THE NEW ZEALAND OPERA SOCIETY

The finals of the 58th. Rotorua Competitions Society (Lockwood Aria) took place on Sunday 14th. November 2004.

As one has come to expect, this is as prestigious a singing competition as you can get. That it has a full orchestra to accompany the singers (The Auckland Philharmonia) immediately puts it in a class of its own. Even Australia's McDonald's Aria does not have an orchestra. An added luxury was the presence on the podium of the APO's Music Director Miguel Harth - Bedoya, a conductor who gave his singers every consideration.

Canterbury Opera has announced its season for 2005. Another Tosca is going to have to be good for ten public not to say" Oh! not another Tosca" It will also require three strong voices and a conductor who knows Puccini.
The same must go for the coupling of Suor Angelica and Pagliacci is interesting.

Jonathan Besser's chamber opera will be welcome.

leslie Austin

Despite my initial disappointment by the change of first night date the good officers of Canterbury Opera allowed me into the final dress rehearsal. This opera is a multiple success for the company. Reviews will already have appeared for the first night in the papers as well as on Concert FM.

Leslie Austin, President of the New Zealand Opera Society, looks back on the opera year to date.

I applaud Canterbury Opera for their A Little Night Music. To be honest I do not like Sondheim - for me his music is uninspiring and there are far too many words. This, though, was excellently cast.

Canterbury Opera's brave effort to bring off Verdi’s La Forza del destino did not work as well as it should have vocally, but I had no problem with the production apart from a few little stage details I could have done without. The orchestra as ever was lacking, and it was thanks to Brian Castles-Onion’s conducting that a number of things sounded better than they were.