The great thing about Cardiff Singer of the Year - and similar shows - is that you start off with a list of 25 almost unknown names. I recognised three names from appearances in London, and a further one from blogging, but I had no clear idea of what any of them was like. There is a little niggle in the back of your head, that we are being served with 25 singers who might all combine all the merits of provincial, generic, comprimario and routine. And just a week later, it is easy to identify some real about-to-be-stars and a bunch more of singers who will be a pleasure to hear, even if not a 'draw' in their own right.
I was delighted that Jacques Imbrailo won the Audience Prize. To me, it made sense to vote for someone not in the Final, and it seems that the Great British Public had the same idea.
I never had any doubt in mind that Shen Yang was going to win. Well, not until the moment when John fisher from WNO went on at great length in Welsh before announcing the winner! In the heat shown on Wednesday he gave me that 'wow' factor within 30 seconds. Come the two finals, Song and Grand, my expectations were higher, so the wow was different. I was very impressed by his Song Prize recital, but agree that Liz Watts was a worthy winner.
The Final with full orchestra was an hour and a half of pure pleasure and entertainment. There wasn't one singer performing who doesn't fill me with delight. I think it would have been very difficult to choose between the four runners up, they had their strengths and weaknesses. Of the four, I thought that Liz Watts was clearly the one most finished and ready now. I thought Miranda Keys is so obviously going to be a great Brunnhilde, etc in ten years time; Levente Molnar gave a quite different impression in the Final than the heat - in retrospective it seemed his attitude was that he was there for the experience- to learn,to entertain and to enjoy himself, rather than believing he could win. And it was obviously quite a shock to realise that he was the Final. Dramatically, he impressed me the most. Some people have suggested his heat was a bit inyerface showy, but I think he proved in the final that he is a man of substance.
Maria Isabel Vera impressed me much more in the Final than the heats, and I am now clearer about the force of her voice. Mary King and Tony Pappano were both of the view that singing four arias was one too many. To me, it seemed that in choosing Stride la vampa, È lui! è lui! ne' palpiti and O don fatale, as well as Voi lo sapete, o mamma, she was more or less saying that she is a one trick pony. That having been said, that could be a very shrewd career move: she's never going to be out of work in major houses if she can master those roles with that voice - other than Stephanie Blythe there's not many people I can think of who can hack them.
But Shen Yang is so obviously a musician and a singer. Over and again it was mentioned that he is only 23, which is exceptionally young for a bass-baritone, apparently. But I think also proof that "if you're good enough, you're old enough". Expert analyser Mary King (a vocal coach) was obviously entirely smitten, and when Tony Pappano was quizzed about the notes he was making during the performance, his subsequent evasion and blushing were very telling. They both felt he was the winner, it was pretty obvious to me. On the whole, the internet seems in accordance, with comments such as the 'best bass-baritone since Bryn Terfel' (what, he's retired?), although, naturally, there are dissenting opinions, such as 'soporific'.
But, barring burnout and other calamities, I expect to see all six finalists and many of the others on the International Stage for many years to come.
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