Of gallantry and good humour
Amal Choucri Catta waxes nostalgic
Cairo Opera Orchestra Gala Concert: conductor Nader Abbassi; soloists: tenor Georges Wanis, soprano Dalia Farouk, pianist Mushira Issa; Cairo Opera House Main Hall, 26 February
The cool poise of a Strauss waltz was the perfect counterpoint to last week's soaring temperatures -- a refreshing prelude to the Cairo Opera Orchestra's monthly Gala Concert at the main hall. Opening vivaciously with Strauss Junior's most popular three-act operetta Die Fledermaus, originally premiered in Vienna in April 1874, the concert continued in the same vein. A charming comedy with a complicated plot, Die Fledermaus satirises the moral laxity of 19th-century Viennese society, and has been the delight of millions since it was made. The performers' adaptability was evident as they moved from the operetta's colourful introduction to Mein Herr Marquis, the renowned song in which Adele, the maid, disguised in one of her mistress's dresses, flirts with her employer, Eisenstein. Beautifully performed by soprano Dalia Farouk -- dressed in her own, exquisite gown, Farouk looked as stunning as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind -- the song brought back memories of a time when good humour was abundant and gallantry inherent. Despite her lovely voice Farouk, the prima donna of La Boheme, Rigoletto and Un ballo in maschera, among others, could have been more expressive in the first two arias -- something that suggests that the young singer does not come into her own until she performs within the framework of an opera.
The concert was an occasion for commemorating the centennial of Antonin Dvorak's death, and alluding, if only in passing, to that of Aram Khatshaturian's birth. The great Dvorak performed under Friedrich Smetana in the Prague National Theatre Orchestra before his own compositions proved successful. Of his operas the three-act Rusalka remains the most popular. A kind of Slavic equivalent of the German Undine, Rusalka is a water spirit who falls desperately in love with a handsome prince and, in order to consummate her love, assumes human form -- only to be driven back to the water world by the infidelity of her husband, who dies in her arms. Farouk excelled as the melancholy spirit, giving a passionate rendition of the celebrated Song to the Moon, perhaps the opera's loveliest aria. The programme's second star, Georges Wanis, sang Eduardo di Capua's famous O sole mio, climbing the tonal scales with expert ease, before plunging into Questa o quella from the first act of Verdi's Rigoletto. First tenor in Rigoletto, Don Pasquale, Tancredi and other important operas, Wanis is well on his way to glory. During the present concert his duets with Farouk -- Che gelida manina, Mi chiaman Mimi, O soave fanciulla -- were remarkable for their emotional focus and tonal delicacy, and they left the audience enraptured.
The second part of the concert was largely devoted to instrumental music, starting with Tchaikovsky's demanding piano concerto No.1, Opus 23, in B-flat minor. Soloist Mushira Issa proved up to the challenge, however, effortlessly communicating the tuneful luxury of this colourful music to the audience. Opening with fanfare, the first, tortuously long movement typifies Tchaikovsky's tendency to switch abruptly between emotional extremes. The two themes of the second movement progress with relative speed, giving way a final allegro reminiscent of a Ukranian folk song and closing with a fabulous Tuitti Fortissimi. Few composers are as popular as Tchaikovsky, and the audience's delighted response was testimony to this fact. The present concerto, it is worth mentioning, was originally dedicated to Nikolai Rubinstein, one of the best pianists of his day, who rashly declared it not only "unplayable" but downright "worthless". Refusing to go by Rubinstein's recommendations for an improvement, Tchaikovsky gave the music to Hans von Bulow, who premiered it in Boston in 1875. The concerto quickly became part of the virtuoso repertoire for pianists worldwide, where it has remains to this day.
Due to the complexity of the score Nader Abbassi found it somewhat difficult to create a harmonious relationship between soloist and orchestra, neither of whom were particularly helpful. A famed miracle worker, however, Abbassi managed to turn this pitfall into a triumph, extracting uproarious applause from the audience before he moved on to Khatchaturian's Nina's Waltz from the Masquerade Suite. A dark, mournful tune, it provided the concert with a brilliant denouement, giving the audience a taste of the work of this remarkable composer, famed principally for his ballets -- Gayaneh, Spartacus -- and violin and piano concertos. As this profoundly engaging concert came to a close one felt that all was not lost, nonetheless, for there is the celebration of Khatchaturian's centenary to look forward to. Taking place in April, the celebration will feature several performances of Gayaneh choreographed by Abdel-Moneim Kamel.
