Cardiff Singer of the World 2021

[LHC]

After the debacle 2 years ago when the BBC was forced to show its own competition on TV, after trying to banish it to IPlayer, this biannual contest is back.

The fours singers last night were all good, although I thought the mezzo from Georgia was a clear and easy winner. Mind you, the Chinese tenor had excellent top notes, and superb diction in both Italian and French. His voice may have been a little monochrome, but this is almost an occupational hazard for Rossini tenors. I thought all of the singers were a little hampered by the fairly dull and lifeless conducting.

The really good news was that social distancing meant that interviews were reduced to a minimum, and we were able to concentrate on the performances.

Anyway a pleasure to have this back on our screens this week.

[Lordgeous]

"
The fours singers last night were all good, although I thought the mezzo from Georgia was a clear and easy winner"

Agreed, but I rarely seem to agree wwith the 'experts'! On another note, to quote Lebrecht:

"The only jarring note was the conductor, Michael Christie, who was flown in specially from the US, presumably for his special expertise. Christie, 47, is a former music director of Minnesota Opera, where he championed new works by American composers. He now has an orchestra in California. He has no UK career.

What he is doing at Cardiff is anyone’s guess. A dozen under-employed Welsh conductors could do just as good a job."

[Ein Heldenleben]

"
The fours singers last night were all good, although I thought the mezzo from Georgia was a clear and easy winner"

Agreed, but I rarely seem to agree wwith the 'experts'! On another note, to quote Lebrecht:

"The only jarring note was the conductor, Michael Christie, who was flown in specially from the US, presumably for his special expertise. Christie, 47, is a former music director of Minnesota Opera, where he championed new works by American composers. He now has an orchestra in California. He has no UK career.

What he is doing at Cardiff is anyone’s guess. A dozen under-employed Welsh conductors could do just as good a job."

When you think of the job Elder or Rizzi could have done. Mind you the reduced string section didn’t help ..

[EnemyoftheStoat]

"
The fours singers last night were all good, although I thought the mezzo from Georgia was a clear and easy winner"

Agreed, but I rarely seem to agree wwith the 'experts'! On another note, to quote Lebrecht:

"The only jarring note was the conductor, Michael Christie, who was flown in specially from the US, presumably for his special expertise. Christie, 47, is a former music director of Minnesota Opera, where he championed new works by American composers. He now has an orchestra in California. He has no UK career.

What he is doing at Cardiff is anyone’s guess. A dozen under-employed Welsh conductors could do just as good a job."

I'm sure plenty of the Slipped Disc regulars will soon be putting him right.

[BBMmk2]

Just heard on Radio 3 Breakfast, of a baritone from I think South Korea, singing an aria from Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt. Marvellous singing and aria!

[LHC]

A much stronger round last night with some really exceptional singing from the Welsh soprano, the South Korean baritone and the South African soprano.

As BBMmk2 has mentioned, the Korngold aria was really very special (and brought tears from at least two of the jury members). He also sang the opening aria from I Pagliacci superbly. He just shaded it for me, and was I think, a worthy winner, but the South African soprano was also very good indeed. Her performance of Pace pace mio dio from Forza del destino was stunning, and she must have incredible stamina, as she sang three big and challenging arias for her programme. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see her in the final as well as the baritone.

Whatever happens in this contest, I think both will be stars of the future. Indeed, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha is already a member of the Opera House's young artists programme.

[Ein Heldenleben]

A much stronger round last night with some really exceptional singing from the Welsh soprano, the South Korean baritone and the South African soprano.

As BBMmk2 has mentioned, the Korngold aria was really very special (and brought tears from at least two of the jury members). He also sang the opening aria from I Pagliacci superbly. He just shaded it for me, and was I think, a worthy winner, but the South African soprano was also very good indeed. Her performance of Pace pace mio dio from Forza del destino was stunning, and she must have incredible stamina, as she sang three big and challenging arias for her programme. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see her in the final as well as the baritone.

Whatever happens in this contest, I think both will be stars of the future. Indeed, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha is already a member of the Opera House's young artists programme.

The Korngold aria for me was the highlight so far . I agree Masabane (possibly with some work on diction? ) has a stellar career in front of her . So much so that as always with CSOTSW I almost wonder what the point is. There is such a dearth of outstanding voices (particularly in the Verdi spinto roles ) that even ‘second rate’ singers can have successful careers and if you are tenor even a third rate voice is good enough. As with most years all the finalists strike me as having better voices than many you hear on the UK operatic stage and in some cases they are pretty much the fully formed article. Is it a bit of a marketing exercise? I think it’s different with pianists and violinists - there are so many good ones already it’s phenomenally hard to break into the concert circuit and competitions like the Leeds give you concert exposure - though it’s a bit of a circus.

[gradus]

The Korngold aria for me was the highlight so far . I agree Masabane (possibly with some work on diction? ) has a stellar career in front of her . So much so that as always with CSOTSW I almost wonder what the point is. There is such a dearth of outstanding voices (particularly in the Verdi spinto roles ) that even ‘second rate’ singers can have successful careers and if you are tenor even a third rate voice is good enough. As with most years all the finalists strike me as having better voices than many you hear on the UK operatic stage and in some cases they are pretty much the fully formed article. Is it a bit of a marketing exercise? I think it’s different with pianists and violinists - there are so many good ones already it’s phenomenally hard to break into the concert circuit and competitions like the Leeds give you concert exposure - though it’s a bit of a circus.

The Korngold and Verdi were highlights for me and I thought the orchestra accompanied beautifully. I'd like to hear Masabane in Gerontius, I could just imagine the Allelujah! she could sing.

[LHC]

The Korngold and Verdi were highlights for me and I thought the orchestra accompanied beautifully. I'd like to hear Masabane in Gerontius, I could just imagine the Allelujah! she could sing.

Yes, I neglected to say that it made a big difference last night having a decent conductor on the podium.

[LHC]

Round three last night and four more very good singers.

I can see why the Austrian soprano, Christina Gansch, won, as her Manon was superb, and the Lehar was great fun, but I was much less convinced by her Handel aria. She does, however, illustrate Heldenleben's point about some of the singers in the competition. She is one of the older competitors and has already come to the notice of several opera houses. She has sung a few roles at Covent Garden, and has appeared at the Paris and Berlin operas, and has sung Melisande at Glyndebourne, as well as appearing at the Salzburg Festival. She has also featured on several recordings. She is not a novice starting out on a career in music, and it is difficult to see what more she will get from appearing in this competition, that she doesn't already have in terms of career development.

The other singers were more clearly at the beginning of their careers, and perhaps more obvious competition candidates. The second South Korean baritone was almost as good as the first (from round 2) and would have been a worthy winner in his own right. I was also much taken with the Russian mezzo (the youngest competitor at 26). Her performance of Dido's lament was too slow, and her English diction not perfect, but she was much better suited to Bellini's Romeo and Strauss's composer.

Unfortunately, the conductor Michael Christie was used again for round 3, and was just as bad as he was in round 1. Hopefully that's his stint ended, and we'll have a decent conductor for round 4 tonight, and the final on Saturday.

[gurnemanz]

Round three last night and four more very good singers.

I can see why the Austrian soprano, Christina Gansch, won, as her Manon was superb, and the Lehar was great fun, but I was much less convinced by her Handel aria. She does, however, illustrate Heldenleben's point about some of the singers in the competition. She is one of the older competitors and has already come to the notice of several opera houses. She has sung a few roles at Covent Garden, and has appeared at the Paris and Berlin operas, and has sung Melisande at Glyndebourne, as well as appearing at the Salzburg Festival. She has also featured on several recordings. She is not a novice starting out on a career in music, and it is difficult to see what more she will get from appearing in this competition, that she doesn't already have in terms of career development.

A valid point. We saw Christina Gansch at the Proms in 2019 with Semyon Bychkov in Glanert, Glanert/Schubert and Mahler 4. Excellent performances from an established artist. A pity that the South Korean baritone and Russian mezzo thereby missed their chance.

[Nick Armstrong]

Unfortunately, the conductor Michael Christie was used again for round 3, and was just as bad as he was in round 1. Hopefully that's his stint ended, and we'll have a decent conductor for round 4 tonight, and the final on Saturday.

Andrew Litton seems to me to be doing a fine job this evening. Proper musician.

Haven’t seen any of the earlier programmes.

.

Update: looking back to Tuesday for the Korngold people are talking about (the Korngold tonight was my favourite thing), I see Andrew Litton was at the helm that night too

Ah! Same Korngold aria… interesting comparison!

[Nick Armstrong]

The Korngold and Verdi were highlights for me and I thought the orchestra accompanied beautifully. I'd like to hear Masabane in Gerontius, I could just imagine the Allelujah! she could sing.

Yes… Very glad Masabane was given her second chance. What a voice! Echoes of Jessye… and imagine Masabane in the Four Last Songs…!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes… Very glad Masabane was given her second chance. What a voice! Echoes of Jessye… and imagine Masabane in the Four Last Songs…!

Did Masabane get thru as a wild card? Haven’t seen last nights Prog yet . Interesting that Masabane didn’t get through to the final initially but of all the singers (only heard rounds 1-3 ) I think she is the one who will have the biggest career. I see that Enkhbatyn Amartüvshin who didn’t win in 2015 (but who should have done as he is a genuine full on Verdi spinto baritone ) is doing Nabucco at ROH this year. I wasn’t that taken with Catherine Gansch. She is very polished but I didn’t like the Handel - I thought it was a bit ragged and I thought she did the Lehar too much in the manner of the mad scene from Lucia - nice Gypsy violin though .The lead fiddler should have had a solo bow. I bet that needed a few hours of working on.
I think the celebrity singers with Petroc are being very generous . One of the Wolfram arias had a few shaky notes but that was entirely glossed over. That said the standard is unbelievably high - I would have thought most of them (aside from lockdown problems ) are already pretty booked up.

[LHC]

Interesting that Masabane didn’t get through to the final but of all the singers (only heard rounds 1-3 ) I think she is the one who will have the biggest career. I see that Enkhbatyn Amartüvshin who didn’t win in 2015 (but who should have done as he is a genuine full on Verdi spinto baritone ) is doing Nabucco at ROH this year. I wasn’t that with Catherine Gransch . She is very polished but I didn’t like the Handel and I thought she did the Lehar too much in the manner of the mad scene from Lucia

Masabane has been chosen as the 'wild card', and so will be in the final.