation of Mozartian line. That said, he increased the scale of his voice to fit the urgency within the text.

Wagner: Wie Todesahnung...O du mein holder Abendstern (Tannhäuser) Wagner is sometimes wrongly thought to be just a composer of grandeur and bombast. Weisser, however, showed Wagner’s more refined side. He coped well with the difficult held lines and injected a sizable amount of lyricism into the Hymn to the Evening Star.

General comments about singer Johannes Weisser impressed in the song competition (Recital 1) with his lieder-abend style programme. His programme here showed what he could do in mainstream repertoire. Some in the audience doubted the wisdom of both his Bach and Wagner – but for me they caused few concerns.

LITHUANIA: Sandra Janusaite Soprano Born 1974 Halevy: Il va venir (La Juive) Sandra Janusaite started too tentatively, as a consequence never really gained her form in this aria. Questionable intonation was largely apparent.

Wagner: Du bist der Lenz (Die Walküre) Janusaite had a fair measure of the vocal size and flow required for Sieglinde’s aria, but concern over hitting the notes meant that in amongst the momentum of the music the communication of exhilaration came across rather thinly. Perhaps the part is not totally suitable for her.

Puccini: Donde lieta uscì (La bohème) Far better was the overall impression made in the Puccini aria. Sung with obvious feeling, many in the hall found this rather impressive.

Tchaikovsky: Gde zhe ty moy zhelanyi? (The Enchantress) She has the right tone and the subtleties of communication for Tchaikovsky. Occasional intonation problems in the top range hinted at an area of vocal production that needs to be brought fully

under control.

Mascagni: Voi lo sapete, o mamma (Cavalleria Rusticana) See the Puccini and Mascagni comments above: I’d only add that she also needs to watch how fortissimo notes are prepared and attacked from below. Once in full flight they can be thrilling, but getting there seems hard work currently.

General comments about singer Janusaite came across as a rather all-purpose soprano. Once a few technical issues are addressed there is no doubt that she’ll be employable across a wide repertoire. I have my doubts about her suitability for Wagner at this stage in her career though.

UZBEKISTAN: Dmitri Vargin Baritone Born 1978 Gounod: O sainte médaille...Avant de quitter ces lieux (Faust) Dmitri Vargin’s tone is somewhat throaty and he struggled occasionally with reaching high notes.

That aside he brought character to his interpretation, affection, tenderness and military pride were all carefully place within his singing.

Mendelssohn: Es ist genug (Elias) The difficulty for a young singer to feel and adequately communicate the emotions of an older person should never be underestimated. Vargin successfully got within the character of Elijah to bring out some pathos, world-weariness and plenty of surrounding atmosphere in the prophet’s farewell to life.

Mozart: Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo (Così fan tutte) A nice contrast with the preceding item, as it allowed for humour and lightness of touch to be explored. As he relaxed fully into the aria, you got the sense of a personable and watchable baritone as well as one who can style Mozart with confidence.

General comments about singer At his best in Mozart he acquitted himself well. For depth of musical intelligence though the Mendelssohn won the day.

CANADA: David DQ Lee Counter tenor Born 1978 Handel: Va tacito e nascosto (Giulio Cesare) As Handel forms a core part of any counter-tenor’s repertoire, it is important that he finds the right mixture of nobility and floridity in the style to be able to cope well with the composer’s demands.

This he did, aided by a solid breathing technique.

Haydn: A chi mi volgo...Ah che morir vorrei (Arianne a Naxos) He dared to use a thread of vocal tone for much of the recitative, which contrasted well with the subsequent aria. It was fully possessed of passionate involvement befitting Arianne’s desire to die.

Expressive gestures underlined the point.

Berlioz: L'île inconnue (Les nuits d'été) Berlioz’s sea-tossed journey to the land of love was rather more of a boat caught on a mildly swelling tide, such was the lack of emotion brought to it by the orchestra. As a consequence Lee’s singing was restrained – I’d have liked more outward passion from him in this music.

Jake Heggie: A Route to the Sky (The Paper Wings No 4) Just as with the Erl-king in the Song Prize opening concert, Lee sought the opportunity to pull another crowd-pleasing rabbit out of the hat with Jake Heggie’s uproarious setting of lyrics by mezzo Frederica von Stade, beginning with a pastiche of Beethoven’s “Für Elise”. It’s the kind of thing that the singer just has to go for, no holes barred – which is exactly what he did.

Entertaining, yes, but intelligent use of his voice also.

General comments about singer Who says counter-tenors should only sing Baroque music? I don’t, for one. He’s a one off, taking all the chances he can get to have the audience on his side – as such he’s assured support in the audience prize stakes. That he makes modern music approachable too is no bad thing.

UKRAINE: Julia Griniuk Mezzo Born 1977 Mozart: Parto, parto (La clemenza di Tito) A fairly solid and confident performance with more than adequate use of ornamentation.

Offenbach: Vois sous l'archet fremissant (Les Contes d'Hoffmann) More distinguished that the preceding Mozart, this Offenbach was richly lyrical in character, showing good vocal support at work.

Tchaikovsky: Da, chas nastal (The Maid of Orleans) Whereas the preceding pieces left things to be desired in their emotional commitment, this aspect could not be doubted here, as Joan of Arc set out on her mission to be France’s saviour. With language posing no problems Griniuk played her trump card, unafraid of any technical obstacles or dramatic involvement.

General comments about singer A Tchaikovsky soprano to watch out for – and how the opera world needs them.

The Buzz From the Audience The Lithuanian soprano had her supporters and detractors. The Uzbekistan baritone impressed many also, as did the Ukrainian mezzo. Canadian counter-tenor David DQ Lee blew them all out of the water in terms of popularity. Love him or hate him, you could not ignore him. One audience member said, “He’s the countertenor I’ve waited my life to hear.”

The Judges’ Decision David DQ Lee was declared the evening’s winner to a great roar of applause. Is this a jury that wants to be seen to go with the popular vote? That could depend if he makes it to the final or not.

From this round Lee has to the front-runner for consideration despite Dmitri Vargin’s best efforts.

Main Prize Concert 3: Orchestra of WNO conducted by Carlo Rizzi, St David’s Hall, 12.6. 2007

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2007/Jan-Jun07/cardiff_mp_concert3.htm NETHERLANDS: Wiard Witholt Baritone Born 1978 Handel: The walls are levelled - See! the raging flames (Joshua) Wiard Witholt started the evening with punchy and barely accompanied recitative from Handel’s Joshua, ensuring the full quality of his voice was immediately apparent. The subsequent aria had much in the way of commanding grandeur to it also; he tackled the tricky runs with relative ease.

Mozart: Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo (Così fan tutte) A stylish account of Guglielmo’s aria, which contains more than a little humour. This aspect was left a little under-explored, given Witholt’s rather static presentation.

Korngold: Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen (Die tote Stadt) Korngold’s Pierrot realises that happiness is a foolish dream, followed with no positive outcome guaranteed. There was feeling for the emotions behind the words here, even if he does have to watch the use of consonants a little along with providing adequate support for his tone to be ideally projected.

Britten: Now you may save your scornful looks (Owen Wingrave) Owen Wingrave’s demands for peace to rule hearts rather than war provided a neat rejoinder to the tale of conquering heroes that began Witholt’s selection. With near impeccable English at his command, Witholt proved a forthright and committed Britten baritone, his noble vocal timbre working well against the largely percussion-based accompaniment. Expressive use of body language too.

General comments about the performer A singer clearly with a future ahead of him and several strong aspects already to his performing arsenal. More an opera singer than a lieder one, I think.

WALES: Sarah-Jane Davies Soprano Born 1975 Handel: L'amerò...È gelosia, quella tiranna (Serse) Sarah-Jane Davies paced the aria well, but she seemed under a lot of pressure to cope with the Handel style. Not the best music for her to sing and be heard at her best.

R Strauss: Beim Schlafengehn (Vier Letzte Lieder) The beginning was rather held back, although Carlo Rizzi drew magnificent playing from the WNO orchestra as the piece progressed. The richly lyrical phrases that require effortless floating of the voice were well done, but could have done with a touch more feeling and volume to be ideal.

Mozart: Ei parte senti...Per piéta ben mio (Così fan tutte) I wish there was another way to put this: not good. Sloppy timing combined with poor top range notes to leave a somewhat unfavourable impression.

General comments about the performer Assured of home support, Sarah-Jane was not in her best voice. Have heard better from her, but that counts for nothing in a competition situation. As for so many singers, I question her repertoire choices.

ESTONIA: Juhan Tralla Tenor Born 1974 Mozart: Dalla sua pace (Don Giovanni) Juhan Tralla presented himself well, though his voice production appeared somewhat constrained, as in his song recital programme. Largely through the understanding of Carlo Rizzi’s conducting he gave a restrained reading of Don Ottavio’s aria. If the Mozartian line did not flow with ideal ease, he nonetheless shaped and shaded it where he could.

Donizetti: Tombe degli avi miei...Fra poco a me ricovero (Lucia di Lammermoor) Bel canto opera was not perhaps the what he would have wished to sing with a throat problem, given that deficiencies are likely to be hard to hide. Audibly under pressure at times, there were two fairly risky entries but with careful preparation and placing of the voice he reached the end creditably enough. All professional singers have moments of trouble on stage; dealing with them is part of the job.

Tchaikovsky: Kuda, kuda (Eugene Onegin) The voice is mercurial and curious thing. Precisely the quality that works against one composer’s music and be precisely what you need for another. Tralla’s Tchaikovsky was lent the feeling of inner desolation through his rather throaty, detached timbre, allowing him to express with clarity the depth of emotion felt by Lensky as he waits for his opponent at the appointed duelling hour.

General comments about the performer Not the most luxuriant tenor sound you’ll encounter, but he is a singer I would really like to hear in good voice to discover his true capabilities. Even from his singing here it’s clear he has potential to take on some demanding roles and serve them well.

CHINA: Yang Shen Bass-baritone Born 1984 Vivaldi: Se il cor guerriero (Tito Manlio) With the depth of Yang Shen’s tone obvious from the start, other qualities in his sing also proved impressive: lightness of touch and evenness of control in the runs. His natural bearing showed no affectation, being noble and slightly imperious to suit the part of the Roman consul Titus.

Verdi: A te l'estremo addio...Il lacerato spirito (Simon Boccanegra) A good, solid performance. Lacked the outward torment expressed by some in this music, but Shen chose to give a portrayal of Fiesco’s private grief, and it proved moving because if that.

Wagner: Was duftet doch der Flieder (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg) As with Dmitri Vargin (Uzbekistan) in concert 2, Yang Shen pulled off the trick of getting inside an old man’s frame of mind. Not just that but be imbued Hans Sachs’ monologue with a suitable narrative quality. Vocally a few moments stretched him, but to take on Hans Sachs is no mean feat. To show that a couple of years from now he could be one of the best around is even more remarkable.

Gounod: Vous qui faites l'endormie (Faust) Good use of facial expression helped Shen’s Mephistopheles insinuate its way into the proceedings.

Real menace was largely tightly reined in, except during the one moment of true roared laughter, but this did not stop the portrayal becoming more established as it progressed.

General comments about the performer Such is the assurance and quality of vocal production it’s all too easy to overlook the fact he’s still just 23. Some around me found his middle range bland and it is compared with that of Ante Jerkunica’s (Croatia) when heard in the same Verdi aria. But with good teachers this is something that can be easily worked on. Needs also to show more vitality (Gounod) and movement on stage (Verdi) if he’s to become a real operatic stage bass. Yes, I think he’s really a bass, not a bassbaritone: his strength is in the lower register.

GERMANY: Evelina Dobraceva Soprano Born 1975 Mozart: Crudele! - Non mi dir (Don Giovanni) Donna Anna is difficult role to cast. Does one opt for the lyrical soprano or a wholly dramatic one?

Both can conceivably sing the part. Dobraceva highlighted the quandary that any opera house casting official would face. Hers was a performance based in the lyrical soprano mould – not barnstorming with its emotion, but quietly pleading. Vocally though she showed depth of tone and careful restraint as well as tasteful precision. Yet again Carlo Rizzi proved his worth as a sensitive accompanist.

Puccini: Chi il bel sogno di Doretta (La rondine) Puccini’s ever-fresh aria is exactly right for Dobraceva’s voice, be it in terms of timbre, size of sound required, sensitivity to every quivering emotion and delicacy of approach.

Weber: Wie nahte mir der Schlummer - Leise, Leise (Der Freischütz) Getting the measure of Weber’s music is no easy thing, but Dobraceva has it. Using a technique that does most things well – work on high notes is needed – she gave a moving and almost flawlessly controlled performance of Agathe’s aria. It’s a slender yet warm soprano that carries well at most dynamics. The fact she can produce fortissimo singing when needed is a bonus, rather than her strong point.

General comments about the performer A much more favourable account of her abilities was given here than in the song recital prize. A stylish singer with a beautiful sound. Hopefully some opera houses will be tempted to stage Der Freischütz in a while also

The Buzz From the Audience After a fairly routine first half (judging by the audience reaction), the first person to set the crowd buzzing was Yang Shen. Evelina Dobraceva did well to follow Shen’s performance and impressed many also, confirming that she has a delightful voice that is used with intelligence.

The Judges’ Decision The evening’s winner was announced as Yang Shen. For the second night running a popular decision. The more cynical members of the audience around me complained that it was all in aid of building an interesting final for the television viewers. I think not; Shen’s performance had undeniable merits in a singer of his age. He should continue to have a distinguished career ahead of him. Will he make it the final though?

Main Prize Concert 4: BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Jacek Kaspszyk, St David’s Hall, 13.6. 2007

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2007/Jan-Jun07/cardiff_mp_concert4.htm SWEDEN: Ida Falk Winland Soprano Born 1982 Handel: Tornami a vagheggiar (Alcina) Befitting a singer with a model’s deportment, much about the performance of this aria was perfectly poised. Every so often the flash of a smile brought both Ida Falk Winland’s face and the fluidly sung ornamentation to life.

Sibelius: Var det en dröm There is little doubt that this Sibelius came from Winland’s heart, her soaring, rich upper register floated with ease against the fulsome orchestration. A pity, perhaps, that her lower register does not carry the same weight, although it possesses a nicely rounded tone.

Stravinsky: No word from Tom (The Rake’s Progress) The agitation implied at the start of the aria was well conveyed, even though this was a little subdued compared to what you might hear on other occasions. Generally excellent use of the English language too.

Massenet: Je marche surtout les chemins (Manon) Winland’s creamy and luxuriant tone was in evidence again, however the flow of the aria was interrupted twice by audience applause – clearer signalling to the audience that the music would continue by singer or conductor might have prevented this. A pity, otherwise it would have hung together well as a performance.

General comments about the performer Somehow for all the evident charm and beauty of tone something was missing to bring this alive as a performance to remember.

IRELAND: Owen Gilhooly Baritone Born 1976 Gounod: O sainte médaille...Avant de quitter ces lieux (Faust) Owen Gilhooly doesn’t have the largest baritone voice in the competition – far from it – but he brought a quiet nobility to this Gounod aria. To aid his word pointing he should pay more attention to confident use of gesture, something that was largely absent here.

Mozart: Nur Mutig, mein Herze (Zaide) Carrying a near oratorio kind of quality about it, this music showed that perhaps Gilhooly’s strength would lie in the area of concert rather than stage work. Good use of facial gesture to bring out the character of Allazim, the slaves’ overseer.

Rossini : Sois immobile (Guillaume Tell) To sing in a forthright manner it’s not always a strong tone that is needed. With much subtlety

Gilhooly made the point clear for all to appreciate in this aria. In his own way he is quite a stylish Rossini singer.

Rossini : Largo al factotum (Il barbiere di Siviglia) Gilhooly was never going to give a performance to rival Levente Molnár’s in Concert 1, but what he did was refreshing in that he did not pull out all the tired, hammed up tricks associated with this aria. The conductor and orchestra though paid little credence to subtlety, as they lost no opportunity in drowning Gilhooly with a brashly produced accompaniment.

General comments about the performer A well-mannered, presentable and likeable performer with a pleasing voice.

RUSSIA: Anna Viktorova Mezzo Born 1981 Saint-Saens: Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix (Samson et Dalila) Somewhat thickly accented, though not the worst I have encountered. It could be said, took away from the feeling of ‘tendresse’ indicated in the text. Some breathing problems were also noticeable, which in turn caused problems with phrasing.

Mascagni: Voi lo sapete, o mamma (Cavalleria Rusticana) Vocal control is an issue for Viktorova at present – her top register can be a bit unruly, but at least it shows temperament rather than blandness. Her snatched top note was almost lost, showing the level of risk she can take as an artist.

Shchedrin: Varvara's Song & Chastooshkas (Ne tol'ko lyobov') Like David D Q Lee’s choice of Jake Heggie in an earlier round, this was a strange item for inclusion in a competition, but a hugely enjoyable one with its mixture of jazzy beats meeting lounge music.

1960s Soviet realism was never far from the fray either. Viktorova weaved her hugely dedicated voice through the textural accompaniments with style to demonstrate arguably her best form in the competition. Competition music it might not have been, but in its own terms, this was great stuff.

General comments about the performer Distinctly of the Russian singing school, it’s good to hear the tradition alive and well. Once she fixes the problems identified above Viktorova has potential for an exciting career ahead of her.

JAPAN: Mari Moriya Soprano Born 1978 Bellini: Qui la voce sua soave...Vien, diletto (I Puritani) The opening recitative was precisely placed in Moriya’s voice, showing a good awareness of bel canto style. Vocal control and careful expression of emotion were present throughout the subsequent aria too.

Verdi: Gualtier Maldè - Caro nome (Rigoletto) Gilda’s aria from Rigoletto requires and received poise in the voice, carrying with some subtlety the exposed vocal line over the accompaniment. By and large the harshness heard in the upper register during he song recital was absent here.

Mozart: Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen (Die Zauberflöte) Having used the two previous arias to gradually get the voice fully into gear, extending its range, Moriya proceeded to give a commanding performance of the Queen of the Night’s aria. Occasional intonation problems might have overly worried some, but that with a lack of overacting she still brought the character out was creditable. Lip readers might have seen conductor Jacek Kaspszyk comment “magnificent” to her at the end – at least I agree with him wholeheartedly about something.

General comments about the performer A fine coloratura soprano already with a great deal of experience.

USA: Ryan McKinny Baritone Born 1980 Stravinsky: I was never saner...In youth the panting slave pursues (The Rake's Progress) Good linguistic clarity – one expects it from a native speaker, but you don’t always get it when they sing. Used the parlando quality in his voice well, and his broad smile made him an approachable performer the audience could warm to.

Mozart: Hai già vinta la causa!...Vedrò mentr'io sospiro (Le nozze di Figaro) Unusual – just what I expected him to be strong in, but he wasn’t on this occasion. Quite what caused the hesitancy in his voice during the recitative or his underpowered projection during the aria who can say. His heart just wasn’t in it for this one.

Rakhmaninov: Ves' tabor spit (Aleko) With rich brass underlined by a lugubrious bassoon part at the start, McKinny needed quickly to reestablish some form to make an impact. This he did with good diction (some thought it clearer in style that that from singers near-native in Russian) , feeling for drama and ability to propel a compelling narrative.

General comments about the performer Strong opening and closing pieces showed Ryan McKinny at his best, though his song recital was stronger still as an overall performance.

The Buzz From the Audience Support for Mari Moriya was very much in evidence, though others singers did have pockets of support also.

The Judges’ Decision Mari Moriya was declared the evening’s winner, to much general delight. David DQ Lee, sitting behind me in the audience, did not hold back in his enthusiastic support of the decision.

Main Prize Concert 5: Orchestra of WNO conducted by Carlo Rizzi 14.6.2007, St David’s Hall

http://www.musicweb-international.com/sandh/2007/Jan-Jun07/cardiff_mp_concert5.htm CHILE: Maria Isabel Vera Mezzo Born 1977 Verdi: Condotta ell'era in ceppi (Il trovatore) A commanding performance in every respect: voice, looks, dramatic involvement and personality.

This announced a mezzo to really be reconed with – it’s only taken all week for us to get to hear her.

Saint-Saens: Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix (Samson et Dalila) Good integrity of interpretation with a resonant mid range, brilliantly projected chest voice, and slightly wild top – all producing solid tone – underlined the quality and confidence palpable in her singing.

Donizetti: Fia dunque vero - Oh, mio Fernando (La favorita) Much of the dramatic contrast in this aria was thrillingly explored.

General comments about the performer A serious, established performer who could tackle dramatic mezzo roles with ease. Any opera house could cast her with confidence fully knowing her abilities in advance.

BULGARIA: Ivo Yordanov Baritone Born 1980 Donizetti: Forse in quel cor sensibile (Robert Devereux) Neat phrasing projected with an even, flexible tone. Not a large voice, but it has a warm timbre that suits the bel canto repertoire well.

Tchaikovsky: Vi mnye pisali (Eugene Onegin) Ivo Yordanov showed his individuality as Onegin by playing down the superior attitude that is often used to put Tatyana in her place following her impetuous declaration of love. Rather, he was a man who spoke his mind with simple honesty. The context of the drama though might require more feeling from the character to be totally effective, but when heard in concert the simplicity of it worked well.

Massenet: Ce breuvage...Vision fugitive (Hérodiade) Donizetti: Vieni, Leonora...De'nemici tuoi lo sdegno (La favorita) Both of these arias showed once again the relative lightness of Yordanov’s voice, particularly the Massenet, where his most imposing singing was still somewhat fighting against the imposing drama of the orchestration to be heard.

General comments about the performer A stylish singer, who either needs to have a greater range of volume at his disposal or stick to carefully chosen repertoire areas.

FINLAND: Helena Juntunen Soprano Born 1976 Puccini: Mi chiamano Mimì (La bohème) Clearly sung, with the right notes hit,but somehow unsatisfying as the performance never delved much beneath the surface of the character.

Mozart: E Susanna non vien...Dove sono (Le nozze di Figaro) Again, poised, but somewhat unmoving despite a decent technique heard at work.

Gounod: Ô Dieu! que de bijoux!...Ah! Je ris (Faust) This should be perfect repertoire for Juntunen, like her other choices it makes sense on paper. But in performance precision won over against the breathless impetuousness of excitement, therefore missing a vital ingredient to make the music really come alive.

General comments about the performer Potential for impressive performances was only partially met. Out of the pressure zone of a competition things could well materialise with greater ease. That’s how it is sometimes.

SOUTH AFRICA: Jacques Imbrailo Baritone Born 1978 Handel: Sibillar gli angui d'Aletto (Rinaldo) Slightly imperious tone was brought by Jacques Imbrailo to Handel’s aria, which he phrased cleanly and with stylistic touches. The ornamentation he used might not have been ideally smooth in delivery, but it was original, showing intelligence in his approach to the music.

Mozart: Deh, vieni alla finestra (Don Giovanni) Imbralio’s Don sang a serene yet discretely pointed serenade to Donna Elvira’s maidservant.

Evenness of tone and stability of vocal support were strong qualities.

Tchaikovsky: Ya vas lyublyu (The Queen of Spades) The linguistic excellence shown here must be recorded, as must the legato tone and distinctly Russian character of the interpretation. Clearly Imbrailo takes his Tchaikovsky seriously.

Leoncavallo: E fra quest'ansie...Decidi il mio destin...E allor perchè (Pagliacci) Sensuality finished off a programme in tasteful style.

General comments about the performer Many fine qualities made it clear that Imbrailo has a many qualities required for a career as gracefully stylish baritone. He should go from strength to strength.

AUSTRALIA: Miranda Keys Soprano Born 1974 Wagner: Dich, teure Halle (Tannhäuser) Against an orchestra in full flow, where was the grand sweep of Miranda Keys’ singing? This was largely a missed opportunity to impress.

Berg: Die Nachtigall (7 Early Songs, No 3) The late romantic flavour of the writing was brought out, but the tonal quality behind her voice when under pressure can make her hard to listen to.

Sibelius: Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte (Songs, Op 37 No 5) Linguistically good, Keys also sanf this with piano accompaniment for the song prize. She can be challenged to shade down her naturally large voice convincingly at times.

Verdi: Santo di patria...Allor che i forti corrono (Attila) Commanding stage presence for sure, but there’s much to beware in the passagework and the dangerously risky attack on forte top notes.

General comments about the performer A voice that really needs to be brought fully under control before much more work can be successfully achieved in bring off the interpretation of opera’s dramatic soprano roles.

The Buzz From the Audience Maria Isabel Vera was the talk of the audience. Many also held soft spots for Yordanov and Imbrailo, quite understandably. Miranda Keys was felt bu many to disappoint.

The Judges’ Decisions Evening Winner: Maria Isabel Vera. Justly popular and greeted warmly as the winner.

The Main Prize finalists are: Chile: Maria Isabel Vera – superb choice – I think she’s in with a strong chance of winning.

England: Elizabeth Watts – I still have to be convinced of her abilities with orchestra in a large hall.

China: Shen Yang – popular choice; certainly has potential.

Hungary: Levente Molnár – of all the good baritones this year, why him? Not convinced of the reasoning here.

Australia: Miranda Keys – I think many present were genuinely amazed at this choice.

Main Prize Final: BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Carlo Rizzi St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 17.6.2006

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2007/Jan-Jun07/cardiff_mp_final.htm AUSTRALIA: Miranda Keys Soprano Born 1974 R Strauss: Frühling (4 Letzte Lieder, No 1) Smetana: Och, jaký zal!...Ten lásky sen (The Bartered Bride) Beethoven: Abscheulicher! wo eilst du hin? (Fidelio) After a somewhat tentative start in the Strauss, which also included some edgy intonation, the Smetana presented Miranda Keys in the best light: impassioned, full of self-belief in her abilities and capable of rising to the occasion. Despite the dramatic start of the Beethoven aria, it is for much of its duration on the strong side of lyric in character. Miranda Keys’ spinto soprano struggled somewhat to successfully unify both extremes within the writing.

General comments about the performer A brave stab at establishing herself at the start of the final largely left the audience, and me, unmoved. A shame.

HUNGARY: Levente Molnár Baritone Born 1983 Leoncavallo: Si può? si può? Signore! (Pagliacci) Verdi : O Carlo, ascolta...Io morrò (Don Carlo) Mozart: Fin ch'han dal vino (Don Giovanni) Verdi: È sogno? O realtà (Falstaff) The Leoncavallo was a mistake in my opinion: too much was incorrectly characterised – where was the pathos and suffering that Tonio introduces? I never thought I’d write this about Molnár’s singing, but I found his Don Carlo somewhat lacking in vocal commitment, even though he sang with more style than during any of his previous concerts. His Mozart took us back to the anguished Molnár at the competition’s start almost, his forced laughter at the end sounding more menacing than exuberant. He’s clearly more comfortable in Ford’s aria from Falstaff, in which gradually built up the passion and emotions of the text to be a convincing conclusion.

General comments about the performer Whatever you think about his singing you have to admit that Levente Molnár is a man of contradictions. Some are already calling him the “Budapest Bryn” of 2007. Give him five years or so, and many see him as unstoppable. Whatever his future, it’s not likely to be a dull one.

ENGLAND: Elizabeth Watts Soprano Born 1979 Handel: Amor è quel vento (Orlando) Puccini: Oh! mio babbino caro (Gianni Schicchi) Berlioz: Je vais le voir - Il me revient fidèle (Béatrice et Bénédict) Undoubtedly helped by the light orchestration, Elizabeth Watts coped well with the florid demands of Handel’s style, only sounding pushed beyond her comfort zone on a few brief occasions. Her Puccini showed little originality of approach beyond what we had experienced already during the week. A soprano with a light touch hitting the notes well but not quite giving them enough conviction to project far beyond the stalls. Watts’ standardised facial expressions of batted eyelids and pouting lips were turned out yet again. The shimmering vocals carried across into the Berlioz

too, with just as much still left wanting beneath their surface beauty.

General comments about the performer I find Elizabeth Watts a difficult performer to whole-heartedly like. It took time, but I warmed to her as the winner of the Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize. No such change of feelings here though I am afraid. Undeniably a pretty sound, but I’d like some emotional depth and commitment too. It could be that I am missing something about her though, as she certainly had supporters throughout the competition.

CHINA: Shen Yang Bass-baritone Born 1984 Verdi: Studia il passo...Come dal ciel precipita (Macbeth) Mozart: Mentre ti lascio, o figlia (K513) Rakhmaninov: Aleko's Cavatina (Aleko) Much of the feeling for the text in Banquo’s aria from Macbeth failed to bring much in the way of facial expression from Shen Yang, until the very end . Solidly voiced, he utilised his lower range with confidence in the Mozart. The Rakhmaniniov however brought home the thought that Shen Yang was a real contender for the top prize, with his careful yet not overcautious Russian, flexible tone and effortless portrayal of lonely desolation.

General comments about the performer Yes, there are still things to work on – breath control can momentarily falter, for example – but he’s covered a lot of major areas of singing to date, with time enough to give attention to perfecting his art. Some commented that he seemed facially – particularly after Molnár.

CHILE: Maria Isabel Vera Mezzo Born 1977 Verdi: Stride la vampa! (Il trovatore) Verdi: Re dell'abisso - È lui! è lui! ne' palpiti (Un ballo in maschera) Mascagni: Voi lo sapete, o mamma (Cavalleria Rusticana) Verdi: O don fatale (Don Carlo) Picking up the role of Azucena again following her earlier concert, Maria Isabel Vera made a big initial impression. Great smoky tone was employed in the Ballo aria. Mascagni taxed her a little in terms of finding the exact placing of the voice. Eboli’s big aria from Don Carlo failed in the last minutes to squarely hit the mark, her voice by now flagging rather under the strain required of it.

General comments about the performer On paper a thrilling programme of mezzo-soprano barnstorming standards from the core repertoire in which Maria Isabel Vera should excel. In performance under the pressure of a competition final, all was not ideal. But she made her mark upon the audience nonetheless. A colourful and impressive career should await her.

The Buzz From the Audience Several people were surprised at Levente Molnár’s showing this evening. Maria Isabel Vera had her supporters too. Streets ahead in the public poll, based on this evening’s performances, was Shen Yang.

Personal highlights of the Main Prize It might sound strange but I really want to hear one particular opera in its entirety having heard various arias in performances that impressed during the competition. The work in question is Massenet’s Herodiade.

In terms of performers I would single out the contributions of Ante Jerkunica (Croatia), Dmitri Vargin (Uzbekistan) for his Elijah, David DQ Lee (Canada) for investing everything he approached with so much life, Mari Moriya for some sensational Mozart coloratura, Jacques Imbrailo for his stylish musicality in general, and, finally Maria Isabel Vera – surely she’s the mezzo-soprano find of the Competition.

The winner is…

Shen Yang, the 23-year-old bass baritone from China was crowned BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2007, to widespread and powerfully expressed acclaim amongst the audience. The winner receives £15,000 generously provided by Cardiff County Council, in addition to a trophy donated by Welsh Royal Crystal. He may also be offered high-profile engagements with both the BBC and Welsh National Opera.

Other award recipients include…

Each of the other singers in the Main Prize final received the Richard Lewis Award. The award of £2,500 for each recipient was made possible due to the support of the Richard Lewis Trust.

Throughout both Competitions I have witnessed the very real interest that Elizabeth MuirLewis has in furthering the possibilities for young singers, whilst ensuring that Richard Lewis’ career and artistic legacy are remembered.

Jacques Imbrailo, the South African baritone, was awarded the Audience Prize, voted on by television viewers, online users and the audience in St David's Hall. The Audience Prize is worth £2,500 and is given in association with Visit Wales.

Song Prize reviews Song Prize Recital 1: 9.6. 2007 New Theatre, Cardiff

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2007/Jan-Jun07/cardiff_sp_recital1.htm SOUTH AFRICA: Jacques Imbrailo (Baritone, born 1978) Accompanist: Audrey Hyland Schubert Der Musensohn (Op 92 No 1) Hyland played the upbeat accompaniment with a fair degree of rhythmic inflection, so Imbrailo had to create an immediate impression, which was possibly not authorative enough. Nerves probably the cause. However, shaded decently within the vocal line and produced good legato.

Schumann Meine Rose (Songs, Op 90 No 2) Imbrailo relaxed more, and brought out contrasting pathos in his tone to convey appropriate atmosphere. His voice is stronger in the lower range, where he uses it more confidently.

Duparc Phidylé The siging matched the opening reflective mood of the accompaniment well. Occasionally his attack at the start of phrases lacked bite, however he drew ample motion from the quieter passages.

Dvorak Kterak Trojhranec Muj (Gipsy Songs, Op 55 No 2) Delivered with more macho charisma, brought enough gypsy-type character to the reading.

Notable use of vocal colouring.

Rakhmaninov V molchani nochi taynoy (6 Songs, Op 4 No 3) The most successful individual song so far, the colouring and expressive range acquired still greater depth, showing something of Imbrailo’s resourcefulness when fully in his stride.

Trad: Op my ou ramkiekie Combination of gentle lilting accompaniment and the heartfelt yearning of the text worked well.

Clearly Imbrailo takes traditional Afrikaans music seriously, and does well to bring it to a wider audience.

General comments about performer Presentation and appearance good. Grew in confidence and ability to establish himself fully as the recital went on, he finished strongly and was greeted with warm applause.

UKRAINE: Julia Griniuk (Mezzo, born 1977) Accompanist: Phillip Thomas Rakhmaninov O, ne grusti! (12 Songs, Op 14 No 8) The quite throaty placing of the voice created quite an impression and showed Griniuk’s natural

ability in this repertoire. Vocal passion was extended by expressive use of the arms. The higher reaches of her voice could ideally have done with a greater degree of certainty.

Britten Cradle Song (Red Cockatoo and other Songs, No 7), When you're feeling like expressing your affection (Red Cockatoo and other Songs, No 2) Taken as a pair, these songs were not the strongest choices, given the difficulty of immediately switching the vocal placing required for English. Strong colouring still evident in the lower voice, but the higher range can be unruly under pressure. Although some humour was drawn from the second song, hard work went into doing it.

R. Strauss Das Rosenband (4 Songs, Op 36 No 1) Full voice is floated with ease on occasions; florid ornamentation reasonably integrated. A solid if not totally convincing performance regarding attention to appropriate mood.

R. Strauss Befreit (5 Songs, Op 39 No 4) Phrasing started a touch unevenly. The fact that Griniuk’s voice could do with a greater variety of shadings particularly in the mid-upper ranges is evident. Long crescendos handled with some flair though.

General comments about performer Simple, elegant, full-length black dress. Rakhmaninov strong start relative to the following Britten.

Uneven programme and performances.

BULGARIA: Ivo Yordanov (Baritone, born 1980) Accompanist: Llŷr Williams Wolf Gesegnet sei, durch den die Welt entstund (Italienisches Liederbuch) Sung with simplicity, Yordanov’s depth of vocal tone was immediately apparent in this brief song.

Dobri Hristov Vino Pia Emotion was relentlessly rung from this brief love song to produce some charm in the interpretation. An occasional hardness can creep into the voice when under pressure.

Rakhmaninov Hristos Vaskryes A challenging song that requires the singer to evoke the sad tone of an Russian church choir. Bags of feeling in his singing, and the richness of tone was well utilised. Floated quiet lines made for a discrete contrast of emphasis and emotion, as the piano part gently mocked the singer’s role.

Falla El Paño moruno (7 Canciones Populares Españolas, No 1) Of lighter mood and different idiom. Perhaps a touch undersung compared to how a Spaniard might approach it, but it showed taste and individuality. Two good attributes in any singer.

Brahms Treue Liebe The text was rather held back in the throat and proved hard to determine for much of the song. In forte passages this was corrected, but much else was lost amongst Yordanov’s slightly too covered tone.

Britten The Salley Gardens Clarity of language much better than in the preceding song – even if the Dublin accent was attempted, but not fully brought off. Captured the reflective mood well with sensitively sung long lines.

Fauré En sourdine His French, like his German, needs some work to be passable on a regular basis in recital. As such the expression lost some edge where it could have done with being more pointed. Legato lines were produced with ease throughout the vocal range.

General comments about performer A mixture of the very good and the not so good. Presented himself well, relaxed enough to show appreciation for the audience’s reaction.

CANADA: David DQ Lee (Counter-tenor, born 1978) Accompanist: Simon Lepper Hahn A Chloris, Quand je fus pris au pavillon The pair of Hahn songs displayed excellent and clear linguistic ability. Although unusual to hear them sung by this voice type, Lee made it clear that he intends on extending the counter-tenor’s recital repertoire. In itself no bad thing. He showed attentiveness to the turn of the text in both cases, tenderness coming across in the first song, before relishing the upbeat colours of the second.

Poulenc Hôtel (Banalités) Leaning nonchalantly on the piano, Lee created an atmosphere akin to a smoke-filled Parisian hotel room with ease. Pulling at the rhythm of the vocal line gave an extra edge of individuality, though you could hear in his tendency to sing just on the note the influence of Pierre Bernac and others in this repertoire.

Isang Yun A Letter This happy song focussing in the perfume of the balsam flower was more than sufficiently imbued with feeling and gentle inflections of tenderness.

Schubert Erlkönig Lee took on Schubert’s song knowing he could do what no other performer in the competition could: explore three distinct vocal colours to draw out aspects of its narrative. As a counter-tenor is essentially a baritone to begin with before pushing the voice higher through training, he used his baritonal range effectively for death, affected a mature tone for the father, and the child pleaded with some urgency. Tastefully done or not, Lee made his distinctive mark in the evening’s proceedings.

General comments about performer Confident; not afraid to do things differently; played to his strengths.

NORWAY Johannes Weisser (Baritone, born 1980) Accompanist: Simon Lepper The recital was announced as comprising three pairs of songs.

Schubert Gruppe aus dem Tartarus (Songs, Op 24 No 1) Brahms Auf dem Kirchhofe (Songs, Op 105 No 4) Schubert’s group of dead souls beside the Cocytus were an edgy and restless bunch as they waited for the boat to Hades. Perhaps to convey their bodiless state some thinness of tone was apparent particularly in quieter passages. Brahms evocation of a graveyard carried a sense of stillness throughout in his careful handling of a subdued, eternal atmosphere.

Wolf Auf dem grünen Balkon (Spanisches Liederbuch), Alle gingen, Herz, sur Ruh (Spanisches Liederbuch) Wolf’s balcony song was perhaps a little too angst-imbued, but if so this served to show the emotions of the poet whose affections are refused. The second song switches the emotional burden to a sleepless girl, whose thoughts were given through gradually gathering emotions. Weisser’s secure tone conveyed much in dying to nothing and lingering at the end.

Grieg Langs ei å (Songs, Op 33 No 5), Våren (Songs, Op 33 No 2) Move into his native territory, and a significant growth in confidence. Apt use of vocal size to really fill the auditorium. Floated lines produced with ease in the first song, whilst the second was richly lyrical where the security of his voice over the barest of accompaniments showed his abilities well to sustain form and interest.

General comments about performer The most classic lieder-abend style of programme, and in intelligent programming brought out some significant strengths.

The Buzz From The Audience Lee caused the first heated ripple of discussion to break out following his Erlkönig. For me it worked, and altogether he showed originality and imagination. If he does not make it to the final the audience might well wonder why. I would not discount Johannes Weisser completely either. He stepped up to the mark and followed Lee’s strong performance with one that deserves due attention.

Song Prize Recital 2: New Theatre, Cardiff 10.6.2007

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2007/Jan-Jun07/cardiff_sp_recital2.htm NETHERLANDS: Wiard Witholt Baritone Born 1978 Accompanist: Phillip Thomas Schubert: Der Musensohn (Op 92 No 1) Wiard Witholt cuts a distinctive, slender figure on stage. At first his stage manner was rather stiff, but he soon relaxed. When he did so his voice changed in quality from nasal to comparatively full in tone, able to cope well with Schubert’s demands in projecting a flexible line.

Samuel de Lange: Herbstgefühl and Komm jetzt (Songs, Op 94 Nos.1 & 2) Across the two de Lange songs, support of the vocal tone was an issue momentarily in both the high and low registers, but long legato lines were sustained well with evenness of tone, showing a good breathing technique was at work.

Duparc: Chanson triste, L'Invitation au voyage Control and shaping of Duparc’s often-exposed vocal lines is always a major concern for singers.

Witholt coped well, sustaining his focus particularly well in Chanson triste. L’invitation au voyage sounded by comparison a touch lifeless, needing a touch more ardour to lift the narrative to another level of significance.

General comments about the performer Interesting: on stage he lacked something – maybe the nerves of singing first – but he can focus and sustain the voice well, though. How he’ll fare with an orchestra is another matter, based on this performance.

GERMANY: Evelina Dobraceva Soprano Born 1975 Accompanist: Llŷr Williams Mozart: Abendempfindung (K523) A tentative opening from Evelina Dobraceva showed her care in the placing of the voice to obtain an intimately scaled interpretation. Perhaps with a little more impetus coming from the accompaniment, although stylishly played, she would have found a little more bloom in the tone.

R Strauss: Ständchen (6 Songs, Op 17 No 2) The Strauss song showed the richness of her lower register to good effect. Where the voice is floated though perhaps more preparation would have produced a slightly cleaner result. Despite that, Evelina Dobraceva has potential to grow fully into the Straussian repertoire.

Schoenberg: Waldsonne Dobraceva did well to remind us of Schoenberg’s late romantic song output. She succeeded in creating appropriate atmosphere and together with Williams’ accompaniment created delightful nocturnal spaces.

Rakhmaninov: Son (Songs, Op 38 No 5), "A-Oo" (Songs, Op 38)

The restraint exhibited at the start of Son gave way to a level of exuberance not displayed hitherto

by Dobraceva. This continued in A-Oo, with Rakhmaninov clearly being a key part of her repertoire.

General comments about the performer A slightly insecure start, but a strong ending. Strauss and Schoenberg have the potential to fare well with her, once full vocal control and scale are secured. Delightful summer afternoon dress, too – white with red flowers – showing care in presentation.

ESTONIA: Juhan Tralla Tenor Born 1974 Accompanist: Simon Lepper Schubert: Ganymed (Songs, Op 19 No 3) Schumann: Widmung (Myrthen, Op 25 No 1) A mobile singer on stage, Juhan Tralla has the habit of pacing about a bit. Good in the sense that it stops the singer becoming rigid, therefore affecting the tone, but some in the audience might be distracted by too much movement. It’s a fine line to tread (pun unintended). Generally, the two songs contrasted well in terms of mood. Tralla showed some sensitivity in phrasing, and in the Schumann especially maintained a well-controlled flow to the vocal line.

Mart Saar: Vaikus, Must Lind Contrast also marked the two Mart Saar songs, the first allowing glimpses of a rich lower register at leisure, whilst the second picked up the tempo to allow for punchy accents to register with emphatic vigour.

Tchaikovsky: V etu lunnuju noch' (Songs, Op 73 No 3) With his slightly nasal tone (rumour has it that Juhan Tralla has also been suffering from a throat infection in recent days which could affect his vocal quality), he nonetheless brought out a convincing interpretation of the text, centred on a poet’s night time farewell to his lover.

Rakhmaninov: Zdes' khorosho (12 Songs, Op 21 No 7), Ne ver', moy drug (Songs, Op 14 No 7) Very much continuing the heart on sleeve emotions of the Russian school, Juhan Tralla produced two well articulated, forwardly projected and emphatic readings of these Rakhmaninov songs. His song writing is being well explored by this year’s singers.

General comments about the performer More interesting for me in his native Estonian and the Russian repertoire.

AUSTRALIA: Miranda Keys Soprano Born 1974 Accompanist: Phillip Thomas Mendelssohn: Neue Liebe (Songs, Op 19 No 4), Hexenlied (Songs, Op 8 No 8) The relatively large scale of Miranda Keys’ voice was immediately apparent; well-integrated vocal quality throughout the range, displaying varied colours as the mood of the music demanded. Good stage confidence also.

Barber: St Ita's Vision (The Hermit Songs, Op 29 No 3), Sure on this Shining Night (Songs, Op 13 No 3) The Vision showed stature and elements of reflection in secure narrative that was well projected. If the shine on Barber’s second song was slightly lacking, perhaps a little more care in the exact placing of notes would have restored it.

Rangstrøm: Pan (Five Ballades, No 3) Sibelius: Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte (Songs, Op 37 No 5) Both songs displayed good technical support, awareness of tone that allowed confidence to come through again in her singing.

Walton: Old Sir Faulk Although much was attempted in terms of facial interpretation, the words were slightly lost and musically the performance was a touch wayward. But her beaming smile and outward enthusiasm showed that the song must go on. Commendable.

General comments about the performer A strong contender with good variety in her repertoire.

CHINA : Yang Shen Bass baritone Born 1984 Accompanist: Llŷr Williams Pfitzner: Hast du von den Fischerkindern (Songs, Op 7 No 1) How good to have a Pfitzner song on the programme - they are so under-rated. This fisher was somewhat caught in the gravelly undertow of Shen’s tone at times.

Wolf: Der Feuerreiter (Mörike-Lieder) A fast and furious reading of Wolf’s song showed tonal variety, and a slight tendency towards overemphasis. However, for all that sound and put on fury, the troubled depths of Schubert’s song were left largely undisturbed. It needs a lot of work to get beneath the surface of this one.

He Luting: On the Jialing River Imbued with from the heart strength, Shen gave a brief highlight of Chinese song – an area that has still largely to become known in the West. Its time will come no doubt.

Schubert: Prometheus (D674) A strong finish was had in Schubert’s Prometheus. Singing of sustained power and intensity was to be heard.

General comments about the performer Impressive in his native repertoire, but clearly has work to do in other areas.

Song Prize Recital 3: New Theatre, Cardiff 11.6.2007 For each round of both competitions, Evan Dickerson offers his impressions of the competitors and their repertoire. Here is his report on the third recital in the Song Prize competition.

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2007/Jan-Jun07/cardiff_sp_recital3.htm RUSSIA: Anna Viktorova Mezzo Born 1981 Accompanist: Maria Belousova Sviridov: Russian song Rakhmaninov: Ya zhdu tebya (12 Songs, Op 14 No 1) Trad Folksong: Crane A rather statuesque singer, wearing a full-length black velvet dress, she created a somewhat stern image on stage. All of which ran rather counter to the loving mood of the first two songs in particular. The placing of her voice was far back in the throat, which gave it a rather sombre colouring. Legato lines were well held, though the Rakhmaninov showed that the top notes need firmer control when used suddenly at full volume. The folksong, sung in Armenian, was full of plaintive longing.

Schubert: Gretchen am Spinnrade (Op 2) Somewhat veiled emotion was shown in Schubert’s famous lied. If the voice had been more forwardly projected it could have created a greater impression, along with more explicit use of the text.

Granados: La Maja Dolorosa I (Tonadillas) Granados found the other end of the emotional spectrum in Viktorova’s voice, with unchecked passion willingly forthcoming. A fitting response of a woman reproaching death for taking her lover and grieving for his return.

Mussorgsky: Gopak Finally, a smile! This folk dance song was full of character, ranging from the noble to tender and hectoring in Viktorova’s tone. She seemed to enjoy it, and many in the audience did too.

General comments about the performer Although there was variety, I would have like more. The Russian repertoire is her strong point, as one would expect. Stage presentation could do with a touch more life about it.

IRELAND: Owen Gilhooly Baritone Born 1976 Accompanist: Christopher Glynn Schubert: An die Leier (Songs, Op 56 No 2), Der Wanderer - Wie deutlich (Songs, Op 65 No 2) Clear diction was aided by precise phrasing, particularly in the second song which also carried a richness of tone in the lower range. The first song showed tonal constraint somewhat – though this could be lessen if posture and neck positions were attended to. With a bit more ease in his stance

the legato lines would have flowed forth more convincingly.

Saint-Saens: L'attente The sudden switch to a song with a markedly quicker tempo showed an agile technique at work.

Decent French pronunciation brought out touches of humour in this animal-filled song of anticipation.

Poulenc: La maîtresse volage (Chansons Gaillardes) Rather cheekily sung, Gilhooly emphasised the smug satisfaction of a man known he took a girl’s virginity before another stole her from him probably with similar intentions in mind.

Vaughan Williams: Silent Noon The rich vein of English Romanticism that Vaughan Williams’ songs employ so readily was expertly explored in a beautifully judged reading by both singer and accompanist. Enchanting.

R Strauss: Cäcilie (Four Songs, Op 27 No 2) Although Gilhooly has the notes that Strauss requires, some of the slight tonal issues that affected his Schubert returned. A shame; if his natural feeling for the German repertoire could match that he found for Vaughan Williams, it would be rather good by any standards.

General comments about the performer Clearly an intelligent and sensitive singer with a few minor areas of technique still to be perfected.

But one to listen for over the coming years.

JAPAN: Mari Moriya Soprano Born 1978 Accompanist: Simon Lepper Debussy: Pantomime, Clair de Lune (Fêtes Galantes pour Madame Vasnier Nos 1 and 4), Pierrot, Apparition There’s no doubt that to these four Debussy songs, Mari Moriya brought poise and exactness in her singing. Repeatedly, however, she would have done well to counter the sensitive phrasing produced for the more lyrical passages by taking slightly greater care to attack exposed high notes with less bite. Has a marked tendency to harden the tone at the very top of her register – potentially an issue to beware of for a coloratura soprano. Occasional linguistic vagueness crept in when hitting the right notes became the primary concern. Simon Lepper’s accompaniments were delightfully pointed and oftentimes models of Gallic restraint.

R Strauss: Als mir dein Lied erklang, Amor (Songs, Op 68 Nos 4 and 5) The two Strauss songs demonstrated that Moriya largely has the measure of his rich vocal lines, but as in the Debussy needs to float them with greater elegance as well as exactness.

General comments about the performer I wonder who advised her to sing four Debussy songs in a row! Nothing wrong with them as songs in a regular recital, but it’s hard to create an impression of variety with them in a competition.

USA: Ryan McKinny Baritone Born 1980 Accompanist: Llŷr Williams Loewe: Erlkönig (Songs, Op 1 No 3), Die wandelnde Glocke (Songs, Op 20 No 3) Loewe’s lesser-known Erl-king (preferred by Goethe to Schubert’s version which closed McKinny’s selection) brought expert characterisation and identification with each of its three protagonists. The father was solid and forthright, his son genuinely terrified and the Erl-king conjured in the minds eye a fearsome beast. The second Loewe song also conveyed a sense of fear, though on a lesser scale, as an errant boy who missed church is chased there by the summoning bell itself.

Ives: Songs my mother taught me, The Greatest Man The first of Ives’ songs had simple, straightforward delivery, and plenty of rich tone, befitting a man passing childhood songs onto his children. One felt the tenderness behind the words. A nice contrast was had in the second song when McKinny became a cheeky boy impishly making the case for his father to be the greatest man in the world.

Schubert: Der Vater mit dem Kind, Erlkönig Use of vocal range was well explored in these two Schubert songs. In the first, shading of the voice brought out much in the way of affection felt by a father for his sleeping son. The Erl-king draw to some extent on the characterisation employed earlier for Loewe’s version, though remaining securely in the baritone voice, unlike David D Q Lee’s performance in recital 1. This time the Erlking himself was not so fierce; he insinuated his way into luring the child to his death. Special mention should be made of Llŷr Williams’s accompaniment: his mesmeric playing started with restraint and gradually allowed the emotion to grow in tandem with McKinny’s opportune characterisation.

General comments about the performer The intelligence of McKinny’s programme clearly took its cue from having become a father over a year ago. A good idea also to bookend the performance with both versions of the Erl-king. His feeling for the texts, articulation and characterisation abilities all contributed to make this not just a 20 minute competition performance but a genuine mini recital to rival those found on any major stage. A place in the song prize final should be guaranteed – and if he gets it, he’s certainly in contention to win the song final. It’ll be interesting to hear how he fares in the main prize too.

SWEDEN: Ida Falk Winland Soprano Born 1982 Accompanist: Gary Matthewman Schubert: Rastlose Liebe (Op 5 No 1), Frühlingsglaube (Songs, Op 20 No 2) Ida Falk Winland did well to follow such a strong performance with one that demonstrated her own strengths, carefully honed through study at the Royal of College of Music in London. Suitable

shortness of phrasing in Rastlose Liebe brought a feeling of restless love tangibly from the text.

Frühlingsglaube carried purity of tone throughout; her light soprano has delightful ease in its phrasing and ability to control the dynamic without compromising its lightness of touch or tonal integrity, where pensively reflective qualities were shown.

Fauré: Toujours (Poème d'un jour, Op.21 No 2) A stylish singer of Fauré, her identification with a poet told to leave his lover forever, showed qualities of quiet disbelief at the request and sorrow that forever actually means forever.

Enescu: Languir me fais (Sept Chansons de Clément Marot, Op 15 No 2) Enescu wrote Languir me fais as a song in which a man pines after his lover who has stopped writing him letters. Ida Falk Winland neatly turned the tables to suggest the opposite through restless posture at the start. Excellently controlled shaping of the slender vocal line contributed much as well, with the final note held on a mere thread of tone beyond the piano accompaniment to imply some inner desolation and disappointment at the state of affairs with her boyfriend. The tempo was far slower that Enescu indicated, although the one taken did give the song a gentle Gallic atmosphere.

Gosta Nystroem: Det enda (Sinfonia del mare) Sibelius: Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte (Songs, Op 37 No 5) On home territory one could almost say, Ida Falk Winland gave suitably direct performances of these two songs to show how much more mileage can still be gained for singers with the linguistic aptitude to explore this repertoire. Nystroem’s refined song contrasted well with the exhuberance of the Sibelius, to produce a strong close to this recital.

General comments about the performer Some singers draw you in with power of voice, some with expressive characterisation, and others with their musical sensitivity. Ida Falk Winland falls into the last category for me. She has that key characteristic too: consistency of quality. No doubt we’ll hear more of her in years to come, even if we don’t later in the week. Personally, I’d like to hear her in the final.

Song Prize Recital 4: New Theatre, Cardiff 2.00pm 12.6.2007

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2007/Jan-Jun07/cardiff_sp_recital4.htm FINLAND: Helena Juntunen Soprano Born 1976 Accompanist: Eveliina Kytömäki Toivo Kuula: Suutelo (Songs, Op 8 No 1), Karjapihassa (Songs, Op 31a No 2) A firm technique was in evidence from the start, Juntunen’s lyric yet powerful chest voice carrying sway in much of the first song. The second saw much in the way of subtleties being teased out of the text.

Haydn: A Pastoral Song Haydn’s song carried a fitting innocence about it in Juntunen’s singing, being gently yet definitely characterised that said much for her ability to convey youthful restraint in her vocal tone.

R Strauss: Mein Herz ist stumm (Songs, Op 19 No 6), Cäcilie (Four songs, Op 27 No 2) The attribute of vocal opulence, much required in Strauss’ songs, was in evidence here. Cäcilie received one of the more convincing performances of the week, being aided by a near breathless quality in the voice at times and impetuous playing by Eveliina Kytömäki.

General comments about the performer A good recitalist whose light and clear tone is well suited to song. She has good stage deportment too.

BRAZIL: Luciano Botelho Tenor Born 1975 Accompanist: Llŷr Williams Wolf: Fussreise; Verborgenheit (Mörike-Lieder) Wolf's songs were presented with charm and intelligence by Botelho. His feeling for the emotions behind the texts he sang was secure. Even if he did not draw as much from the words of Verborgenheit as others do, it was stylish singing.

Fauré: Nell (3 Chansons, Op 18 No 1), Fleur jetée (Songs, Op 39 No 2) His Fauré flowed with largely lyrical qualities in the first song, whilst the second conveyed a deeper emotional depth.

Villa-Lobos: Nhapôpé; Lundú da Marqueza de Santos (Modinhas e Canções) Under-appreciated as Villa-Lobos’ songs are, Botelho presents them creditably. His instinctual feeling for the mystery inherent in the first song or the dark-tinged sadness of the second was equalled by his ability to convey the qualities in his singing.

General comments about the performer Immediately impressive was the warmth of Botelho’s stage presence, which established itself without artifice or showiness. His tone is pleasing also, which helped many in the audience find him a rewarding singer to hear.

ENGLAND: Elizabeth Watts Soprano Born 1979 Accompanist: Phillip Thomas Schubert: Liebe schwärmt auf allen Wegen; Im Abendrot The first song, although brief, was clearly sung. Watts’ lightly flowing voiced aided expression.

Legato evenness of restrained vocal production marked the second song out for attention; Watts coping well with positioning the exposed sung line against the minimal accompaniment.

Rakhmaninov: Zdes' khorosho; Oni Otvechali (12 Songs, Op 21 Nos. 7 and 4) Of these two songs the second made the greater impact thought its urgency and poise.

Barber: Sure on this Shining Night (Songs, Op 13 No 3) Watts’ bell-like tone helped Barber’s song to carry a degree of lustrous warmth that radiated softly around Cardiff’s New Theatre, Poulenc: C; Fêtes galantes (Deux Poèmes de Louis Aragon) The poignancy of C was made clear, and Elizabeth Watts enunciated Fêtes galantes coquettishly to bring her programme to a light-hearted conclusion.

General comments about the performer Many of the songs in this programme underlined the point that Watts is singer best heard in intimate surroundings and at reasonably close range. The much more spacious environment of St David’s Hall often worked against conveying much of the character in her voice to the audience.

HUNGARY: Levente Molnár Baritone Born 1983 Accompanist: Simon Lepper Schubert: Erlkönig (D328) Kodaly: Kit kéne elvenni? (Háron Magyar Népdal) Bartok: Elindultam szép hazámbul (Háron Magyar Népdal No 1) Kodaly: Elmenyek, elmenyek (Háron Magyar Népdal No 35) Bartok: Által mennék én a Tiszán ladikon (Háron Magyar Népdal No 2) Schubert: Der stürmische Morgen (Winterreise) Tiberiu Brediceanu: Cantec Haiducesc Kodaly: Toborzó (Háry János, Op 15 No 22) I’m deliberately breaking the reviewing format I’ve adopted here. The reason? To retain in tact the unorthodox programme order that Levente Molnár presented. It’s strange, to say the least, that he should move from Schubert to a mixture of Bartok and Kodaly, only to return to Schubert before interjecting a song in Romanian from Tiberiu Brediceanu and ending with another Kodaly piece.

What logic was behind the decisions that formed that sequence? It’s not the first time this week I have considered that question, either.

As for the performances, they were a mixture of the gesturally restrained (Erl-king), combining refined emotion and great passion (the first Kodaly song), nostalgia (the first Bartok) or rather forced tone in an attempt to bring across something of the brigand (Brediceanu). Whilst these elements might be worthy in themselves and make sense when placed alongside other repertoire, one after another they are hard for a listener to take. Even the two Schubert songs were large scale. Simon Lepper made brave stab at the difficult parts thrown his way.

General comments about the performer Having hardly heard a note sung more subtly that mezzo-forte, I wonder if he’s just a loud singer.

On this showing I would not overly relish an evening of song with him as the sole artist: better knock back a shot of strong palinka to get you in the mood.

KOREA: Sae Kyung Rim Soprano Born 1975 Accompanist: Phillip Thomas

Respighi: Storia breve; Notte; Povero cor (Sei Melodie) I wonder how often Respighi songs are heard in Korea? Certainly not a place I’d expect them to be well known, but Sae Kyung Rim sang them as if they were second nature to her, with tonally aware voice production and impetus that propelled her interpretations along.

R Strauss: An die Nacht (Brentano Lieder, Op 68 No 1); Schlechtes Wetter (5 Kleine Lieder, Op 69 No 5); Cäcilie (4 Songs, Op 27 No 2) If not carrying ideal lightness of timbre, these Strauss songs showed an area of Rim’s repertoire that has definite potential, but needs further work. Most successful was Schlechtes Wetter, as the song suits her naturally dramatic style of delivery.

General comments about the performer Some very good and some not so good. When Sae Kyung Rim finds an even keel and has gained some more experience as a lieder singer, there is potential for her to give of her best, providing the repertoire plays to her strengths.

The finalists are…

China – alright, maybe the jury hear more potential as a lieder sing than I do.

Australia – a surprising choice, many felt.

USA – good, easily the best programme in all the concerts, excellently sung.

England – much stronger in song than orchestral music; understandable.

Hungary – now that is a shock. One request: can he sing something quiet in the final, just so we know he can do it, if nothing else.

Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize Final: St. David’s Hall, Cardiff. 15.6.2007

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2007/Jan-Jun07/cardiff_sp_final.htm Prelude to the Final The variety of material and approaches taken in pursuit of the perfect song performance (if such a thing exists) in the four preliminary concerts of this prize had at their core one element: intimacy.

When everything clicks into place, a song recitalist and their accompanist can produce that feeling of performing solely for your individual enjoyment. Some singers this week drew me in to their performances to create this feeling; others were less successful at this, though they demonstrated other fine qualities.

The narrowing down of any large number of competitors to a few, select finalists is forever an area of debate. A jury might take into account technical ability, presentation and confidence of appearance, interaction with an audience, textual interpretation skills, choice and variety of repertoire, developing an obvious rapport with the accompanist, having an established track record or potential to make a long-term career as a recitalist. But how can these qualities be ranked in order of importance? That’s something that any jury must decide for themselves when assessing the merits of various competitors comparatively.

Preliminary rounds of a competition also differ somewhat in nature from the final. I think of a final as being like that moment in a job interview when you’re asked, “What questions do you have for us?” With careful research and preparation an astutely asked question could swing the balance in your favour; singers producing not only their current best form but indicating where they could potentially be heading as artists would score strongly from my point of view. Connected with this is the choice of repertoire: do you sing what you sang in the preliminary round or do you sing something new to show versatility and new aspects to your performing personality? Also, which creates the best impression: singing three or four standard items of lieder repertoire, or more obscure repertoire, or a large number of items that mixes familiar and unfamiliar? Should the selection of songs form a coherent programme, so that you might almost title it? This final had elements of all these approaches in it, so analysis of the final result should prove an interesting exercise if you wish to pursue it.

CHINA: Shen Yang Bass baritone Born 1984 Accompanist: Llŷr Williams Wolf: Der Feuerreiter (Mörike-Lieder) Duparc: Phidylé Wolf :Prometheus Only the Duparc was new on the programme here, with Wolf’s songs heard in Shen Yang’s previous recital. Though these songs were characterised decently, problems with vocal support and intonation on a couple of entries marginally took away from the generally excellent tempi that were adopted. The problem with choosing two big Wolf songs meant that by the middle of Prometheus, Shen Yang was tiring although he had husbanded his resources well earlier on. Was the Duparc a wise choice? Yes, if one wanted to hear a singer carefully grade his vocal dynamic relative to the imposing ending he knew that all contestants must build towards. His almost effortless use of crescendo and good legato lines were only slightly affected by some breathing problems, which also affected the quality of his timbre.

General comments about the performer Potential oozes out of Shen Yang – this much has been obvious from the start – but for a singer still 23 a a huge amount has been accomplished. There’s still more to do but let's wait: patience is a virtue. We surely will be hearing even greater things from him in years to come.

AUSTRALIA: Miranda Keys Soprano Born 1974 Accompanist: Phillip Thomas Mendelssohn: Neue Liebe (Songs, Op 19 No 4); Hexenlied (Songs, Op 8 No 8) Barber: St Ita's Vision (The Hermit Songs, Op 29 No 3); Sure on this Shining Night (Songs, Op 13 No 3) Quilter: Love's Philosophy (Songs, Op 3 No 1) Rangstrøm: Pan (Five Ballades, No 3) Sibelius: Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte (Songs, Op 37 No 5) Walton: Old Sir Faulk Only Quilter’s song was a new addition to Miranda Keys’ programme, but given the obvious demands that her set made on her voice by that stage I could have done without it. While she makes great efforts in scaling down her naturally large voice, the results don’t always convince (Mendelssohn, Barber). For me her Sibelius was the strong point, though having heard her sing the same song with both piano and orchestra it contained no surprises regarding interpretation. Walton’s Old Sir Faulk was weakly characterised in facial expression and gesture.

Earlier in the week it carried more conviction.

General comments about the performer Not in her best voice, her interpretations lost some vitality too compared to her earlier efforts.

HUNGARY: Levente Molnár Baritone Born 1983 Accompanist: Simon Lepper Liszt Die Drei Zigeuner Sschubert: Erlkönig (D328) Emil Petrovics: Ballada Pascal Bentiuo: April Kodaly: Kit kéne elvenni? (Háron Magyar Népdal) Schubert and Kodaly made it again from Molnár’s earlier recital to this one. In my opinion his Erlkönig was still somewhat generalised compared to others heard in the past week, whereas the Kodaly found Molnár once again over-emphasising meaning wherever and however possible.

Clearly, he’s a performer who enjoys pushing limits, but I find him hard work to listen to. Much to my (grateful) surprise he did produce some quiet singing in the Liszt, where it's the vocal line more than the accompaniment that holds the song together. Brevity as well as some character were the orders of the day in Romanian composer Pascal Bentoiu’s song about the emergence of Spring in April. Petrovics’ Ballada proved to be little more than Levente Molnár in full flow – yet again.

General comments about the performer Since he's only 24, I can't help wondering how much work conductors and stage directors have done with Levente Molnár. His is a big voice and his performances are certainly dynamic but perhaps he needs to work at at appreciating the difficulties caused for an audience as a result of his presentational style: he might be persuaded to calm down a little. I can well understand why some think he has all the potential to be a “complete package”. However, he’s not quite there yet to my mind.

ENGLAND: Elizabeth Watts Soprano Born 1979 Accompanist: Philip Thomas R Strauss: Ständchen (6 Songs, Op 17 No 2); Breit' über mein Haupt (Songs, Op 19 No 2) Debussy: L'ombres des arbres (Ariettes Oubliées); Fantoches (Fêtes Galantes, Vol 1) Maconchy: Sun, moon and stars; The Hill Wolf: Auch kleine Dinge; Wer rief dich denn?; Du denkst, mit einem Fädchen mich zu fangen; Ich hab' in Penna einen Liebsten wohnen (Italienisches Liederbuch, Nos 1, 6, 10, 46) An entirely new programme from Elizabeth Watts gave us an insight into the breadth of her abilities in song. The initial Strauss was a touch snatched in phrasing and ideally needed more tonal body in reserve. The second Strauss song’s legato lines suited her better though. French is a good language for Watts to sing in – she’s clear by and large, finding some character in Debussy, though she could have differentiated the two songs more in terms of tone. Maconchy proved a bold choice from the contemporary repertoire, but she brought off the mystery and ringing clarion call like qualities that the songs respectively asked for. Only her Wolf left me with a few question marks. This is a tough repertoire even for an experienced singer. A greater marrying of tone to apt facial expression might have created an even deeper appreciation of the texts. Instead we had, amongst other things, the mock coquette and the cheeky young lover only eager to count her conquests on the way home from Penna, appealing though it undoubtedly was.

General comments about the performer Taking both of her song recitals as a whole there’s greater variety here than that shown by any other singer.

USA: Ryan McKinny Baritone Born 1980 Accompanist: Llŷr Williams Wolf: Der Musikant (Eichendorf-Lieder) Brahms: Wie Melodien zeicht es mir (Songs, Op 105 No 1) Schumann: Der Spielman (Songs, Op 40 No 4) Poulenc: Pablo Picasso; Marc Chagall; Juan Gris, Joan Miró (Le Travail du Peintre, Nos 1, 2, 4 and 6) Barber: A Green Lowland of Pianos (Songs, Op 45 No 2); A Last Song (Despite and Still, Op 41 No 1) Titled “The Life of an Artist”, McKinny’s recital again showed imagination, flair and coherence in his programming. His Wolf possessed a good sense of narrative, whilst his Brahms, though occasionally suffering through breath control issues, was noble in tone. The Schumann fared rather better in this regard, consequently it was afforded greater tonal variety. The centrepiece though was the selection of four portraits from Poulenc and Éluard’s Le Travail du Peintre. Picasso brought McKinny’s full-tone bass range to the fore, contrasting with Miró in the upper range. Chagall proved a jaunty figure and Juan Gris, befitting his painting style, was clearly outlined. Gentle humour made an appearance with Barber’s A Green Lowland of Pianos, in which concert grands are likened to cows in pasture. An unassuming stroke with his hand upon Llŷr Williams’ piano showed quiet affection for the instrument. A Last Song, also Barber, was almost nostalgic in character.

General comments about the performer Hopefully he won’t be bound Stateside for ever in his engagements. He’s got real potential when in best voice (not quite there tonight).

The Buzz From the Audience Leaving aside a certain level of lasting discontent with the selected finalists, there was heated debate in the interval about the performances so far this evening. Many said that performances were not sounding ideally fresh and such comments persisted through to the end of the evening also. At the halfway point Hungary’s Levente Molnár seemed to have the edge in the informal straw poll I took whilst circulating the foyer. Some audience members mooted the idea that perhaps the prize should be withheld given the perceived lower than expected quality of singing during the evening. My rejoinder to that would be to point out that unlike many competitions both prizes of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World are now so linked in with media coverage, subsequent artistic engagements and external generosity, that a winner almost has to be seen to be found.

Personal highlights of the Song Prize My list is headed still by Ryan McKinny’s singing of Schubert’s Erlkönig, miraculously accompanied

by Llŷr Williams. It’s been quite a diverse year for Erlkönigs too. McKinny’s intelligence of programming stands head and shoulders above the rest where the song prize was concerned for its coherence and suitability to his voice. Rakhmaninov has been well served in song too by a wide variety of singers, proving that whilst his songs may not make ideal fare for an entire evening’s listening, when well placed they can be enjoyed in a varied programme.

The winner is…

Elizabeth Watts was declared the winner of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize 2007. The prizes of the Welsh Royal Crystal and £5,000 were presented by the Competition's patron, Dame Joan Sutherland and Ian Rosenblatt. Elizabeth Watts also gains a place on the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme, and a recital in the Rosenblatt Recital Series at St John's Smith Square in London.

My view is that of all the performances given in the final, Elizabeth Watts’ had more to recommend it than others that were heard, therefore making the decision a very understandable one. She demonstrated the ability to tackle a broad range of repertoire, which is essential for any member of the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme. Clarity of timbre and lightness of touch make for useful attributes when undertaking studio recordings also. Recitals are clearly her area of strength, and her appearance will be an asset to the forthcoming Rosenblatt Recital Series in London.