Wednesday lunchtime saw the members of the COC’s Ensemble Studio kick of the free concert series season in the RBA.  It was good.  Pianists Brian Cho and Mattia Senesi started off in fine style with a four hands version of the overture to The Barber of Seville and then it was on to the singing.

The standard was consistently high.  Emily Rocha started off with Lucia’s (rather long) aria “Regnava nel silenzio”.  She showed considerable power and stamina and very decent control considering the demands this piece makes.  She looks like a very promising addition to the programme.

More bel canto from Wesley Harrison doing his love-lorn tenor thing with “Una furtiva lagrima”.  Very smooth, stylish singing with no lack of oomph.

Korin Thomas-Smith gave us more Lucia with “Cruda funesta smania”.  Ashton is a tricky role.  If one makes him villainous it’s hard to be stylish in the bel canro way but he is the baddy.  Korin’s version was definitely at the moustache twirling end of the spectrum but fair enough.  It was delivered with clarity and power.

Queen Hezumuryango sang the “Seguidilla” from Carmen.  She was in good voice with an aptly dusky timbre and a fair bit of sexy pizzazz.  It might be the best thing I’ve heard from her.

We now have a real bass in the Ensemble in Duncan Stenhouse.  I can’t remember the last time that was the case; Robert Gleadow? Robert Pomakov?  Anyway he rocked Colline’s aria from La Bohème  with absolutely convincingly solid low notes and excellent musicality.

And finally to Karoline Podolak with “Una voce poco fa”.  Not only did she sing with flair and pinpoint coloratura but she ornamented the heck out of it.  And I say, when it comes to ornamentation in Rossini and Handel, if you’ve got it, flaunt it.  So many singers just play it safe.  Comparison with Bartoli at the same age might not be completely inappropriate.

Cho and Senesi accompanied throughout with the musicality, efficiency and versatility expected of ES pianists!  All in all an excellent start to the season.

Photo credits: Karen E. Reeves