Bel canto and piano concert: a most enjoyable musical pause!

It took us more than two hours' drive to get to the coast, partly because I was, as usual, extremely bad at map reading and then darkness came so early, around 5pm, so we had a late arrival at this smallish seaside resort which looked deserted, with so many empty recent buildings along the coast, in deep winter slumber waiting for the Spring and Summer explosion. Crossing the forest of la Londe with its luxuriant vegetation was a treat.

The concert was a delightful pause far from noise and agitation. It was somehow outside of time. The young artists were as good as in their Summer performance, even better because the pianist has now a real knowledge of the singer. Her solo parts with Chopin were a complete dream, she does amazing crescendi and piani with so much precision and moving expression. She is completely in her piano playing, with no hints to the audience, in a deep sincere rapture with the piano and her art. The baritone gave us a lot, a generous programme, although I could tell he was coping bravely with a cold, but he made the most of it and was even more heart-breaking in the melodies.

I noticed the way he now chisels words and distills musical nuances. The Ultima Canzone (which was not the last song!) sounded terrific to me. This Nina who is getting married must have been so cared for by the poet Francesco Cimmino. The two refrains are strewn with so many flowers and plants to refer to his lost love... But not the last song!

The last song, a generous encore after a second part rich with beautiful opera arias
was la Calunnia, I rejoiced and felt like a spoilt child...this aria is always a flashback.

The sea, on the way back, was greyish and calling for rain, which came. A very peaceful musical break that was. Many thanks to these young artists who do not mind giving their time and passion to a very provincial and quiet audience, even a bit scarce in this autumn season by the rather empty Var coast.

The Ultima Canzone has secret links with the Flower Language and it is also some kind of hobby for me to spend time on the web looking for possible answers on this topic. Here it is a pleasure to glance at this while listening:








LINK
(P. Tosti) (L. warren 1958 Russian tour)