From Wagner’s “Twilight of the Gods” to Mozart’s “Abduction from the Seraglio”, Richard Davies finds much to praise at the Opera Foundry’s one off evening of German opera
Opera Foundry’s latest evening of opera – this time on a German theme - at the Richmond Unitarian Church lived up to the usual high standards of this commendable arts charity.
Based in Surrey, Opera Foundry exists to mentor and coach rising opera talents, giving them the opportunity to perform challenging works and gain extra confidence to audition for roles with more established companies. It is run by experienced conductor and former ENO tenor Richard Cartmale and Sarah Quantrell, an accomplished pianist and “repetiteur”.
The evening featured extracts from a range of German operas, from the well-known Mozart, Wagner and Richard Strauss to the lesser-known Humperdinck and Flotow.
I particularly enjoyed the show's opening, a joyful duet from The Magic Flute with Soprano Camilla Jeppeson’s soaring high notes blending beautifully with the rich baritone of Barnaby Beer.
From Weber’s Oberon, South African Mezzo Soprano Liezel Brinck-McCulloch gave a delightful performance of Fatime’s aria, while tenor Matthew Connolly demonstrated his fine vibrato in the Huon aria.
Soprano Camilla Foster-Mitchell delivered a stunning performance of “Mir ist so wunderbar” from Beethoven’s Fidelio. A “one-woman wall of sound”, her powerful voice somewhat drowned out David Padua’s gentle tenor in Flotow’s Martha, while Mezzo Soprano Urszula Block delighted with her characteristically animated performance.
Finally a mention for two wonderful south americans: Brazilian baritone Andre Andrade who’s a bit of a dead ringer for Rafa Nadal and Panamanian Bass-Baritone Derek S Henderson, a big bear of a man with a deep rich voice that sets the furniture vibrating.
Opera Foundry is without doubt one of Surrey’s secret treasures. Seasoned opera lovers and curious neophytes will both find much to enjoy and should definitely look out for future performances in either Richmond or Guildford.
- To keep abreast of future performances by the Opera Foundry visit opera-foundry.com
Check out Theatre/Arts Section for more great local thespian news, reviews and interviews
You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on our latest articles
Sign up to our Weekly Newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and stories
Looking to advertise your business in Surrey or SW London? Check out our 11 different lifestyle magazines with a combined monthly distribution of over 210,000
