Cardiff Singer

[gradus]

Oh well, I rather liked the Australian mezzo and her Britten choice was spot on, with vivid characterisation in A Charm....don't mess with that nanny.

[Freddie Campbell]

...Generally a good standard overal I thought- given that these Singers are (as yet for Singers)still young! Last Night's decision was a good one,IMV...

[Mary Chambers]

Oh well, I rather liked the Australian mezzo and her Britten choice was spot on, with vivid characterisation in A Charm....don't mess with that nanny.

Marvellous piece and not heard nearly often enough. I have a recording by the current Mrs (?) Rattle, Magdalena Kozena. I wonder if she sings it to their children?

I rather liked the Moldovan singer.

And yes, Freddie, they are very young. Some of them are only 24, and as you say, that's young for a serious singer.

[Pianorak]

Seems I have been suffering critical faculty failure re the Paris Ring – but at least I picked tonight's winner. Yeah!

[rodney_h_d]

.....I rather liked the Moldovan singer.

So did I! - and in tonight's broadcast I couldn't decide whether she - the stunningly attractive Valentina Naforniţă - or the Ukrainian baritone - Andrei Bondarenko would 'win' the round. They are both only 24 - perhaps he sounded more experienced, but I wouldn't be surprised if she got into the final as well. Apart from anything else she's the first soprano I've heard in the competition so far whose top notes sounded clear and effortlessly in tune.

[Freddie Campbell]

...Agreed Rodney.A quality Voice certainly & consistent throughout her range-even the top!

[verismissimo]

I thought the Australian mezzo, Helen Sherman, suffered in the celeb showbiz age we live in from being understated but excellent.

[verismissimo]

Missed last night's heat. Reports? Will catch up later. Did they announce the finalists yet?

[Uncle Monty]

Missed last night's heat. Reports? Will catch up later. Did they announce the finalists yet?

Yes, the singers from Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Korea, and ENGLAND (how the hell did they pick her??!!)

You couldn't say teh Korean singer didn't deserve to do well, but she was a bit flashy and screechy for my (admittedly inexpert) taste. I thought either the American or Irish contestants would have been worthier winners (and finalists).

[LeMartinPecheur]

Missed last night's heat. Reports? Will catch up later. Did they announce the finalists yet?

Last night's winner was an exciting S Korean soprano with an unusual programme, Zerbinetta's aria and an aria for Mrs Mao from Nixon in China. I'd have picked an American/ Italian soprano who did a did a superb D'amor sull' ali rosee' She went down well with BBC critics (Mary King and Gerald Finley) as well as in the hall so Mrs LMP and I were surprised she didn't make the final.

Can't recall all of them but the Korean and English sops are there, and the Georgian(?) baritone and beautiful Moldovan(?) mezzo(?) from Thursday. Think the 5th was a Russian sop from the first day.

[Mary Chambers]

Yes, the singers from Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Korea, and ENGLAND (how the hell did they pick her??!!)

I wondered about that, too! I liked the Korean, though. She did some nice Purcell in the last Song Prize round, and that's a good test. The American and the irish singers are in the final of the Song Prize, along with the Ukrainian baritone, the Moldovan soprano and the Swiss mezzo who was a reserve originally.

The trouble with the internet is that I already know who won it (Song Prize). It's hard to avoid.

[Rolmill]

Yes, I agree with views above - I would have substituted last night's American soprano for the English, but picked the other four. I suppose we need to bear in mind that we only heard 1/2 or 2/3 of each programme on BBC 4 - the broadcast Trovatore aria from the US soprano was (IMO) exceptional, but maybe the two pieces we didn't hear were less good (though as noted above, the distinguished BBC guests would have heard these and seemed equally surprised...)? Still, I don't doubt that she will get a number of engagements on the strength of her performances last night and I hope her appearance in Cardiff will do her career a power of good.

On the basis of the performances so far, I found the most memorable singer to be the Russian mezzo from day 1, who sang possibly the most beautiful "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix" (Samson et Dalila) I have ever heard. But, apart from the English soprano, I feel any of the finalists are capable of winning what could be a close and exciting competition.

[Uncle Monty]

Yes, on the basis of what we've seen and heard, I would give the prize to Olesya Petrova, but I was as smitten as everyone else of any gender with the Moldovan singer ( as they say, What's not to like?), and I have a feeling that the Ukrainian baritone Bondarenko is (quite correctly) very highly regarded by Those Who Know.

I thought Gerald Finlay was extremely diplomatic about one singer who, he said, "was vulnerable in this company"

[Rolmill]

I thought Gerald Finlay was extremely diplomatic about one singer who, he said, "was vulnerable in this company"

Hah! Yes, I smiled at that. To be honest, I found the standard of the male singers (apart from Bondarenko) rather disappointing throughout the competition - certainly, both baritones last night were completely outclassed by all three sopranos. And where have all the tenors gone?

Leaving aside the irritatingly BGT style of some aspects of the BBC4 presentation (tooth-grindingly infantile post-performance "interviews"), what did people think of the guest critics? Mary King is always helpful, I find, but the others ranged across quite a wide spectrum from very bland to refreshingly incisive (the excellent David Pountey )

[gradus]

Yes they could drop the infantile post-performance 'interview', it's not b****y Match of the Week. Witness the gossly insensitive post performance 'interview' with the Swiss soprano.
Mary King is, as ever, first rate and I thought the other commentators pretty good too.