As operatic aria competitions go, The Herald Sun Aria is a winner in terms of longevity and prestige. This significant Centenary edition also achieved outstanding scores on several other counts.
First up: our compere. As an ABC broadcaster with vast experience hosting classical music programs, and as a self-confessed opera tragic, Mairi Nicolson is tailor-made for the job. Her passion for and knowledge of opera and singers is possibly unparalleled in Australia. Combine that with bucket loads of charm and elegance swathed in a flowing red gown courtesy of couturier, Linda Britten, and you had the ideal introduction to the evening and each finalist. Her choice of information was impeccable. A succinct summary of the aria and its context beforehand and some information about the singer we had just heard afterwards worked brilliantly. I had initially wondered whether information about the singer might have been better placed before they walked onto the stage, but learning more about them as we digested what we had just heard was definitely the right choice. It was not a matter of the singer walking off and then we were immediately on to the next one; to think about the artist we had just heard seemed much more respectful.
Then it was the turn of the singers. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the voice type of the six finalists. It must be many years since we have heard twice as many gentlemen as ladies: one tenor, one baritone and two basses as opposed to two sopranos, one of whom had recently moved from mezzo-soprano to dramatic soprano. Chosen repertoire was less varied than has often been the case recently: one aria each from Donizetti, Wagner, Flotow and Nicolai, two from Puccini and Mozart, and four from Verdi. And nothing from the 20th or 21st century – disappointingly conservative choices this time round even though a couple of the arias are seldom heard in singing competitions.
As with most major competitions, it is always easy to see what qualities the adjudicators (John Bolton Wood, Stephen Smith and Greg Hocking) valued enough to select them for the final round. All but one of the singers, New Zealand soprano Felicity Tomkins, was familiar to local opera lovers as they have participated in Melbourne performances fairly recently.
The charismatic performance qualities that baritone Bailey Montgomerie brought to major roles for Lyric Opera and Nightingale Opera this year were also displayed in his singing of Belcore’s comic aria from L’elisir d’amore. His voice may still be developing (he’s only 25) but his physical control and imaginative presentation displayed an uncommon artistic maturity and sensibility. His second aria from Puccini’s Edgar was contained and heartfelt. Mairi Nicolson was not the only one wiping away a tear after that short aria.
We have just heard bass Darcy Carroll in a principal role in Melbourne Opera’s season of La Bohème after his welcome return to Australia after a stint at the renowned Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden as the recipient of the German-Australian Opera Grant. His singing of contrasting pieces, Don Silva’s aria from Ernani and Leporello’s “Catalogue Aria” from Don Giovanni gave him an opportunity to display his vocal and dramatic range.
Bronwyn Douglass also chose contrasting arias. Wagner’s wonderfully ecstatic aria “Elisabeth’s Greeting”, “Dich, teure halle”, from Tannhäuser has always struck me as the perfect aria to sing in the splendid Elisabeth Murdoch Hall. As Douglass is based in Sydney most of us have not heard her since her transition to dramatic soprano. It would seem that she is on a productive path; her voice has grown in power and beauty, and she gave an assured performance in both her arias, her singing of “Tu che le vanità” from Don Carlo being particularly impressive.
The world loves a tenor with fabulous top notes, and Asher Reichman is guaranteed to inspire a great deal of admiration, not only for his mighty top notes, but also for the sensitivity of his performances. His “Ach! So fromm” from Martha and even more his “Che gelida manina” were most pleasing. As understudy for the role of Rodolfo in Melbourne Opera’s Bohème he has had the opportunity to perform the Act 1 scene between Rodolfo and Mimi in public several times. Melbourne Opera’s careful nurturing of their emerging artists bore fruit in the high standard of Reichman’s performance.
After Felicity Tomkins sang her first aria, “Nun eilt herbei” from The Merry Wives of Windsor, I’m sure I was not alone in thinking that here was a complete singer. Her second aria, “The Willow Song” and the following “Ave Maria” from Otello confirmed that. Her voice is true, flexible and has beauty of tone, especially in softer passages. The contrasting arias displayed good expressive range, from mischievous glee to moving pathos. It was no surprise that she was awarded the Medownick First Prize of $35,000.
As inveterate Aria attendees for many, many years my close friend and I share a weakness for rich voices that are consistently beautiful, irrespective of pitch or volume. We were therefore delighted that Henry Shaw’s performance of Banquo’s aria from Macbeth and Figaro’s final aria from The Marriage of Figaro was rewarded with the John Fulford Prize of $10,000. Apart from the attractive timbre of his voice, the fact that it was able to cut through a full orchestral sound was a decided bonus.
Of the two other $10,000 prizes, Bronwyn Douglass was awarded the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Prize and Asher Reichman the Richard Divall Prize. The other finalists received $1,500 each.
While the adjudicators were deliberating – no easy matter given the strength of this final – an a cappella ensemble of six students from the Victorian College of the Arts sang two pieces in close harmony. Calling themselves The Maita Yávës, these young vocalists, under the tutelage of Carrie Barr, showed that classical singing continues to thrive.
One of the aspects of this singing competition that sets it above others is the Melbourne Opera Orchestra. It was at the suggestion of Lady Primrose Potter (Patron-in-Chief of Melbourne Opera) that Royal South Street and the Herald Sun join forces with Melbourne Opera for this celebrated vocal competition. Under the expert and superlatively sympathetic baton of Raymond Lawrence, it was easy to forget that this was a competition. Listening to the extended introduction of the Don Carlo aria and Desdemona’s lament and prayer from Otello, we were transported to Verdi’s world; it was musical drama of a high order, not a competition.
Any possible doubts about the value of singing competitions were decisively laid to rest. As spokesperson for the adjudicators, John Bolton Wood recalled his own experience as a finalist in 1969 when Richard Greager won. It was a reminder of how valuable The Herald Sun Aria has been for encouraging young emerging singers and promoting their careers. When Felicity Tomkins gave her gracious winner’s acceptance speech, she endorsed his claim that what had also been fostered was a sense of camaraderie between the singers.
Now that the centenary iteration of The Herald Sun Aria has ended on a satisfyingly high note, we can feel confident that this venerable vocal institution will continue to flourish and provide opera lovers with at least another hundred years of thrilling singing – with orchestra.
Image supplied.
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Heather Leviston attended the Centenary Final of the Herald Sun Aria, presented at the Melbourne Recital Centre on October 19, 2024.
