‘After all it’s Opera’ was the promising theme of an awesome Opera evening of its finest!
A cascade of fantastic voices was sparkling across the Russian Centre on Monday night. A never ending crescendo of canto was enchanting the opera loving audience throughout the performances of 17 affectionately selected Opera treats devotedly performed by the young and very talented Menaka Singers’ Opera Ensemble.
It was a colourful collection of classical intonation, which made the audience fall in love with opera in 2 minutes, just as predicted in the program. However, many were seen instantly falling in love after the tender first sounds of music caressed not only the ears, but all senses. Love at first sight!
The prelude was the gender bel canto aria of “Comme paride vezzoso” from L’elisir d’Amore by Gaetano Donizetti followed by a most pleasant surprise of rapid alternations of duet, trio and solo, culminating in unison, the romantic grand finale of “Helas mon coer” Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach performed by the seven Opera singers.
The Menaka Singers’ Opera Ensemble was founded by well known musician and teacher Menaka de Fonseka Sahabandu in 2008. The international acclaimed British Opera singer Barbara Segal collaborates with the Ensemble since 2015 training the young Sri Lankan talents in each aspect of stage performance from voice training, technique of breathing to the confidence required to sing and perform in front of large audiences.
The young vocalists are: Soprano Joanne Aloysius Rajiyah; Soprano Nipuni Siyambalapitiya; Soprano Samali Liyanage; Mezzo Soprano Rachel Halliday; Tenor Niran de Mel; Baritone Nishantha Warnakulasuriya and Baritone Laknath Seneviratne.
The magnificent seven visibly lived their various stage figures enunciating emotions and body language through dramatic facial expressions, dynamic gestures and last but by far not the least, the brilliant timbre of their voices. The artists’ love and dedication for Opera connected with the audience from the very beginning.
There were no microphones, no stage costumes, no scenery: Plain stage, stunning voices, beautiful evening gowns and tuxedos; jubilant coloratura and trebling timbres. A combination of drama, melodrama and comedy created a sparkling firework of feelings - the trilling expressions of all kinds of love, be it lost love, unanswered love, illicit love and, of course happy endings just to name a few. After all, Opera is all about love!
The thrilled audience applauded the enthusiastic Opera singers who captured everybody’s heart in the fully packed hall. A delightful spectacle of big drama and merry comedy from the melancholy of Donizetti, Gounod, Verdi, Bizet, Giordano to romantic Puccini and lighter exhilarate tickling aperçus of Mozart and Offenbach.