True to its title, the Amadeus Chamber Ensemble’s “Mozart! An Operatic Feast” delivered on its promise of being anything but a one-course meal. For nearly two hours, the near-capacity audience for Sunday evening’s presentation in the Cathedral Concert Series at Sacred Heart Cathedral dined on a varied menu of fifteen selections from Mozart operas—some familiar choices and some rarely performed gems. This nicely curated group of selected works covered the 21-year time period from 1770 to 1791—from Mozart as teenager of 14 to the year of the composer’s early death at the age of 35. Serving up this feast was a beautifully balanced quintet of soloists: sopranos Maria Brea and Jacqueline Brecheen; mezzo-soprano Kara Cornell; tenor Kirk Dougherty; and baritone Aaron Keeney. The Amadeus Chamber Ensemble Orchestra and Chorus were under the direction of Maestro Brian Salesky.
That earliest work from 1770 was “Al destin che la minaccia” from Mitridate, re di Ponto”, dating from the period when the teenage Mozart was in Italy. Ms. Brea made lovely work out of this Act I aria by the character of Aspasia. Her beautiful “Lamerò, sarò costante” from Il re pastore (The Shepherd King), K. 208, featured the violin solo accompaniment by ACE concertmaster Miroslav Hristov. Her final selection was a stunning “Martern aller Arten” from Die Entführing aus dem Serail (Abduction from the Seraglio).
Another of the concert’s operatic gems was from Zaide, begun as Das Serail, but abandoned and left unfinished by Mozart in 1780. The singspiel was represented by the startlingly beautiful “Ruhe sanft”, sung here by Ms. Brecheen, capturing a gorgeous sweet-sadness and eliciting some well-deserved bravas from the charmed audience.
Mr. Keeney’s baritone was the source for several highlights on the concert. One was “Con un vezzo all’Italiana” from La finta giardiniera (The Pretend Garden-Girl), in which he takes the character of Nardo and attempts to woo a chambermaid, first in Italian, then in French, and finally in English. Keeney’s rich and agile voice really made the chicanery and comedy work, even in a concert setting. Predictably notable, too, was his “Fin ch’han dal vino” from Don Giovanni.
Tenor Kirk Daugherty, known by local audiences from his appearances with Knoxville Opera, had a number of solo opportunities, including a marvelous “Dies Bildnis” from Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute).
Ms. Cornell took on one of the gems from Mozart’s youth, “L’ombra de’ rami tuoi” from Ascanio in Alba, supplying it with sparkle and drama. Another highlight for Cornell was the touching and entertaining trio “Soave sia il vento” from Cosi fan tutte along with Brecheen and Keeney.
The solid chorus was not forgotten—the 14 member ensemble did a couple of selections from La Clemenza di Tito.
The concert conclusion was an appropriate one with the company taking the finale to Le Nozze de Figaro, one of the most poignant yet exuberant finales in all of opera.
If you missed this rewarding concert, or even if you attended and would like to enjoy it again up close, the concert was live-streamed and recorded—and available free on the Cathedral website and YouTube channel. This option is particularly recommended if you are able to view it on an adequate-sized screen and with good sound quality.
Cathedral YouTube Channel: Click on the “6:00 PM Cathedral Concert Series”
