Tuesday’s RBA concert with members of the Ensemble Studio was themed around composer rivalries though not the really toxic ones.  No Mozart/Salieri or Wagner/Meyerbeer here!  The most convincing as a rivalry was the first; Berlioz vs Rossini.  So Queen Hezumuryango sang “Le spectre de la rose” with some sensitive handling of the text and a pretty fiery “Cruda sorte” from L’Italiana in Algeri with plenty of emotion.  I definitely like her voice more when she’s going for drama as she’s got plenty of power and expressiveness.

Next up was Duncan Stenhouse with four pieces that illustrated the complex relationship between Brahms, Wagner and Dvořák.  “Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht” from the Vier Lieder Op. 96 and “Při řekách babylonských” from the Biblické písně  were sung with excellent control and expressiveness but if there’s a connection it’s not obvious to me.  The two operatic pieces though; “Běda!, Běda!” from Rusalka and “Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge” from Das Rheingold have, I think, more obvious affinities; both dramatically and musically.  Both were very well sung.  It’s so good to have a genuine bass in the Ensemble again!

Karoline Podolak closed things out with some operetta.  “Mein Herr Marquis” from Die Fledermaus was stylishly tossed to the audience with coloratura that was so pinpoint it just happened.  Or so it seemed.  Lehar’s “On My Lips Every Kiss Is Like Wine” from Giuditta (sung in English) was every bit as good musically with an added dose of sexy.  A great way to close things out.

Mattia Senesi and Brian Cho accompanied with their usual competence and versatility.  All in all a pretty fun show.

Photo credit: Karen E. Reeves