Saturday December 27th, 2025 – Although it’s two days post- Christmas, tonight’s gala concert of operatic arias and duets – organized by Eugene Wintour-Irverstag, and featuring a sextet of fascinating opera singers – was a holiday gift for the Carnegie Hall audience. A handsome program booklet was provided, though the order of play was somewhat difficult to follow. The ever-excellent American Symphony Orchestra were under the baton of Francisco Lanzillotta, a handsome fellow who conducts with the grace and energy of a premier danseur.
The Maestro opened the evening with the overture to Rossini’s GUILLAUME TELL. This included a longish ‘introduction’ with which I was unfamiliar; then the beloved pastoral phrases sounded, and soon we were into the famed galloping race that is Rossini’s trademark.
Now Asmik Grigorian, in a rather eccentric frock of red and white, took the stage and gave us an “In questa reggia” of staggering clarity and power. As someone who heard Birgit Nilsson in the role – and in her prime – five times, I felt Ms. Grigorian the equal of the Swedish diva in terms of volume, whilst surpassing her in beauty of tone. Ms. Grigorian held the audience in her thrall throughout Turandot’s fiendishly demanding aria, and she would continue to do so all evening.
How wonderful to encounter Thomas Hampson again; now seventy years of age, he looks as handsome and elegant as ever, and there’s still a lot of voice at his disposal. Last at The Met in 2017, he regaled us tonight with an aria from one of his signature roles: Count Almaviva in NOZZE DI FIGARO. The size and deployment of the Hampson voice is impressive indeed, and the character is so clearly etched, as has ever been the singer’s wont.
Ms. Grigorian then returned to join the baritone in a thrilling final scene from EUGENE ONEGIN. This was acted out in full; with the conductor and orchestra ever-attentive, the couple seemed to live their roles with deep commitment. Ms. Grigorian Tatiana started out by assuring Onegin that she was not going to put up with any of his nonsense; she would stand firm in her resolve to remain steadfastly true to her husband. With a massive dose of Hampson charm, the baritone slowly brings her around to confessing she still loves him…her glowingly sustained piano top note here was astounding. Recalling his marvelous playing of this scene opposite Solveig Kringelborn at The Met in 2002, Mr. Hampson becomes desperate in his pleading. With a blazing high note, the soprano rushes away, leaving the crushed Onegin choking on his own despair. Brilliant!! Bravi!!
Nadine Sierra, in a form-fitting silver frock, appeared to a very warm welcome to sing Gilda’s “Caro nome”. I’ve always preferred a lighter voice in Gilda’s music – Roberta Peters, Patricia Brooks, and the young Scotto come immediately to mind. Ms. Sierra’s more full-bodied tone makes me think she may be ready for TROVATORE, ERNANI, NORMA. Her “Caro nome” tonight was persuasively interpreted, and fondly cheered.
Ms. Sierra returned for the LAKME “flower duet” with Sondra Radvanoksy making what she referred to as her “debut as a mezzo -soprano” as Mallika. Both voices seemed too large for the music, and Ms. Radvanovsky seemed a bit off-pitch at times. I’d rather they’d sung a duet from NORMA…or ANNA BOLENA.
Next, a lovely treat: the comely young mezzo-soprano Anita Montserrat – gorgeously gowned in red – treated us to some very fine bel canto singing in Cenerentola’s final aria from the Rossini opera. Her warm tone and fluent coloratura put me in mind of the magical Teresa Berganza; I can’t think of any higher praise.
Brian Jagde now appeared to bowl us over with a splendid “Dio mi potevi scagliar” from OTELLO. Living the aria with every note and word, the tenor poured out rich tones and then struck like an arrow to my heart with his ravishing “Ma, o pianto, o duol! m’han rapito il mirraggio dov’io, giulivo, l’anima acqueto…” before the build-up to the aria’s monumental finish. Bravissimo!!
I’d been hoping to hear Ms. Radvanovsky in an aria from one of the operas she’s been lately singing in Europe, but not yet here in NYC: maybe Lady Macbeth’s ‘letter scene’, or Maddalena di Coigny’s “La mamma morta”…? But instead she chose to revisit one of her Met triumphs with the Bolero from I VESPRI SICILIANI, which she sang with cunning bravado.
After an overly long intermission, we heard the delightful overture to Ambroise Thomas’s MIGNON in which the arias “Connais-tu le pays” and “Je suis Titania la blonde” are liberally quoted. This would have been a fine time to bring forth Mlles. Montserrat and Sierra to sing those arias, so rarely heard in this day and age. In the overture, the ASO’s players of clarinet, flute, and harp had an opportunity to shine.
Ms. Sierra dazzled us with “I Feel Pretty” from Bernstein’s WEST SIDE STORY, and then Mlles. Grigorian and Montserrat took us back to Imperial Russia with a finely-harmonized duet from Tchaikovsky’s PIQUE-DAME, in which piano, flute, and harp play integral roles. The two voices entwined delightfully.
Ms. Grigorian, who had changed to a ruffled sea-green gown of Olde World glamour for the evening’s second half, now sang a hauntingly sublime “Song To The Moon” from RUSALKA. Her highly personal and marvelously unique singing have now whetted our appetite for her upcoming Verdi REQUIEM here at Carngie Hall as well as her ONEGINs at The Met.
Thomas Hampson’s thrilling cry of “Perfidi!” introduced Macbeth’s poignant aria “Pieta, rispetto, amore” from the Verdi opera. The baritone sang with deep feeling as he grasped his fate: “Nor should you hope for kind words on your royal tomb:
only curses, alas, will be your funeral hymn.” Remorse, the most wretched of emotions, has run him out. Mr. Hampson, despite a husky note here and there, got right to the core of the character, as he has ever done in every role from Figaro to Wozzeck.
Mr. Jadge then poured out the anguish of the betrayed Canio in PAGLIACCI with mind-blowing power in “Vesti la giubba…” This is the sound of a breaking heart. The tenor’s vocal generosity was then matched in intensity by Sondra Radvanovsky in the fiery/seductive duet of Manon and Des Grieux from the Puccini setting. In her emerald gown, the soprano dug into chesty tones and scorched us with flaming high notes.
All six singers now joined in “Make Our Garden Grow” from CANDIDE. With an array of somewhat mis-matched timbres, this finale became sort of a hot mess…but it hardly mattered. I was just happy to have been there.
~ Oberon
Oberon's Glade 