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French Passion & Italian Masters
Review

French Passion & Italian Masters

By Damian Madden
July 26 2007

The Brandenburg Orchestra present French Passion and Italian Masters.Angel Place. 20-28 July.

In a world where top opera singers have to be booked years in advance,Australian audiences can thank the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra'sartistic director Paul Dyer for recognising potential and securing theservices of young French counter-tenor Philippe Jaroussky more than twoyears ago. Since then Jaroussky has been named French Opera Singer of theYear (2007) and was labelled by Gramophone magazine as "tomorrow'sclassical superstar," not bad for a singer who started his classical careeras a violinist.

The concert, French Passion and Italian Masters focuses on Italiancomposers of the Baroque period (early 1600s - Rossi, Stradella, Monteverdi)as well as the more well known composers of the later Baroque (Handel,Vivaldi). However, despite the Brandenburg Orchestra's renowned musicianshipand exciting improvisations, Jaroussky steals the show with a display ofvocal prowess that elicited astonished gasps from the opening nightaudience. No trill, note or phrase was too difficult for the charismaticFrenchman who seemed to really enjoy his time on stage.

French Passion & Italian Masters

While the program was too long (12 pieces in the first act) and thechoice of having the orchestra leave the stage before the end of the firstact was odd (confusing half the audience who got up and left only to findthe doors still shut) the night was redeemed by Jaroussky's incrediblevoice, which was as close to magical as you can get.

 

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