1971 CONCERT

Hein Zomerdijk wrote in Brabants Dagblad that the 1971 IVC Gala Concert reflected the average level of the competition, which – in his opinion – had not resulted in candidates of the highest caliber. The overture of Wagner’s Meistersinger von Nürnberg raised hopes:

‘For the orchestra it must have been a relief to grit their teeth on something with substance, after all the lightweight music of the past weeks. Whoever had a sensibility for this march like music, could delight in the performance. Wagner simply has this ability to make something indefinable into something that can intoxicate you.’

Apart from that, Zomerdijk implicitly pleaded for an extra round including an orchestra finale, because he felt that such a round would have resulted in Yuko Tsuji winning the Great Prize. Her performance after the interval was proof of her intelligence in singing. The audience agreed, and awarded her with thunderous applause after her aria from Ponchielli’s La Gioconda. Robert Holl confirmed the expectations that his prize had raised:

‘Hard work had brought him where he was, and he was very efficient in Pimen’s tale from Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, and in Verdi’s Don Carlo . The East German Thomas Thomaschke appeared to be more experienced, although he sang with less spontaneity, and his technique was not always superior.’

Although Horiana Brănişteanu was worthy of the price, Zomerdijk thought her a bit nervous, which affected her security in the highest register, and she showed less dramatic instinct than he had expected on the grounds of her achievements in the competition. Wynford Evans’ achievements in the Gala Concert confirmed his fine technique, and his pleasant presence, although he still had to learn a lot in terms of captivating an audience by interpreting the music.’ (Hein Zomerdijk, Brabants Dagblad, September 1971)