The Ponte Singers and Orchestra perform the Pilgrims’ Chorus from Wagner’s TANNHAUSER at a 2013 concert given in Hong Kong. Stephen Lam Lik Hin is the conductor.
Watch and listen here.
Author: Philip Gardner
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Anna Tomowa-Sintow ~ Vissi d’arte
Anna Tomowa-Sintow sings the Vissi d‘arte from Act II of Puccini’s TOSCA, from Lisbon 1995.
Watch and listen here.
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Rossini’s STABAT MATER
Not the best video quality, but this performance of Rossini’s STABAT MATER is quite a find.
Given in 1988 at Tewkesbury Abbey, the performance is conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes, and features the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra with soloists Suzanne Murphy, Sarah Walker, David Rendall, and John Tomlinson.
Watch and listen here.
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Rossini’s STABAT MATER
Not the best video quality, but this performance of Rossini’s STABAT MATER is quite a find.
Given in 1988 at Tewkesbury Abbey, the performance is conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes, and features the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra with soloists Suzanne Murphy, Sarah Walker, David Rendall, and John Tomlinson.
Watch and listen here.
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Edward Pierson
Bass-baritone Edward Pierson, a stalwart of the New York City Opera for twelve years, was born in Chicago. A scholarship basketball player, he worked for a while as a public school music teacher before pursuing his operatic career.
His performance of “Ol’ Man River” in several civic productions of SHOWBOAT in the mid-West put Mr. Pierson on the map. By chance, he stepped into a small role in PORGY AND BESS, and soon after made the jump to the role of Porgy himself.
At the New York City Opera, his roles included Scarpia, Jochanaan, and Wagner’s Dutchman. I’ll never forget hearing him in the title-role of the Company’s English-language production of Borodin’s PRINCE IGOR:
Edward Pierson as Prince Igor – NYCO 1969
He also made a memorable impression as Dr. Kolenaty in Frank Corsaro’s multi-media setting of Janacek’s MAKROPOULOS AFFAIR. In the above photo are Maralin Niska (Emilia Marty), Chester Ludgin (Baron Prus), Harry Theyard (Albert Gregor), and Mr. Pierson.
In concert repertoire, Edward Pierson was a frequent interpreter of Mendelssohn’s Elijah. And he appears on the Deutsche Grammophon recording of Scott Joplin’s TREEMONISHA:
Edward Pierson – Good Advice ~ TREEMONISHA
Watch a lovely interview with Mr. Pierson here.
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Vaganova Ballet Academy ~ Dance of the Hours
Dancers from the Vaganova Ballet Academy perform the Dance of the Hours from Amilcare Ponchielli’s opera LA GIOCONDA.
Watch and listen here.
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Scene from PARSIFAL ~ Act II
An extended scene from Act II of PARSIFAL with Rosalind Plowright, Poal Elming, and Aage Haugland, conducted by Michel Tabachnik, from a performance at Aarhaus c. 1992.
Listen here.
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Zubin Mehta ~ RHEINGOLD @ Valencia
Zubin Mehta conducts DAS RHEINGOLD at Valencia, 2007. Strange production, especially the costumes…but musically fine.
Watch and listen here.
Donner: Ilya Bannik; Erda: Christa Mayer; Fafner: Stephen Milling; Fasolt: Matti Salminen; Flosshilde: Hannah Ester Minutillo; Freia: Sabina von Walther; Fricka: Anna Larsson; Froh: German Villar; Loge: John Dasza; Mime: Gerhard Siegel; Wellgunde: Ann-Katrin Naidu; Woglinde: Silvia Vasquez; Wotan: Juha Uusitalo; Alberich: Franz-Josef Kapellmann
Conductor: Zubin Mehta
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More from Cardiff ~ 2021
Claire Barnett-Jones, winner of the Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize at the 2021 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, sings Ivor Novello’s “We’ll Gather Lilacs” here.
I was especially pleased that Ms. Barnett-Jones sang Waltraute’s narrative from GOTTERDAMMERUNG in her first round program.
Jusung Park from the Republic of Korea moved me to tears with his touching singing of Sancho Panza’s “Riez, allez riez du pauvre ideologie“, the faithful servant’s defense of his master, Don Quixote, against the ridicule of lesser beings. Listen to this wonderful aria from Jules Massenet’s rarely-performed DON QUICHOTTE here.
Chinese tenor Chuan Wang pulled out all the stops for his vivid performance of “Ah, mes amis” from Donizetti’s FILLE DI REGIMENT. Watch and listen here.
Icelandic soprano Alfheiður Erla Guðmundsdottir (above) was sadly forced to withdraw after the opening round of the Song Prize competition when a ‘track and trace’ from the Welsh health department notified her that someone on her flight into Cardiff had tested positive for Covid 19. Her set was so lovely that I wanted to post it. (She has since been invited to participate in the 2023 Cardiff Competition.) Also heard in her round are Gihoon Kim from Republic of Korea (eventual winner of the main prize) and Evgenia Asanova from Russia, with pianists Simon Lepper and Llŷr Williams. Watch and listen here.
Oberon's Glade 