Graziella Sciutti Celebration Concert
Wigmore Hall, 7 Apr 2006

Teresa Berganza (mezzo soprano)
Luigi Alva (tenor)
Natasha Marsh (soprano)
Anna Maria Panzarella (soprano)
Mauro Buda (baritone)
Richard Morrison (baritone)
John Constable (piano)


Mozart: Selections from 'Le nozze di Figaro'
Donizetti: Prendi per me sei libero from L’elisir d’amore & Cheti cheti from Don Pasquale
Verdi: Ford's monologue
Meyerbeer: duet from Dinorah

Rossini: Largo al factotum
Gounod: Qe fait tu from Romeo et Juliette

Morales: Hasta la Guitarra (Luigi Alva)

Falla: Nana & Jota &
Piazzola Ballada para un loco (Teresa Berganza)

This was a pleasant enough gala evening to launch a book about the well loved soprano and a scholarship at the Royal College of Music. It was variable as these events often are.

There was a quartet of younger singers, all of whom had been associated with Sciutti. Anna Maria Panzarella was decidedly the better of the two sopranos; delightful as Rosina and in the Gounod aria; Natasha Marsh was squally in her higher register, not preserving a good line. Mauro Buda was shameless in belting out his powerful baritone, with no consideration for the venue or his partners in quartet. Richard Morrison, new to me, was immaculate in Largo al factotum and his singing was a pleasure whenever he appeared. John Constable kept the proceedings under good control.

Luigi Alva put in a pleasing token appearance, but allowance had to be made for age and his slow heavy vibrato was a little disconcerting. The chief attraction was a reappearance by Teresa Berganza prior to her master classes. She showed tremendous artistry in her two little Falla songs and afterwards in an impressive Piazzola ballad as encore. *

Those young singers who were present will want to attend her classes next week and those who weren't should make sure to get there!

See also Teresa Berganza master classes: 10 & 11 April