A gala is often a large-scale event, but this Opera Gala was performed by just three artists, soprano Cathy-Di Zhang, mezzo-soprano Helen Sherman and pianist Thomas Victor Johnson. It was curated and presented by Ana de la Vega, the Artistic Director of Canberra’s relatively new, exceptionally well designed Snow Concert Hall.

Thomas Victor Johnson, Helen Sherman and Cathy-Dio Zhang in the Opera Gala at Snow Concert Hall. Photo © Dalice Trost

The program consisted of arias and duets from a range of operas including Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, La clemenza di Tito and Così fan tutte, Bizet’s Carmen, Dvořák’s Rusalka, Bellini’s Norma and Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann. In addition, the aria from Madama Butterfly was preceded by a short solo by the pianist, who played the Prelude to Act III of the opera.

While Sherman and Zhang both sang beautifully throughout the evening, two items stood out. Zhang gave a moving rendition of Un bel di vedremo from Madamaa Butterfly. There was no extravagant acting as she sang, just a feeling of hope for the return of the man she loved, US Naval Officer Lieutenant Pinkerton – which we know will not happen. It was an extremely poignant performance.

Secondly, I enjoyed the duet from Norma in which two female characters, Norma and Adalgisa, interact when Norma learns she has been betrayed by her lover. Pledging solidarity with each other, there was a strong connection between the two singers, which drew me into the story very easily.

I was also impressed with the work of Johnson on the piano. From his approach to the music of the first aria, Una voce poco fa from The Barber of Seville, to the final moments of the gala, his expressive playing filled the auditorium and added beautifully to the unfolding of the singing. He wasn’t simply an accompanist but a thrilling part of every aria and duet.

For those who were not familiar with the specific narratives that surrounded the arias and duets, Zhang and Sherman took turns in outlining the role played in each opera before performing each musical number. There was also a lovely moment following one of the arias from Così fan tutte when Zhang explained why Mozart had given the aria such a wide pitch range. It had to do with Mozart’s interest in the way the singer, for whom the aria was originally created, moved her head in relation to varying sound. The audience loved the story!

Over the four or so years of its existence, the Snow Concert Hall, with its excellent acoustic properties, has become an exceptional Canberra performing venue. I can only congratulate Ana de la Vega for her magnificent ongoing curatorship, with this Opera Gala more than a worthy item.