January 9, 2014
Wigmore Hall, Londen, UK
Rosa Feola, Soprano
Iain Burnside, Piano
Giménez: "Me llaman la primorosa" (El barbero de sevilla)
Bizet: "Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante" (Carmen)
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras n° 5
Gounod: "Je veux vivre" (Roméo et Juliette)
Rossini: "Sombre forêt" (Guillaume Tell)
Tosti: Sogno
Donizetti: N’ornerà la bruna chioma
Verdi: "Caro nome" (Rigoletto)
Tosti: Non t’amo più
Gastaldon: Musica proibita
Verdi: "È strano!... Ah, fors'è lui... Sempre libera" (La traviata)
Puccini: "O mio babbino caro" (Gianni Schicchi) [encore]
Photos (link to Rosa's Facebook page)
Excerpts:
Reviews:
"London likes to think it lies at the centre of the musical universe, but many great singers had relatively small careers here and most of today’s up-and-coming stars make their names elsewhere. No one fits that description better than the Italian lyric soprano Rosa Feola. Her recital in the Rosenblatt series, eloquently accompanied by Iain Burnside, was far from sold out but she is a classic Rosenblatt find – scarcely known on this side of the Channel but with a potential that impresarios elsewhere have been quick to spot.
There was nothing predictable about her programme of love songs, evenly divided between canzonettas and opera arias. It played to her strengths, which are many – one of them being a gift for making an audience want more. Before she even sings a note, Feola wins my vote: she has a pleasing presence, unfussy in a damsel-like way, with enough self-confidence to hold the stage on her own – without a score – while steering clear of prima donna mannerism. The timbre is natural – not obviously schooled or over-produced – and the technique flawless.
This was clear not only from an open-hearted “Caro nome” (Rigoletto), showcasing her stylish bel canto, but also from her clean, radiant upper register. Every top note rings out with lustre, giving “Je veux vivre” (Roméo et Juliette) and “E strano” (La traviata) the wherewithal to bring the house down. Her stage debut as Violetta surely can’t be far away, for Feola gives every impression of having a big-time temperament.
Her French diction let her down a bit in “Sombre forêt” (Guillaume Tell), but the aria, one of Rossini’s loveliest, proved that Feola could be equally persuasive in a gentler musical atmosphere. Her encore, Lauretta’s song from Gianni Schicchi, made a similar point: the emotion she expresses is touching, not overwrought.
As for her non-operatic choices, Tosti’s “Sogno” and “Non t’amo più” demonstrated her ability to respect the simplicity of the song, while Villa-Lobos’s “Tarde uma nuvem rósea” showcased her seductive vocalise. But the key to Feola’s artistic personality is not just her vocal prowess: what counts is that she never gives less than a performance."
Andrew Clark, "Financial Times"
"Rosa Feola [...] has been winning golden opinions whilst developing a career with wisdom and discretion. There has been a tendency for the programming of these recitals [...] as a living audition tape. Feola avoided this approach; she had a theme, broadly stated as ‘Love in several guises’ and she played to her strengths, with suggestions of what might be to come when the artist emerges into full maturity.
[...] Giménez’s 1901 version of The Barber of Seville [...] The sequences in the cadenza amount to a stiff vocal exercise, an ideal piece for Feola to introduce herself and her voice. It is a strong lyric instrument [...] Alongside that power was an impressive command of coloratura and a natural ability to make contact with listeners.
[...] Micaëla’s aria from Carmen showcased Feola's legato line, which was admirably well-schooled but not associated with blandness. Indeed, the lasting impression was of a timid woman aware of her task of acquiring the courage to challenge her rival. An accomplished vocal actress looks to be on the horizon.
[...] Juliette’s 'Waltz Song' [...] Feola coped well with the runs and was no less effective in the slower, dreamy passage before the bravura conclusion.
In the recitative of Mathilde’s scena from Guillaume Tell Feola conveyed by body language, as she would on the nstage, the character’s feelings, flinching for example at the words "mon effroi". Her singing of the expansive aria was a little bumpy and hesitant in the first verse, but smoother in the second. The cadenza flowed without concealing its difficulties.
[...] Two Tosti songs [...] Feola scaled down her voice while maintaining her intensity. [...] ‘Musica proibita’ [...] To complement her singing Feola physically conveyed the playfulness of the naïve girl in her pose and movements.
The music [of Donizetti's "N’ornerà la bruna chioma"] is rich in fioriture, and Feola threw off its difficulties with aplomb.
[...] Violetta’s scena [...] She treated the music and its problems with respect. The tempos she chose for the recitative and for "Ah, fors’è lui" were sensibly brisk. In the aria she did not overdo the pathos; her attack on the word "Gioir" was like a knife, her runs in the cabaletta were impeccable and the unwritten climactic note was well placed."
Richard Nicholson, "The Classical Source"
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