Foi apresentado
em Lisboa, na Fundação Gulbenkian, o
concerto No Tenors Allowed, aqui cantado pelo barítono Thomas Hampson e pelo baixo-barítono Luca Pisaroni, acompanhados ao piano
por Christian Koch. A minha
expectativa era grande porque o concerto prometia – na primeira parte, árias de
ópera (maioritariamente de Mozart) e, na segunda, canções do musical americano
e de opereta. Luca Pisaroni é um
cantor que respeito. A sua voz tem um timbre agradável e, não sendo grande, é
facilmente audível. Por Thomas Hampson
tenho grande admiração dado que é um dos barítonos “no activo” que mais aprecio pelas suas qualidades vocais.
No programa de
sala, o texto introdutório de Jorge
Rodrigues é notável.
Iniciou o
concerto Luca Pisaroni com a aria Non più
andrai, das Bodas de Fígaro. Seguiu-se, da mesma ópera, a aria Hai già vinta la causa! cantada por
Thomas Hampson. Quase não acreditei no que ouvia. Notas em falso, desafinações frequentes
e atropelos ao texto! Voltou Pisaroni que cantou Madamina, il catalogo è questo (o catálogo era o programa da
temporada da Gulbenkian) do Don Giovanni. Os dois interpretaram Eh via, buffone e Hampson cantou
novamente, com muitas fragilidades, Deh,
vienni alla finestra, o mio tesoro também do Don Giovanni.
Terminada esta
sequência de árias de Mozart, Thomas Hampson, de microfone na mão, dirige-se ao
público e explica que está a cantar “sem pneus”, dado que tem uma bronquite há
dias, mas decidiu não cancelar a sua participação tendo enumerado, com graça,
as sete fases pelas quais passa um cantor quando lhe acontece tal situação.
Estava explicado, Hampson não tinha condições para cantar e, na minha opinião,
não deveria ter aparecido. Talvez não tenha cancelado porque estava acompanhado
pelo genro, Luca Pisaroni.
Na primeira parte
ouviram-se ainda árias de Rossini e Bellini. Os momentos melhores foram o solo
de piano da ópera Os Palhaços de Leoncavallo, numa expressiva interpretação de
Christian Koch, e a ária La calunnia,
do Barbeiro de Sevilha, onde Pisaroni teve a melhor interpretação.
Por motivos
pessoais não pude ficar para a segunda parte, mas o que assisti foi um concerto
parcialmente frustrado porque Thomas Hampson, um dos grandes barítonos da
actualidade, não estava em condições de cantar.
**
No Tenors
Allowed, Gulbenkian Foundation, December 2016
The concert
“No Tenors Allowed” was performed in
Lisbon at the Gulbenkian Foundation,
sung by baritone Thomas Hampson and
bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni,
accompanied by the piano by Christian
Koch. My expectation was high because the concert was appealing - in the
first part, opera arias (mainly by Mozart) and in the second, songs of American
musicals and operetta. Luca Pisaroni
is a singer that I respect. His voice has a pleasant tone and, not being big,
is easily audible. For Thomas Hampson
I have great respect since he is one of the "active" baritones that I
admire most for his vocal qualities.
In the
program, the introductory text of Jorge Rodrigues was remarkable.
The concert
began with Luca Pisaroni singing the aria Non
più andrai, from Le nozze di Figaro.
It was followed, by the aria Hai già
vinta la causa! from the same opera, sung by Thomas Hampson. I hardly
believed what I heard. Fake notes, frequent defacements, and run over text! Pisaroni
returned to sing Madamina, il catalogo è
questo (the catalog was the program of the Gulbenkian’s music season) from
Don Giovanni. The two singers interpreted Eh
via, buffone and Hampson sang again, with many frailties, Deh, vienni alla finestra, o mio tesoro also
from Don Giovanni.
After
completing this sequence of arias by Mozart, Thomas Hampson, microphone in
hand, addressed the audience and explained that he was singing with "no
tires" given that he had bronchitis for several days, but decided not to
cancel his participation having listed, the seven stages through which a singer
passes when this situation occurs. It was explained, Hampson was in no
condition to sing and, in my opinion, should not have appeared. Maybe he did
not cancel because he was accompanied by his son-in-law, Luca Pisaroni.
In the
first part there were still arias of Rossini and Bellini. The best moments were
the solo piano of the opera Pagliacci
by Leoncavallo, in an expressive interpretation of Christian Koch, and the aria
La calunnia, from the Barber of
Seville, where Pisaroni had his best interpretation.
For
personal reasons I could not stay for the second part of the concert, but what
I attended was a partially frustrated concert because Thomas Hampson, one of
the great baritones of our times, was not in a condition to sing.
**
I do agree that the first half fell short of one's expectations (they were rather high indeed). Nonetheless, I felt that in the second part they both excelled (sorry, all three were marvellous in different ways at singing, with Christian Koch joining in for a couple of seconds, without leaving his piano stool, in the funny surprise of the night). In fact, in the second part Hampson made full use of his experience, filling-in with a witty performance, far more feasible for a chest weighed down by bronchitis. I surely would bet nobody will forget their adaptation of"Anything You Can Do" any time soon. Even famous Christmas Carols were sung, appealing to the audience's participation, ending the night with with the famous duet from Don Pasquale akin to Gilbert and Sullivan's patter songs. In the end I was glad he hadn't cancelled it.
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