This was the sixth Neue Stimmen that I have been involved
with. I started out in 1999. And it was by far the closest
contest. On each previous occasion the
first three places were really clear with the remainder some way behind and
quite easily separated.
We the jury came out at the intermission of the Finals
Concert on Saturday evening unanimous that this was too close to call - and
could we not just have 6 first prize winners?!
Well that would have been a cop out of course! But I think it illustrated the situation that
we found ourselves in very clearly.
So we set our minds during the second half to trying to get
a good order for the winners. And there
emerged a clear advantage for Eunju Kwon; she had led in all the previous
rounds and continued to astonish both public and jury with her special
magic. This was the young Korean I heard
in Dusseldorf in June about whom I wrote in my post of June 25. She is studying with Rudolph Piernay in
Mannheim.
When we came to the next five places there was a difference
of opinion, but these were ones of tiny subtle shading so we ended up with five
singers whose scores were separated by slivers. But we had to get the first
three decided if only because of the significant difference in the prize money!
In the end the first three places went to Korean
singers. And I think that this may need
some explanation. It has certainly not
happened before. The fact is that each
of these three young people possessed voices of unusual beauty. This alone set them apart. They also displayed a remarkable grasp of the
various languages they need to sing in.
Not least English – and that is a challenge even for the English! And above all they each had the power to
move. I think that each have some way to
go before becoming fully finished artists.
But they are all very young – and they have already demonstrated a
magnetic appeal.
Pavel Kolgatin, the 22 year old Russian, won the audience prize
at the semi-finals. So he also showed
that there is an indefinable something that comes into play in these
circumstances. He sang extremely well
but there was clearly more than that. A
kind of magic for sure.
There were two other exceptionally accomplished singers in
this group, the Canadian Andriana Chuchman and the Israeli Rachel Frankel. They are not “works in progress” at all. They are both completely polished
accomplished singers who would adorn the rosters of the best companies. And indeed they do that already, for Frankel
is a member of the Berlin Staatsoper Studio, and Chuchman is in the Ryan Center
at Chicago’s Lyric Opera.
The seventh place went to the splendid Russian Mikhail
Korobeynikov. He is a fabulous bass
baritone who started with a terrific La calunnia from Rossini’s Barbiere. It was a performance owing something perhaps
to that from someone like Ruggero Raimondi.
But he then had to deal with Verdi’s Banquo. And this revealed a slightly less favorable
comparison with Burak Bilgili who won the 2001 first place with the same aria.
And what about the others?
Well we had some other wonderful people in the semifinals as well as
those who did not make it to the final..
No shame about that. The semi
finalist Narine Yeghiyan, a beautiful Armenian soprano, was so impressive that
she received a fantastic consolation in gaining admittance to the Berlin
Staatsoper studio with a scholarship from the Liz Mohn Foundation. The
Argentine mezzo Mariana Carnovali, the Russian/Italian soprano Anna Princeva, the
South African Luthando Qave, and the Swedish tenor Daniel Johansson were all impressive. The gorgeous soprano voice of Princeva won us
over in Bellini in the preliminary round.
In the semi final she had to contend with Mozart’s Konstanze – a huge
challenge and maybe an unfair one. But
she is certainly someone to watch.
And what of those who did not get past the first round last
week? Thirty nine were selected from a
thousand. Twelve made it to the last two
stages. So twenty seven already elite singers
were left behind.
Non qualifiers included the irresistibly delightful Georgian
soprano Sofia Gordeladze, the Ukrainian 20 year old baritone Iurii Samoilov, the
New Zealander bass Wade Kernot, a lovely Russian soprano Gelena Gaskarova, the
Polish mezzo with stunning blue eyes Barbara Majewska, and an Irish American
soprano from Vienna Ariana Strahl. These
were all big personalities who are clearly going to be winners one way or
another. Kernot has a contract with the
St Gallen Opera – a really first class opportunity for him. And there was also a remarkable Turkish
coloratura soprano, Cigdem Soyarslan. So
these are some names to look out for.
Two COT company members also made an impression, the Columbian
soprano Catalina Cuervo and the baritone John Chest. Cuervo was mightily impressive and was much
liked and unlucky not to get to the semis.
Chest is already on his way and at the beginning of his first year at
the Bavarian State Opera’s studio. But
he is only 24.
The week brought some wonderful opportunities to get
together with old friends and colleagues – notably fellow jury members Evamaria
Wieser and Anja Silja. Dominique Meyer
assumed the Chairmanship of the jury in succession to Gerard Mortier and, with
his own gentle diplomatic style, worked wonders in sometimes tricky
circumstances.
Our wonderful colleague Jutta Ohlsson from Buenos Aires celebrated
her tenth anniversary with Neue Stimmen, as did I. You see us here looking
rather solemn at the Saturday press conference.
Most of the time we were laughing and enjoying ourselves!
Ines Koring, the amazingly efficient manager of the Neue
Stimmen project worked miracles with her remarkable team. She and they are indispensable.
And above all we must pay tribute to Liz Mohn, the guiding
spirit behind Neue Stimmmen, who continued to inspire us all and is a living
testament to the values of her late husband Reinhard Mohn, creator of the
Bertelsmann empire, who died as recently as October 3 this year. Without these two remarkable people this
would never have happened.
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