Tafelmusik: Samuel Mariño on the Opera: Bologne & Mozart | Bologne: Overture from L’amant anonyme: Allegro presto; Concerto for violin, op. 3, no. 1: Adagio; Accomp & Aria “Enfin un foule importune” from L’amant anonyme, Act 2, sc 1; Mozart: Overture & Aria “Intendo amico rio” from Il re pastore; Marianne Martines: Overture in C Main: Andante ma non troppo; Mozart: Symphony 10 in G Main KV 74: Allegro; Accompagnato & Aria “Dove sono” from Le Nozze di Figaro; Salieri: Aria “Sento l’amico speme” from Semiramide; Salieri: Sinfonia from Armida; Gluck: Accompagnato “Berenice che fai” and Aria “Perché se tanti” from Antigono; Maria Antonia Walpurgis: Overture to Talestri; Gluck: “Che farè senza Euridice” from Orfeo ed Euridice; Walpurgis: Aria “Da me ti dividi” from Talestri, organized for cello & orchestra; Haydn: Accompagnato “Barbaro! E ardisci ancor” & Aria “Odio, furor” from Armida, Act 2. Might 23, 2025, Koerner Corridor. Repeated Might 24 & 25.
This previous weekend, Koerner Corridor resonated with the extremely stunning voice of Samuel Mariño, and Tafelmusik. A uncommon chook, Mariño sings within the highest vary of the classical voice class.
Following up on his wildly profitable 2023 Toronto debut with Tafelmusik, Mariño’s cautious musical alternatives illustrated his uncommon voice, with lesser-known classical orchestral works interspersed in between, exposing the viewers to composers who many could by no means heard of: Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George — a primary notable biracial musician of Western classical music — together with Marianne Martines and Maria Antonia Walpurgis, two uncommon feminine composers of the Classical interval.
The Music
It’s simple to pigeonhole such a novel voice as a curiosity. Nonetheless, Mariño’s unimaginable dedication in cultivating his personal place within the inflexible, conventional classical music scene has given him the candy reward of freedom — he was really being himself, from the primary word, to the 2 encores he added to this system: Voi che sapete from the Marriage of Figaro, and Alleluia from Exsultate Jubilate, each by Mozart.
Mariño’s third alternative, Glucks’ accompagnato “Berenice che fai” and aria “Perché, se tanti siete,” was particularly beautiful. In comparison with the well-known recording of Cecilia Bartoli, whose voice is famous with energy, Mariño’s voice shouldn’t be a loud one; nevertheless, with intelligent diction, sensible coloratura, and loads of exterior bodily emotional gestures, the shortage of quantity was hardly noticeable.
Tafelmusik
Tafelmusik had a fairly a problem on this program; a lot of the music was new, and the technical brilliance of Mariño required full-focus and dedication from everybody, particularly for the sophisticated coloraturas and accompagnato recitatives the place your complete orchestra wanted to be in actual sync with the singer. Tafel’s love for Mariño felt real, if a bit troublesome in spots. Maybe this program may have benefitted from having a conductor for readability and synchronicity, and a little bit delicate adjustment to the orchestral decisions — because the taking part in misplaced a little bit brilliance and consistency, noticeably within the later a part of this system .
An attention-grabbing distinction to Mariño was the cello solo adaptation of ‘Da me ti dividi’ from Walpurgis’ opera, Talestry. Keiran Campbell, positioned within the centre of the ensemble, was fantastic because the soloist, but the shortage of vowels, consonants, and specific human breath — so innate and pure to singers — introduced up the century-old query: may instrumental music be as expressive as vocal music? Does the absence of phrases give a wider alternative for the listener for emotional connection, or…? What occurs once we adapt from one to a different setting?
Encores
The 2 encores have been an awesome success, bringing the viewers to their ft every time. Voi che sapete, a beloved aria for Cherubino from Le Nozzi, is a notoriously troublesome pants function. As a ‘boy,’ Cherubino, often a mezzo, sings within the high vary of the voice, and negotiating the registral distinction could be tough, particularly for the softer dynamics. This has turn into a signature tune for him, wildly widespread from Mariño’s Decca recording ‘Sopranista’: Mariño is uniquely well-set for this aria, as his voice, which didn’t drop throughout puberty, continues to exist in that magical boyhood state.
The convenience and style of Mariño’s Alleluia was additionally fairly poignant — on this world the place gender expressions carry division and violence, how may anybody fault such magnificence, and for what legitimate causes? If we’re to consider in God, shouldn’t we additionally consider that God’s creations embrace everybody, particularly once we are offered with such magnificence, generously shared with no boundaries? Mariño mentioned that ‘…(he) merely needs to carry pleasure to others’ — and this can be a true reward that he did carry to us.
Past his sensible singing, Mariño confirmed his entire self as an artist; the boldness and pleasure of his freedom, to sing, and to be who he needs to be, away from the social conventions and expectations, is gorgeous to witness. From the alternatives of live performance apparel — his love for classic jewellery is well-known: the ‘grandma brooch’ on the cream-lilac go well with he wore for the second half particularly suited him — to the straightforward method that he connects along with his viewers, this intimate night was an awesome success, making it troublesome to think about why, or how, anybody could possibly be towards such joyful human expression.
With nice pleasure, I await his return to Toronto already. At age 31, Mariño is simply reaching his full potential, and his exuberance and sense of freedom is infectious. An ideal legacy is being made right here.
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Cecilia tumbled into ‘critical’ music examine when she determined to keep away from attending medical college. At the moment working within the discipline of classical music, recording, and Korean-English interpretation, she tends to get her nostril soiled in many alternative issues within the metropolis. Cecilia holds a DMA in Piano Efficiency from the College of Nebraska-Lincoln.
