June Anderson for "Coline en Ré" at Toulon Operahouse.

Last night,friday the 11th, for the charity fund 'coline en ré, June Anderson gave all her grace and vocal art in a moving recital of well chosen arias,some of the best belcanto scores ever written, the most difficult ones too. The delicate and subtle moods of these rather acrobatic scores were beautifully played by the orchestra conducted by their music director,Giuliano Carella, conductor.
All the musicians gave their evening for this charity too.


June Anderson was never covered by them, and the conductor was really on her side! The clarinetist solo, the flutist and the harpist were particularly wonderful during these fantastic scores signed Handel, Bellini, Rossini and Donizetti. It was a brilliant evening.
When June started warming up with Handel, it was certain that she was in top form, her voice being soft and strong with her beautiful tops, never shrill sounds, always soft and pure. She has a tremendous long breath which sustains long soft tops. She flies high with no visible constraint, she even smiles almost when she takes us as high as possible and with so much grace and delicate hand gestures, that it is almost unreal. The delicate beauty of her figure, as well as the subtlety of her singing have taken me away from this heavy ordinary life. Bellini 's Casta Diva, almost like a prayer, made me cry. She never overacts and yet the few gestures of her hands, or her head, the sway of her body, the way she sets her eyes upwards, gave the range of emotions necessary for these tragic heroines such as Norma, Imogen, Desdemona or Semiramide. She ended the evening with the most demanding of all roles 'Col sorriso d'innocenza ... Oh sole, ti vela di tenebre oscure'(perhaps even more than Norma), Bellini's Imogen who slowly falls into insanity after the death of her husband and has vision of her dead Ernesto and of her dead son too.
I was amazed to see how moving she was. She was acting with what I tried to describe, so little display and yet great emotional effects. I do not think I will see her soon but I have the feeling she was at her best, absolutely secure in her voice and dramatic effects.
Her slim and tall figure seemed to sway with the music. She had, somehow, with her hair in a bun at the top of her head adorned by a jewel, the look of a Japanese No actress. No wonder she was the fashion model for Maurizio Galante!
I loved her long silky dusky pink dress almost covered by a greyish long coat which was cut at the waist like a cape so her arms were like two elegant dancers in the air when she was moving them from under. Simply smart!
What I have discovered also is my great admiration for belcantist soprani who made me appreciate the beauties of Bellini. Il Pirata is a 'thing of beauty' for me. I only saw it once, and last night I loved to see what June Anderson gave us as Imogen: A true splendor, she has the voice and the musicality needed for this demanding role.
She gave us one encore, the only Puccini of the evening 'O mio babbino caro' and waved good-bye almost like a child!.
This time I really plucked my courage to try to express my admiration after waiting at the stage door! She smiled at us, I said I saw her beautiful rendition in Dialogues des Carmelites' in Nice. I even had a photo taken with her!
We waved good-bye, still very moved by the beauty of what she gave us.

Toulon Orchestra
Giuliano Carella, conductor.
Handel, Giulio Cesare " V’adoro… " , " Piangero"
Rossini, Otello: « Assisa a piè…. » , « Deh calma »
Rossini, Semiramide "Bel raggio lusinghier-dolce pensiero"
Donizetti, Norma "casta Diva"
Bellini, Il Pirata "Col sorriso d'innocenza ... Oh sole, ti vela di tenebre oscure'
Encore:
Puccini, Gianni Schicchi 'O mio babbino caro'