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August 25, 2009 - Goanet's 15th Anniversary
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by Nigel Britto
Sunday Times of India, August 30, 2009
*Panaji:* Donizetti, Rossini, Cimarosa. Sicilian mafia dons? Not quite. In
fact, they’re legendary Italian composers whose works featured in the
concert "An Operatic experience" on Saturday night at Kala Academy. The
performance was the last stop of British soprano Patricia Rozario’s tour of
India. And it was phenomenal.
After having performed similar shows in Delhi, Pune and Mumbai, the
much-awaited recital got off to a rousing start with tenor Alistair Digges
tackling the aria "Where ‘er you walk", from Handel’s 1744 oratorio *Semele*.
As Jupiter, the 27-year-old defied his rather lean physique to create a
perfect intonation that resounded through the DMK auditorium. A thunderous
applause then greeted Rozario, Goa's most famous classical music exponent,
who walked out on the stage to perform the famous aria "Endless pleasure,
endless love", also from *Semele*. Accompanied by Mark Troop, her
interpretation was masterful and hypnotic.
Few classical concerts are complete without Mozart. "The Magic Flute", which
was composed to a libretto by Schikaneder, featured baritone Dhilan
Gnanadurai playing the role of Papageno, a bird-man flute-player who
wondered when he'd catch his bird-woman, Papagena (Rozario). The last aria
of the opera was the very humorous duet *pa, pa, pa, *which brought smiles
and a lot of enthusiastic clapping, especially from the children.
The evening also featured the Italian romantic composer Giuseppe Verdi. In *
Rigoletto*, baritone Gnanadurai matched Rozario almost note-for-note in a
duet, displaying tremendous power and technical ability in doing so. The
award-winning Sri Lankan musician, who holds diplomas in three different
disciplines (voice, piano, violin), was a crowd favourite. Popular aria *Caro
nome*, which came next, brought out Rozario's full range and virtuosistic
breath-control, which left the audience begging for more.
The second half was an Italian invasion. In Cimarosa's Matrimonio Segreto,
Digges and Rozario played two lovers (Paolino and Carolina) whose
clandestine meetings got interrupted when people unexpectedly turned up at
them. Predictably, the unusual story brought smiles. It was followed by five
consecutive works of Gaetano Donizetti, including his most famous and
recognizable work, *Una furtive lagrima*.
Though Rozario was undoubtedly the centre of attraction, it was the
supporting artistes who impressed many. Digges and Gnanadurai, both of whom
are in their 20s, appeared well up to their challenging task and took on
their formidable roles with panache. Digges, especially, who idolizes
Pavarotti, displayed tremendous maturity in the varying roles he played,
from torn lover (Handel's *Semele*) to a hero who desires an abducted
slave-girl (Ambroise Thomas' *Elle ne croyait pas by*, from his opera
comique *Mignon*).
The last piece was Gioachino Rossini's La Danza, which featured all the
three singers at the heights of their vocal power. The song expectedly ended
with a long standing ovation that forced all the performers back for an
encore. This time, it was a song from the popular musical West Side Story.
August was a month of classical concerts in Goa. And many believed the best
was saved for last. Musicians and others alike were left "dumbfounded". "It
was Fantastic!", said Savio Martires, a prominent jazz musician, adding
"this is probably the first time Goa has seen something of this calibre".
Builder Philip Braganza agreed. "I've never heard anyone sing this well,
ever", he said. Many shared their views.
But as much as the concert was described as "phenomenal" by a majority of
those who attended it, all was not rosy. The persistent and unpredictable
rains partially affected attendance. And despite strict instructions to the
contrary, mobile phones rang and cameras clicked.
Also, several people in the fraternity were peeved by the "only 3/4ths full"
hall, while others saw it as a sign of hope. Luis Dias, a doctor and
violinist, is one of the hopeful ones. "It would be great to see a packed
auditorium to watch a daughter of the soil who is an internationally
acclaimed opera star", he said. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen on Saturday.
May be next time. Until then, as they say in Italian, *arrivederci*.
--
Nigel Britto
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