1968 CONCERT

Of the concluding Gala Concert of the 15^TH IVC, we have only one review, another unidentified newspaper clipping written by L. Sch. He readily acknowledged that such concerts were by their very nature the result of creative improvisation, yet he had wished for the audience that the outcome had been more in line with the expectations raised by some vocalists in their appearances during the finals. He thought that Angela Beale’s rendition of Desdemona’s ‘Willow aria’ fell short of her imposing achievements in song during the competition. In opera, her very special abilities in terms of interpretation and performing could not expand to the same extent, ‘a song by Richard Strauss would have given superior results.’ Hans-Georg Dahmen’s allegedly sang a bit off pitch in his Tannhäuser arias, which made him insecure: ‘Regrettable, since Dahmen had it in him to become a lyric-heroic baritone of sorts.’ Csilla Zentai’s ‘Ach ich fuhls’ did not fare much better, according to the critic, who thought that she did have the vocal resources, but still lacked experience and maturity to become an interpreter of sorts. Ilie Baciu, in turn, was singing for the galleries, with the bravura of a showman, and thus with lack of subtlety and characterization. When mezzo Ria Bollen and the alto Oriel Sutherland also failed to impress L. Sch., he reserved his compliments for the Maestro of the evening, Hein Jordans, who led the local orchestra with amazing control. Still, this review raises the question if a concert of winners from any vocal competition should be judged by the criteria one would hold up for a performance at any given National Opera? Even though these singers were not altogether inexperienced, sometimes already singing professionally for several years, the fact remains that one can’t expect Concertgebouw perfection at a Winner’s Gala that is being put together from scratch in just a few days. A final word on English soprano Wendy Eathorne, who had obligations elsewhere, and was therefore absent at the concert.