"...was a revelation as virtually none of this music has ever been heard in Singapore, no dull moments" – The Straits Times

Step into the captivating world of opera with the “OPERA 101 concert series”, proudly presented by Lirica Arts and join us in a mesmerizing journey through the rich tapestry of Western opera, designed to ignite curiosity and deepen your appreciation for this timeless art form.

Following last year’s immensely popular, sell-out show Puccini - A Life in 7 Women, this third instalment - Queens and Divas of the Bel Canto - has curator Shridar Mani exploring the operas of the "bel canto" style. Originating in the early 19th century bel canto marked one of the biggest revolutions in Italian opera with paradigm shifts that changed the genre, setting the stage for what would become the standard repertory of the operatic canon today.

The Italian bel canto style is characterised by sublime melodies combined with treacherously challenging vocal pyrotechnics, and is mostly associated with the operas of the triumvirate of Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini. This period witnessed the incredible transformation of the nature of female voices on the opera stage, giving rise to the role of the “DIVA”. In this appreciation series, we will explore the changing roles of women on the operatic stage, mapped out through the work of four legendary singers who would come to define the term 'diva' for generations to come: Maria Malibran, Giuditta Pasta, Giulia Grisi and Pauline Viardot.

The performance-lecture will be cur-ated by Shridar Mani with invited bel canto exponents: sopranos Serine de Labaume (FRA/USA) and Renata Hann (ROK); mezzosoprano Samantha Chong (HK); and baritone Martin Ng (SG), accompanied by Samuel King on the piano.

Programme

Meyerbeer: Il crociato in Egitto

Oh tu divina Fe (Armando)

Donizetti: Anna Bolena

Duet: Dio che mi vedi in Core (Anna - Giovanna)

Bellini: Norma

Casta Diva (Norma)

Mira o Norma (Norma - Adalgisa)

Bellini: I puritani

Mad scene – Qui la voce (Elvira)

Donizetti: Don Pasquale

Pronto io son (Norina - Malatesta)

Rossini: Otello

Assisa a'pie d'un salice (Desdemona)

Donizetti: Maria Stuarda

Act 1 Finale: Qual loco e questo

Donizetti: La Favorita

O mio Fernando (Leonora)