Soprano dazzles in emotional WSO return

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/02/2022 (1680 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Right in time for Valentine’s Day, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra wore its heart on its sleeve as it treated an audience of 449 to an evening of ear-pleasers and timeless favourites with its latest Pops show Unforgettable Classical Hits.

Saturday night’s concert comprised of 10 all-European selections from opera, ballet and the ballroom often felt a personal playlist of WSO Associate Conductor Julian Pellicano, who served as an affable host and set up each of his chosen works with relish as well as offering fascinating historical lore. It equally evoked the high-spirited optimism of a Vienna New Year’s Concert, featuring many of the same works heard on those programs including Johann Strauss II’s The Blue Danube that crowned him with the title of “Waltz King.”

The pair of weekend shows replaced the WSO’s originally planned Li Keur, Riel’s Heart of North owing to the pandemic, to be rescheduled for a future date.

Winnipeg has always boasted an astonishing array of world-class sopranos including Andriana Chuchman, Lara Ciekiewicz, Tracy Dahl, and Monica Huisman. Also included in that illustrious class is Andrea Lett, who dazzled the crowd with a trio of opera arias from another artist dearly missed during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Lett immediately displayed her sparkling vocals in the first of those, Mein Herr Marquis, better known as Adele’s Laughing Song from Strauss Jr.’s Die Fledermaus, including crystal clear diction, ringing high notes and a carefully nuanced dynamic palette. The 110-minute program (including intermission) also included her Quando m’en vo or Musetta’s Waltz from Puccini’s La Boheme, sung with lilting finesse.

However the jewel of the night quickly proved to be colouratura aria Caro Nome, from Verdi’s Rigoletto, with the singer delivering a deeply felt, exquisite performance, with her every suspended tone matched note for note by Pellicano’s sensitive orchestral accompaniment.

The singer’s displayed heartfelt tears after receiving thunderous applause with cries of “brava” for her interpretation, simply stating “it’s been a long time since I’ve been on a stage” undoubtedly left many in the house misty-eyed. It was a raw, honest response to what musicians, and especially singers have endured since the beginning of the pandemic. In true “leave them wanting more” style, Lett’s three solos were far too few; with listeners hungry for more.

Pellicano, who moonlights as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Principal Conductor also proudly noted that the WSO has now performed as “house band” for over 200 RWB productions since their artistic partnership formed in 1970; making it “one of the most experienced ballet orchestras in the world.” He then treated us to three excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s fabled “ballet blanc” Swan Lake, that nonetheless suffered some sluggishness during its famous Dance of the Cygnets, and overly zealous horns in the “Valse” that threw the balance askew. A selection from the RWB’s upcoming The Sleeping Beauty would have offered a tantalizing appetizer to their all-digital production that opens later this month.

The evening kicked off with a zesty Overture to Die Fledermaus, followed by Josef Strauss’s Ohne Sorgen Polka, with Pellicano setting a brisk pace. This immediately led to Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance, Op. 46, No. 8 in G minor – with No. 7 in C minor coming later after intermission – performed with gusto and plenty of attack.

One last highlight became Verdi’s Overture to Nabucco, which the New York City-born Pellicano of Italian heritage described as the “second national anthem for Italians.” It’s always a pleasure to see any leader conduct music so clearly in their blood and bones, with this particular performance infused with verisimilitude as much as its stately theme brought to life with noble gravitas by the low brass.

Finally — just as all those New Year’s concerts do — we ended with a rousing encore of Strauss Sr.’s Radetzky March, Op. 228 including Pellicano joyfully egging on the mostly older generation audience to clap louder ‘n’ prouder to its military-crisp rhythms. As expected, the crowd leapt to its feet at the end, awarding the players with an enthusiastic standing ovation for this undeniably feel-good night of unforgettable hits.

The concert remains available for streaming via mywso.tv until March 11. For tickets or further info, visit wso.ca

holly.harris@shaw.ca