As tradition dictates the opening concert of this year’s free concert series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre was given bt the singers and pianists of the COC’s Ensemble Studio.  It was reasonably well attended but the days when people queued around the block for this concert are long gone, which is symptomatic of the general state of the classical music world post COVID.

First up was Queen Hezumuryango with Sesto’s aria “Svegliatevi nel core” from Handel’s Guilio Cesare.  All the fire required for a revenge aria was there and some interesting dark colours in the lower end of the voice.  I’m not convinced though that it’s a voice I would cast in this role.  The darkness of the voice, appealing as it is in many ways, is likely not what Handel; writing for a soprano, had in mind.

Korin Thomas-Smith; last seen by me in his Norcop prize winner recital, gave a very smootgh and polished version of Malatesta’s aria “Bella siccone un angelo” from Don Pasquale.  I want to see more of him in opera because he’s a very fine Lieder singer.

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