Cardiff Singer of the World, 2017/R3 & BBC4

[gurnemanz]

I loved Catriona and Louise. I was looking at the BBC website as we went along and we only got about half of the items they actually sang. Louise did Nacht und Träume which I would have loved to hear ahead of Die Forelle.

[pastoralguy]

Anyone watching this?

[Stunsworth]

Anyone watching this?

I am, though they all seem so good, and I don't have the singing knowledge to separate them. After saying that the first piece that the Australian sang seemed outstanding to these ears.

[Lat-Literal]

Anyone watching this?

I am although I missed the first singer and don't know who it was. Very much enjoying this competition - yesterday it was radio and tonight it is television. Both the competitors I have seen have been impressive. Thought LA's performance was very strong - I loved the piece from Previn's "A Streetcar Named Desire". The Welsh audience is extraordinary.

Darn....it must have been Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar who I missed.

I hope there is a reprise.

All of them were good. I liked Catriona's Purcell.

But I think the winner will be one of the first three competitors - not having seen 1, I will say 3, 2, 1 in that order, ie the prize may well go to the personable man from Australia.

[Lat-Literal]

.........yep, lost my "money" again.

(2 won the audience vote and 4 - well, I felt that the selections weren't quite diverse enough, especially the first and second, but what I do know)

Congratulations to Catriona Morison.

What did other forum members think of the performances?

[LeMartinPecheur]

On tonight's showing (I saw only the end of one of the heats), I'd have put No 2, Louise ### English sop, ahead by a country mile. Or three! Three different characters, three different soprano voices all wonderfully beautiful, all under perfect control and communicated physically with sensational vividness. I can't see what more she could have done

OK, I didn't see the heats and the judges judge the singers' complete packages. I'm just relieved she got the audience prize and Gerald Finley's vote. And De Niese said she was voting for the Aussie tenor 'just to be different', didn't she? Seems like we may have a somewhat controversial jury decision here!

[Pianorak]

My joint winners: Catriona Morison and Anthony Clark Evans. But only because they are the kind of voices which most appeal to me. Smooth, effortless and secure across the whole range. I also thought these two were the most convincing actors and storytellers.

[makropulos]

On tonight's showing (I saw only the end of one of the heats), I'd have put No 2, Louise ### English sop, ahead by a country mile. Or three! Three different characters, three different soprano voices all wonderfully beautiful, all under perfect control and communicated physically with sensational vividness. I can't see what more she could have done

OK, I didn't see the heats and the judges judge the singers' complete packages. I'm just relieved she got the audience prize and Gerald Finley's vote. And De Niese said she was voting for the Aussie tenor 'just to be different', didn't she? Seems like we may have a somewhat controversial jury decision here!

Enjoyed this final tremendously - a superb standard. I'm with LeMartinPecheur (and Gerald Finley) - I thought Louise Alder was phenomenal, and - particularly after her performance of Poulenc's "C" – I was quite shocked that she didn't win the song prize. But putting personal preferences aside, the judges did a great job in choosing the five finalists tonight - I had no quarrel with any of their choices from watching the earlier rounds. Catriona is a wonderfully intelligent singer - so many congratulations to her (her Composer's aria from Ariadne the other night had me completely captivated, and her Grieg in the song final was glorious). Something tells me we'll be hearing a lot more of her, of Louise, of the Australian tenor and of the extraordinary Mongolian in years to come. I was a bit irritated that the American baritone sang the same song (Prologue from Pag) in the heats and in the final - I mean there's not exactly a shortage of baritone roles from which to choose...

[Beresford]

Interesting that the presenter on Welsh radio - Wynne Evans, a big expressive baritone himself - was asking audience members if they agreed with the jury. He didn't. Many different answers; the pianist was heard to say "The jury got it right, at last". I agreed, for the same reason as Pianorak, although I could not see acting skills on the radio.

[Mary Chambers]

I was delighted by Catriona Morison's successes. She was very much my favourite, but I thought Louise Alder's technical wizardry might triumph. Catriona, though, had something special that can't be taught.

[makropulos]

I was delighted by Catriona Morison's successes. She was very much my favourite, but I thought Louise Alder's technical wizardry might triumph. Catriona, though, had something special that can't be taught.

I thought both of them were spectacularly good - thoughtful musicians rather than canaries. Louise Alder's performance in the song final certainly wasn't about "technical wizardry" but extremely sensitive musicianship. They are both, I hope, going to have tremendous careers.

[Prommer]

Catriona, though, had something special that can't be taught.

Personality, in a word.

But the Artist was the Mongolian.

[Lat-Literal]

Very interesting to note the comments.

One thing I felt was that the I-Player was difficult to negotiate for identifying each round clearly and to pick out key clips.

I would like it to be clearer next time.

[BBMmk2]

I caught up with Saturday's Trooping the Colour. The previous day was taken up with regular Saturday activities.

[greenilex]

Shall be watching for Catriona Morison in future. A special intelligence.