AN EVENING WITH PEARLS FROM OPERAS:

At the highest possibel quality level it all started with Nessun dorma from Giacomo PUCCINIs “Turandot” – where Kristian Benedikt absolutely first class was “opening the ball”. In the very best Luciano Pavarotti style and sound.

Immediately it continued by the brilliant Danish/Norwegian baryton Lars Fosser in the famous Prologo from LEONCAVALLO´s Bajazzo/Pagliacci, and it continued with one of the other famous arias Vesti la giubba also from Bajazzo sung by Kristian Benedikt

. Then the high level of the concert was laid, and it continued like that.

The whole evening was like the one more beautiful pearl after the other being presented for us.

They were definitely not alone on the stage
. The Symphony Orchestra of the LNOBT  was looking good on stage, and it is long time since I have heard them playing so well. The conductor for it all was the great Italian opera expert Marcello Mottadelli. 

GIUSEPPE VERDI:

The programme changed to a Giuseppe Verdi part
. Opening with the beautiful ouverture to I Vespri siciliani. Followed by Amelias arie  “Morro” from Un Ballo di Mascera – sung by the wonderful young Russian soprano Yana Kleyn. Then from Nabucco – Fenena aria, sung by the Swedish mezzosoprano Matilda Paulsson. This was followed by  Il Trovatore the duet between Leonora and Count Luna, – Yana Kleyn and Lars Fosser. This was fantastic. Very high musical quality, where the young soprano also got the possibility to show her brilliant coloratura
. This duet was one more of the many highlights in the concert
. Lars Fosser has the power, the musicality and he is the right type for the role as Luna.

This was followed by an Otello part, one of Kristian Benedikts big success titelroles  first his aria – Dio mi potevi, followed by Iago´s credo performed by the Estonian bass Atlan Karp, and before the beak ending up with the famous duet between Otello and Iago – Oh mostruoso…. Atlan Karp and Kristian Benedikt.

 

–

FRENCH OPERAS:

In the second part we changed from Italian to French operas and language.Kristian Benedikt opened with one more of his success roles, from LA JUIVE composer: Jacques-François-Fromental-Élie Halévy, Eleazar aria and recitative. Benedikts feeling full interpretation was for me the whole galas absolute heightpoint. Benedikt has both the beautiful voice for this demanding role, but furthermore he has the sound which does that you trust in him, even in a gala performance as this.

Then we got a nice surprice, which was highly appreciated among the audience. The Lithuanian tenor Kęstutis Alčiauskis, who is born on the same day as Kristian Benedikt and the has both had Virgilius Noreika, which was sitting  in the middle of the front row, as their teacher. He performed very well Georges  BIZET´s: Nadir romance from The Pearl Fischers.

This was followed by Mathilda Paulson performing Dalilahs Aia from Camille SAINT SAENS Samson and Dalila. For me Paulson started a bit too slowly, but as she has the kind of beautiful warm voice and can manage to fill up the room with warmness it became a beautiful number.

After that it was time for Jules MASSENET: The demanding duet from Manon – Toi! Vous… with Kristian Benedikt and Yana Kleyn.

CARMEN:

Then back to  Georges BIZET: With the virtuose CARMEN OVERTURE, followed by the Toreador, Escamillo´s couplet well sung by Atlan Karp, unfortunately he is not the Toreador type for the role,  and his French pronounciation is not good.. But for giving a correct Carmen part the Toreador aria is needed. This was folloved by another highlight Yana Kleyns beautiful performance of  Michaela aria, usually sung up in the hills in 3^rd act of the opera. And the Carmen part ended with the finale with a very beautiful and dramatic duet between Matilda Paulson, at her very best together with Kristian Benedikt. It was a hit.

Then we went to Dappertutto’s aria from Jacques Offenbach’s “Les contes d’Hoffmann” (The Tales of Hoffmann)– Scintille diamante. Very beautifully and dramatic sung by Lars Fosser who has the power to give this demanding aria all that it it need, but also showing his beautiful pianissimo.

A perfect preparation for the finale of  Kristian Benedikt GALA with Gaetano Donizetti: The beautifully  Sextett from the end of 2^nd  act of “Lucia di Lammermoor”. With Salvatore Cammarano´s Italian text after Walter Scott. This is one of the older operalitteratures pearls. It all happened at The Lithuanian National Opera and Ballett House, Vilnius. Sunday: 06. November 2011.

 

This was a remarkable evening, representative for all the singers, the Symphony Orchestra of the LNOBT Conductor Marcello Mottadelli (Italy). The orchestra played wonderful, and we in deed enjoyed many great soloists in the orchestra, BRAVO
.

The conductor Marcello Mottadelli  was wonderful, he knows his repertoire, and he inspired the whole orchestra, which looked great on stage, and the soloists to do all their bests.

The Lithuanian and international audience can be happy to have got such a special possibility to enjoy a programme also including arias, ensembles, and even an ouverture, which as far as I know, not is in the Lithuanian National Operas repertoire, at least not for the latest 15 years, and therefore are new for many in the audience. A brilliant initiative.

It is a pity that such large opera events with such a remarkable repertoire and so many outstanding international singers of high internationally level, has to be arranged and payed from someone outside the Opera house, and even “Not included in the operahouses advertising programme”. 

This Gala performance was taken up by TV. Wonderful. – I hope there will also be a DVD, but without introductions.

TOO LONG INTRODUCTIONS:

What I didn´t like was the much too long introductions only in Lithuanian language from the two speakers between each number. Of course I see that these introductions are helping the audience, who perhaps don’t know so much of the history a bout the different opera pieces, so far that is OK, but when the concert is made as a Gala with a lot of international guests present, a few words in an international language, for exempel English could have helped. Some times, If we haven´t known so much of the operas, we couldn´t catch the names of what number now should be presented, such as for exempel the Ouverture from Sicilian Vesper, which opened the Verdipart. For the TV a lot of that culd have been added in the studio later, before showing on TV.

DISTURBING BACKGROUND PROJECTIONS:

Furthermore, the background projections, only a very few times was successfully. Most of the time it was disturbing. This kind of projections shall be made and presented with much more musically intelligence, not just putting up something strange as a background.

Photos by Martynas Aleksas and Henning Høholt.

 

Please enjoy link to one of our previouse reviews about Kristian Benedikt – Vaidas Vysniauskas from a La Traviata performance at the Lithuanian National Opera House, where he was singing Alfredo, New Years eve 31.12. 2009:

http://www.kulturkompasset.com/2010/01/asmik-grigorian-a-catastrophe-as-violetta-in-vilnius/

 

In the very end the Lithuanian Minister of culture was making a speach and handing over a carricature to Kristian Benedikt: