Turkey Istanbul Music Competition [4] – Rossini: Claudia Pavone (soprano), Tamar Ugrekhelidze (mezzo-soprano), Juan Francisco Gatell (tenor), Nahuel Di Pierro (bass-baritone), Slovak Philharmonic Refrain (chorusmaster: Jan Rozehnal), Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra / Carlo Tenan (conductor), Atatürk Cultural Centre, Istanbul, 26.6.2025. (GT)
Rossini – Petite Messe Solennelle
To shut the Istanbul Music Competition with a choral masterpiece is admirable, but Rossini’s ultimate work is never chosen for such an event, taking into account the broader recognition of Mozart’s Requiem, the Verdi Requiem or Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Nevertheless, the Petite Messe Solennelle is a piece worthy of wider recognition, and performances by top notch musicians can guarantee us that Rossini prolonged his genius properly past his operatic comedies; it has many splendid qualities with impressed solo passages for the 4 soloists, and the writing for each refrain and orchestra reveals a composer on the peak of his powers.
In closing the Istanbul Music Competition, it’s value noting that there’s a reference to Turkey as this overview of the premiere in La Pays reveals: ‘a spiritual piece, carried out at 10:00 at night time in entrance of an viewers of girls dressed to the nines, to inaugurate the mansion of a Protestant patrician, earlier than the Papal nuncio, who spoke with goodly courtesy to the Ambassador from Turkey, whereas a Jewish artist [Jules Cohen] directed the orchestra.’
The venue for the closing live performance may hardly be extra appropriate because the corridor accommodates each orchestral live shows and opera and ballet. The Atatürk Cultural Centre is among the best buildings of its form. Opened in 2021, the surface appears like some other trendy construction with its glass home windows wanting onto Taksim Sq., but when one enters, one sees a fantastic cherry crimson globe inside which is the inside of the live performance corridor. Coming into by way of a passageway, the doorway into the corridor is like some other with sloping seating to the stage permitting unimpeded sight of the orchestra and performers. The acoustic image is superb with each slightest sound heard clearly.
There are two higher ranges giving an viewers capability of 2040 guests. The venue additionally comprises a small theatre for 802 individuals, and there’s a gallery, library, cinema, kids’s centre, recording studio, and design centre. There are additionally outlets, eating places and cafes within the surroundings of the Atatürk Centre. The constructing is predicated on the previous website of the Opera Theatre, which was destroyed by hearth in 1970, and development of the brand new constructing took solely two years.
The Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic is a high class ensemble, a high quality which was evident after I heard them on their go to to Edinburgh earlier this 12 months (overview right here), they’re all regionally born and led by an impressive conductor in Carlo Tenan. Each division of the orchestra is fashioned of extremely gifted professionals, and the strings have an excellent harmonic atmosphere which distinguishes them from many different orchestras. The woodwind is superb with particularly high quality bassoon and clarinet gamers, and the brass group are excellent, and the timpanist is superb. The Slovak Philharmonic Refrain is among the many best in Europe and have a large repertoire and has world class requirements of singing.
The opening of the ‘Kyrie’ was equally emotive on the low strings, and ever so softly, the refrain started singing ‘Christe eleison’ creating a way of expectancy earlier than the orchestra entered. Within the ‘Et in terra pax’, the 4 soloists had been heavenly, with the magnificent bass of Nahuel Di Piero displaying nice mastery, the soprano of Claudia Pavone was lyrically wealthy in her intonation. One of many highlights had been the 2 harps positioned on both facet of the stage, intoning lovely harmonies in accompanying the 2 sopranos within the ‘Qui tollis peccata mundi.’ The symphonic interlude following was terse and vivid earlier than the Argentinian Di Pierro in ‘Quoniam tu solus sanctus’ introduced nice vocal energy and the Aristocracy in opposition to the beautiful string taking part in and effervescent woodwind.
The passage for acappella refrain within the ‘Sanctus and Benediction’ was intensely highly effective in emotive energy. This was the main focus of the whole efficiency and revealed the nice artistry of this refrain, whereas the taking part in of the woodwind – particularly the virtuosity of the clarinets and bassoons was a serious spotlight. The ‘Agnus Dei’ with the ultimate refrain, and the prolonged solo for the alto of Tamar Ugrekhelidze was breathtaking in its magnificence, and to her credit score the Georgian singer ensured that she sufficient vitality and vocal powers for this ultimate passage through which the ‘Agnus Dei ‘is sung thrice in the identical melody, however in several concord, and shutting on E main. Because the composer wrote as he was writing the work, ‘So blessed be thou, and grant me Paradise.’ Rossini’s work, unpretentious as it might seem has an exquisite readability in its voicing of each orchestral and vocal expression and displays on this composer’s mastery of invention regardless of a thirty-fours hole following his final opera William Inform. This was a triumphant finale to this nice Istanbul Competition and the appreciation by the packed live performance corridor was overwhelming of their gratitude to the efficiency.
Gregor Tassie
Featured Picture: Atatürk Cultural Centre © Mühenna Kahveci
