Aida Pascu (Soprano), ICMA Young Artist 2024 award winner.

Gabriel Gîțan (piano).

The simplicity and drama of the voice

Opera is a dramatic extravaganza: love, betrayal and tragedy set against intense vibratos. Romanian soprano Aida Pascu reveals another side, “…this is a very lonely world… You go home, and you’re alone most of the time. Even if you’re married, you have a family. You’re alone. You’re on your own.” This stillness is captured in Tranquillo ei posa… Com'è bello from Donizett’s Lucrezia. A rare moment of lyrical calm and peace in an otherwise tumultuous and dark story, this aria presents a quiet moment of appreciation that individual introspection can offer.

Individual introspection can also reveal vulnerabilities. In the aria Dis-moi que je suis belle, the eponymous character, Thaïs, implores for an affirmation of her beauty. Massenet effectively uses melodic repetition until we can feel Thaïs tugging on our arms, pleading for validation as she grapples with the idea that to be loved and valued in society, she must be beautiful.

Brahms’ Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2, written towards the end of his life, provides a brief instrumental meditation before the stage gives way to a well-known operatic heavyweight: Puccini’s Sì, mi chiamano Mimì from La Bohème. This is the 19th century version of a meet-cute: the love interest, Rodolfo, opens the door of his apartment to Mimi, who wants to borrow a matchstick. She introduces herself singing, “Yes, they call me Mimi” and describes her peaceful life as a seamstress. It is a rare moment of simplicity in opera, as she shows a sincere humbleness in her appreciation of everyday beauty.

Replacing simplicity for existential longing, we continue with the first of George Enescu’s three melodies, Le desert. Enescu paints a graphic picture of an empty landscape through the use of wide intervals, while an ambiguous tonal landscape is supported by arpeggiated figures in the piano, reflecting inner turmoil. It is an inner turmoil that is quickly resolved in the second piece, C’est l’extase, which expresses the intensity of a fervent love. The final melody, Chanson de la mort, reflects on mortality, with long sustained notes and descending sequences.

Halting the descent into existentialism is Albéniz’s Suite Española No. 1 Op. 47: IV. Cádiz. This is a vibrant piece that whistles the charming character of the Spanish city of Cádiz with its dance-like feel and playful melodies. The programme concludes with Fernando Obradors’ Canciones clásicas españolas. Drawing on traditional Spanish folk songs, we see a cultural richness married with the lyrical expressiveness of our previous arias.

Programme notes by Malika Jumbe.