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Easter Monday: Firework final with Vivica Genaux and Fabio Biondi!

Add date: Monday, 5 Arpil 2010

This was a truly joyful finale of the 7th edition of the Misteria Paschalia Festival and Easter. The great Fabio Biondi and his group Europa Galante, at the finale of the eight-day long celebration of music in Krakow prepared a sensational programme Pyrotechics, composed of the most beautiful and most virtuosic arias of Antonio Vivaldi. The star of the evening was the vocal artist of a phenomenal voice and beauty – Vivica Genaux.

In the year of the 20th anniversary of the famous Italian group, its charismatic leader – Fabio Biondi decided to perform the pieces of the composer at the Krakow festival, with which he feels most connected and from which he began his international career. Before the concert at the Krakow Philharmonic he admitted that his sentiment for Vivaldi is so great, because similarly to him, he spent half his life on composing (programmes of concerts), and the second half on playing the violin. He composed the programme of the concert Pyrotechics from the most spectacular arias from operas and historical dramas of the redhead priest, alternated by his concerts. Vivaldi used the human voice as the best instrument and was not afraid to compose completely complicated arias. He wrote them with superhuman capabilities of vocal castrates in mind. Biondi invited Vivica Genaux to this neck-breaking and difficult programme, famous for her unbelievable virtuosity, of which The New York Times wrote: “Her voice is just as enchanting as her beauty: however, not so much striking the bright top and might sweet low registers, as the coloraturas realised with the speed of a jackhammer, with the precision of a sniper, but at the same time with the clarity of the spring rain”. It is difficult to better describe the breath-taking abilities of the artist, which in combination with the great Europa Galante, elicited an amazing richness of emotions from Vivaldi’s arias.

Already the sole entrance of the artist, in a black and white creation, like from the red carpets of Hollywood, elicited murmurs of amazement. That what followed, was simply unbelievable! First we heard the aria Quell’usignuolo (This nightingale) form the drama Farnace of developed coloraturas, which long ago belonged to the iron repertoire of the famous castrate, Farinelli. The voice of Vivica Genaux imitated in it the song of a nightingale with uncountable trills and effective fiorituras, combined with a lyrical cantilena, and it was difficult to believe that man could make such miracles. We were able to admire the extraordinary timbre of this hot mezzo-soprano from cold Alaska and changes of registers overcome with unique lightness, in the aria Splender fra’l cieco orror (I’ll see, like my beautiful sun). The beautifully modelled coloraturas delighted in the aria Alma oppressa (The oppressed soul) from the opera La Fida Ninfa, in which he leading figure Licori rejects the courtship of the shepherd, Osmin. As it turned out later, the first part of the concert was only a warm-up, for what we saw in the second was probably the longest coloratura of all time, and surely the longest that Antonio Vivaldi composed. Already changed, equally beautiful to the previous, red dress of Genaux, suggested the hottest of emotions. In this part of the evening, the aria Come in vano il mare irato (Like rough sea in vain) bristled with difficulties, leaps and endless coloraturas, as well as the parts of Constance from the opera Gryzelda, full of ornaments and long trills.

Vivica Genaux’s singing proved that nothing is impossible, and Fabio Biondi, partnering her with great class and mastery, as well as his outstanding musicians from Europa Galante, played with smiles on their faces constantly. It was truly a pleasure to watch such hotheads in action, because this passion immediately spreads. Vivica Genaux and Biondi’s audience did not let them leave the stage for a long time. The heroes of the finale concert encored with arias from Vivaldi’s operas Adelaide and Bajazet. After this truly fireworks finale of the 7th edition of the Misteria Paschalis festival, they gave out autographs for a long time in the foyer of the philharmonic.

Ada Ginał, Przekrój