It was concluded, al Mario del Monaco Municipal Theatre of Treviso, the 51st Toti Dal Monte International Opera Competition, definitively scheduled every two years. The competition, inaugurated in 1969 by Antonio Mazzarolli and with the precious support of Toti Dal Monte, a world-renowned soprano, has rewarded many artists over the years who have subsequently established themselves on the global opera scene. One of the main characteristics of the competition is the prize: it is not a mere financial recognition but a much more interesting role in a chosen work. In this edition it’s up to Die Zauberflöte (The magic Flute) by Mozart, a score selected only on one other occasion, by Peter Maag’s will, just thirty years ago, when, among others, Darina Takova and Eldar Aliev stood out.
The jury gathered in Treviso on this occasion proposes names often present in the commissions of some of the most important Italian opera competitions: among these we note the president Christoph Seuferledirector of the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, e Renate H. Kupfer, operates casting consulting. At their side there are two musicians with proven experience, such as the bass Roberto Scandiuzzi and the conductor Giuliano Carellaand the three representatives of the co-producing bodies of the competition work, Edoardo Bottacinartistic director of the Teatro Sociale of Rovigo, Federico Faggionartistic director of the opera season of the Teatro Verdi in Padua, e Stefano Canazzaartistic director of the opera and concert season of the Mario Del Monaco Theatre.
From the three initial tests, the pre-selection with video online, the preliminary round and the semi-final in person, behind closed doors, sixteen entries were selected, among 167 candidates from thirty-one countries. But, as stated in the twelfth article of the announcement (“The jury may not proclaim winners for one or more of the roles in the competition”), there is no obligation to award one or more prizes. And this is exactly what happened in Treviso where only six of the ten roles expected were selected. Probably the most interesting voice of the final is that of the thirty-year-old Korean tenor Kim Hyunjung who rightly won the role of Tamino. The young artist’s vocal skills, consisting of careful breath control, always calibrated emissions, varied phrasing, are appreciated as much as his valid stage presence. The female performers are also interesting: the twenty-four year old Spaniard Aitana Sanzchosen for the part of Pamina, capable of capturing the main characteristics of the young woman loved by Tamino, the Italian peer Anna Francesca Battagliawho will be entrusted with the role of Papagena who, from the Treviso interpretation, seemed particularly congenial to her and the three ladies, assigned respectively to the twenty-one year old from Vicenza Vittoria Brugnolo (first lady), to the twenty-seven year old Ukrainian Daiana Aksamit (second lady) and the thirty-one year old from Crema Eleonora Filipponi (third lady). It was decided, not entirely rightly, to exclude the twenty-seven-year-old baritone from the awards ceremony Pasquale Greco, despite his convincing performance as Papageno. Many other candidates were excluded: the twenty-nine year old Massimo Frigatorunning for Tamino, the thirty-two year old Korean Kim So Ryall three interpreters of the Queen of the Night, the twenty-five year old Moldavian, presented themselves for Pamina Alexandra Procopovicithe twenty-nine year old Italian Angelica Disanto and the thirty-four year old Japanese girl Inoue Shikithe second Papageno in the competition, the German baritone Gabriel Mario Goebelthe twenty-year-old Italian Benedetta Grassoin the final for Papagena, the bass Alessandro Ravasioa thirty-five-year-old Italian, the only interpreter of Sarastro, and the thirty-three-year-old Korean tenor Chanyoung Kimonly candidate for Monostatos.
In addition to the roles for the opera production in the three Venetian provinces, three other prizes were up for grabs. In detail: the scholarship of 1,500 euros offered by the Municipality of Pieve di Soligo to the youngest deserving soprano to emerge from the Competition, awarded to Caterina Trevisan; the “Talento per il futuro” scholarship, of the same amount, from the Municipality of Mogliano Veneto, in collaboration with Amici della Musica Toti Dal Monte, went to the bass Alexander Dimitrov; to the already mentioned Massimo Frigato And I know Ry Kim The prize concert dedicated to the tenor Gastone Limarilli was awarded, offered by the City of Montebelluna, which will take place on Sunday 23 June in the MeVe park, the Venetian Memorial of the Great War. Deserves a mention for the work carried out, with precision and attention to the tests of the individual candidates, theVenetian Philharmonic Regional Orchestra under the guidance of Massimo Raccanelli. The evening was diligently conducted by the Rai journalist Maria Pia Zorzi.
The large audience who flocked to the Teatro Comunale of Treviso showed their appreciation for the young artists and did not spare loud comments, sometimes of approval, sometimes of dissent towards the choices of the commission.
Treviso, 18 May 2024
