(Lindsay
Thomson & Dr Lisa Engelbrecht)
Thomson
revealed how carefully she sculpts her sound. Notable was her impressive vocal
ornamentation and careful attention to articulation, neatness and overall
technical excellence. (Review by Dr Martin Goldstein)
The second Friends of Music concert of
2020, which took place on Tuesday February 11, 2020, provided a nice contrast
to the opening concert a few weeks ago. This concert was a celebration of
operatic gems. It featured The Opera Angels, which is an acclaimed
collaboration between two stars in the opera world, Dr Lisa Engelbrecht
(pianist, soprano and vocal coach at the University of Cape Town’s Opera
School) and Lindsay Thomson (mezzo soprano), a rising star in the opera world.
It could be described as a collaboration between “mature fortitude” and
“malleable” young talent.
The concert featured a pleasing balance
between the better-known numbers and the more cultivated works. This showcased
the full range of the duo’s talents and demonstrated their flexibility.
Engelbrecht actually sang from the piano while accompanying Thomson, which was
an impressive feat. They performed Song
to the Moon from Rusalka by A
Dvorak; Folk Song Medley (Danny Boy /
Amazing Grace / Irish Blessing); Sul
aria and Via resti servita, duets
from Le Nozze di Figaro by W A
Mozart; Una voce poco fa from Il Barbiere di Siviglia, aria Rosina, by G Rossini; Che il bel sogno, aria La Rondine, by G Puccini; O mio babbino from Gianni Schicchi by G Puccini; Pie
Jesù, duet by A Lloyd Webber; Mattinata
by A Tosti; Ideale by A Tosti; O sole mio by E di Capua; Noble seigneur salut! from Les Hugenots by G Meyerbeer; Seguidilla from Carmen by G Bizet; Flower
Duet by Lakmé; Mon Coeur s’ouvre a ta voix from Samson et Dalilah by C Saint Saens; Belle nuit, duet from the Tales of Hofmann by J Offenbach; I could have danced all night from My Fair Lady by Rodgers &
Hammerstein; Vilja from The Merry Widow by F Lehar; I feel pretty from West Side Story by L Bernstein; Climb
every mountain from The Sound of
Music by Rodgers & Hammerstein; Ave
verum by Carl Jenkins; an item from Little
Women and Hallelujah by Leonard
Cohen.
In the opening item, the Dvorak, we sensed
that Thomson had a carefully cultivated sound with good intonation. Engelbrecht
matched her well in terms of volume.
In Danny
Boy from the Medley, it was clear that Thomson was better suited to this
idiom with her clearly enunciated words and unforced sound production.
Throughout, Thomson’s voice had a sharper timbre while that of Engelbrecht’s
was mellower. The two balanced each other out well. Also, Engelbrecht lent
considerable strength to Thomson’s voice and it created a successful
ensemble. In Amazing Grace, the volume grew, creating an impressive sound with
considerable resonance. Thomson provided a pleasing descant line. Once again,
Engelbrecht revealed her fortitude in the long notes.
In the Sul
aria from Le Nozze di Figaro by
Mozart, Thomson revealed her full potential. There was a nice form of banter
between the parts and Thomson displayed her understanding of the humour
inherent in this interchange.
With the Rossini, one felt that this was
Thomson’s idiom. She managed all the intricacies and the very difficult scalar
runs along with impressive cadenza-like passages and succeeded in making it
look easy.
In the Webber, Thomson displayed a neatly
cultivated sound. This was her best number. One sensed the purity of her sound
quality on the higher notes. Again, this was nicely balanced by the mellowness
of Engelbrecht’s voice.
In the O
sole mio by Capua, Thomson again revealed how carefully she sculpts her
sound. Notable was her impressive vocal ornamentation and her keen sense of the
Italian idiom. Once again, it was clear that she has a very powerful voice. In
the Meyerbeer, Thomson displayed a shrill brilliance and a pure intonation. She
revealed a good understanding of the words as evidenced in her facial
expression and bodily antics. She displayed careful attention to articulation,
good trills, and overall technical excellence, especially in the descending
scale passages.
In the Bizet, Thomson employed good
slurring, as was characteristic of her neatness and attention to articulatory
matters. In the Flower Duet by Lakmé,
she managed the intricacies of the quick notes well. She also succeeded in
bringing across the underlying sentiment convincingly.
In I
feel pretty by Bernstein, the duo produced impressive vocal chords and
there was clear, tight timing.
In the Hallelujah
by Leonard Cohen, Thomson revealed her true personality. – Dr Martin Goldstein
Friends
of Music concerts take place at 19h30 at the Durban Jewish Centre, 44 Old Fort
Road (K E Masinga Road), Durban. There is safe parking. For more information
contact Keith on 071 505 1021 or visit http://www.friendsofmusic.co.za
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