REVIEW:
A Gala Evening: Bryn Terfel (bass- baritone), New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tecwyn Evans
Michael Fowler Centre, May 3
Bryn Terfel, besides being one of the great bass baritones gracing the opera stages of today, is a larger than life character in all senses of the word.
He dominates the stage with his physical presence and is a completely natural thespian, interacting with his audience as if with his family in his living room.
He also happens to possess an imposing voice, one completely able to cope with the intimidating acoustic of the Michael Fowler Centre, and is now an experienced singer in a range of musical styles.
So A Gala Evening was just that: a mixture of musical genres that attracted two very distinct audiences and satisfied both – at different times.
The second half, with its mix of show tunes, easy banter with the audience, and sentimental Irish, English and, of course, Welsh songs, culminating in All Through The Night morphing into Pokarekare Ana, brought the house down. This was what many had come for and they left with a buzz. The only strange note was the interpolation of Lilburn’s Aotearoa Overture in the middle.
It was completely out of place; it broke the mood and made the concert 10 minutes too long.
The first half was devoted to Wagner and this was what many in the audience had come for.
Arias from Tannhauser, Das Rheingold and Die Walkure with the overture to Tannhauser, The Ride of the Valkyries, and Magic Fire Music from Die Walkure made up this selection in the 200th anniversary year of Wagner’s birth.
Terfel encompassed the different moods and musical and dramatic needs of Wolfram in Tannhauser, and Wotan in both Das Rheingold and Die Walkure, with superb assurance, most notably in the softer moments where his skill as a lieder singer showed in breathtaking fashion.
Backed by playing of skill and confidence, and sympathetic conducting, this was, for all the obviously frustrating nature of Wagner highlights, a tantalising glimpse into the world of a great Wagner singer.
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