Cardiff Singer

[LeMartinPecheur]

Well, are we surprised at the result??

The professional TV judges seemed to be giving it on a plate to Bondarenko, with the Russian mezzo as first reserve. But they wuz wrong! The prize went to the Moldovan soprano, who is a very fine singer as well as being 'a loovely mai -id', as we say in Cornwall. That she won the audience prize says something too, though it would be interesting to see if the male and female votes were significantly different!

Two thoughts. Did Bondarenko's song prize make the judges perhaps feel that he had to be completely out of sight in the opera finale to come away with both? And did the winner's beauty count for anything with the judges? I'm not saying it was wrong if it did - glamour/ sex appeal will certainly put bums on seats in the opera houses of the world, and will assist credibility in many operas where this is part of the story.

Some years ago glamour or lack of it seemed not to be an issue when Aussie Wagnerian sop Gasteen won. But I expect it can help, particularly in non -Wagnerian repertoire!

[Freddie Campbell]

...Well the Ukranian Baritone won it for me! However he already has a very successful career & does not need the "legup"
Cardiff Singer lends.Perhaps this was at the back of Judges' minds-who would benefit most & best by such a win? Last year
we had an excellent Counter-Tenor who,in similar vein,was always going places regardless of the Competition- he should have won,IMV...

[Uncle Monty]

As a listener (instrumentalist rather than singing expert) I wasn't unhappy with the result. I wanted Olesya Petrova to win, I thought Andrei Bondarenko would win, but the winner obviously has star quality as well as a beautiful voice and presence. (My wife, not a known admirer of female beauty, remarked several times that she was lovely: perhaps it's the sort of beauty women don't feel threatened by, and were happy to vote for. How would I know?!) What you look like clearly does matter in an opera star, and is a legitimate concern to the judges -- unlike, for example, the Young Musician competition that went to Nicola Benedetti, who was so clearly inferior as a musician to a spotty lad on the clarinet that there was almost an orchestra mutiny -- the implication being, presumably, that the judges had been leaned on to pick someone more easily marketable. (This is no criticism of NB, who is clearly a fine musician.)

[Mary Chambers]

I was quite surprised, but earlier in the week I thought she might win. By tonight I had become such a fan of Bondarenko that expected him to win and was disappointed when he didn't The Russian mezzo was also a possibility. I think it must have been very close. Bondarenko was clearly the most finished artist in spite of his youth, and I'm sure he'll have a great career anyway. He won the Song Prize, after all.

[Freddie Campbell]

...Glad he came away with something Mary!

[Mary Chambers]

(My wife, not a known admirer of female beauty, remarked several times that she was lovely: perhaps it's the sort of beauty women don't feel threatened by, and were happy to vote for. How would I know?!)

??? I don't know about others, but personally I have never felt 'threatened' by any kind of female beauty! I agree she is lovely to look at, and together with her singing and communication abilities that clearly has an effect on everyone. Looks do matter, even on the recital platform. On the other hand, I thought Bondarenko had this combination as well - his looks, though perhaps not startling, are more than good enough (though I suspect he may not be very tall). I loved his floppy hair

[Freddie Campbell]

...I'd return to my earlier point,Mary- Judges offering Prize to someone who would best be placed to benefit from it...
(This does also take all Performance ability into account!)

[Mandryka]

...I'd return to my earlier point,Mary- Judges offering Prize to someone who would best be placed to benefit from it...
(This does also take all Performance ability into account!)

It's been a very long time since I believed that anyone received an award for being 'the best' at something.

These competitions can only justify themselves if they are going to contribute something to the industry they are promoting.....and that industry will always receive more of a boost from impossibly sexy female violinists than it will from spotty clarinet geniuses.

The same applies with the Oscars.....the awards for 'best film' tend to go, rarely to the actual best film, but to the kind of film that the industry wants to see more of.

To go from the (sort of) sublime to the ridiculous.....no ultimate winner of The Apprentice TV series has been 'the best' in terms of achievement during the rounds; the prize has always gone to the 'raw talent' who will benefit most from Lord Sugars' experience.

[Quarky]

I like a singer that can put the world to rights, and Valentina Naforniţă certainly did that for me.

I would not venture an opinion as to her singing ability in this august company. In any case, on pieces such as Maids of Cadiz, I, together I guess with most other males in the audience, found other aspects of the performance more engaging.

Anna Netrebko better watch out!

[Mandryka]

I like a singer that can put the world to rights, and Valentina Naforniţă certainly did that for me.

I would not venture an opinion as to her singing ability in this august company. In any case, on pieces such as Maids of Cadiz, I, together I guess with most other males in the audience, found other aspects of the performance more engaging.

Anna Netrebko better watch out!

I really can't comment on Netrebko's voice, as whenever I've heard her sing, I've been fatally distracted by her physical presence.

[Freddie Campbell]

...Actually Mandryka I was trying make the same comment in my own way- NOT the "best" at something!