This wonderful short lunchtime concert was the third in the Concourse’s Live at Lunch series, and had the theme of ‘love’. Featuring one of Opera Australia’s brightest opera and musical comedy stars, Taryn Fiebig (soprano) with renowned flautist Jane Rutter, and with Christopher Cartner on piano, a delightful selection of romantic, classical and popular operatic hits for flute, soprano and piano were played.
The wonderful trio had much fun and obviously enjoyed themselves hugely, as did the small but very appreciative audience, who ranged from tiny, doll-like, sleeping babies to struggling pensioners with walkers. (There were a lot more of those!)
Rutter wore a black sparkly dress with a feathery boa neckline and Fiebig an off the shoulder white Grecian style gown with a ruffle. Cartner accompanied on piano, rippling and sparkling excellently.
It was a terrific performance, showing both the powerful melancholy side of love (e.g. Russalka’s ‘Song to the Moon’) as dramatically, passionately sung by Fiebig and the funny side (‘The Boy From’ in Sondheim’s witty tongue twister.)
The second piece, ‘Plaisir d’Amour’ was also quite lyrical, yet melancholy. This mood continued later with ‘Belle Nuit’, remembering past lost love. The haunting, lyrical side of love was seen in the exquisite, elegiac flute and piano duet ‘Mon Coeur s’ouvre a ta voix’ adadpted from St Saens’ Samson et Delila; it ravished the senses.
We also saw love’s whirlwind joyous exuberance with Fiebig as Eliza from My Fair Lady expostulating that she ‘could have danced all night’.
Proud, passionate, fiery Latin love (paso doble and staccato toreador stamps anyone?) and love of one’s country was exemplified by ‘Grenada’ with us imagining Rutter as Pavarotti and Fiebig as Domingo. There was also an earlier, jaunty, Carmen-ish sounding like piece where Rutter made the flute purr. (‘Il Bacio’ I think).
‘La Vie En Rose’ was given a very refined, rather wistful, operatic performance – no dark Piaf like earthiness here!
Due to public demand the delightful show ended with the audience joining in a rollicking version of the Brindisi from Verdi’s ‘La Traviata’ as an encore.
Ahh… l’amour.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
PS I Love You
Taryn Fiebig – soprano
Jane Rutter – flute
Christopher Cartner – piano
The Concourse, Chatswood
19 June
