Primrose: Inimitable diva in all-Wagner selections / Fukumura to conduct PPO

To mark the birth centennial of German composer Richard Wagner, an all-Wagner concert featured Australia’s most outstanding Wagnerian soprano Claire Primrose with the Manila Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Russian conductor Alexander Vikulov at the Philamlife Auditorium last Saturday.

As far as I can remember, the Wagnerian concert was the first such presentation — a significant slice of Wagner’s innovative music dramas defying traditional operas. The reason for the paucity of the selections interpreted may have owed to the forbidding length and intensity of his operas — these lasting from four to six hours ‑ and consequently, of his arias likewise, wrenching and nerve-wracking in the extreme. Had there been more numbers, they would have exhausted both the audience and the performers.

The program that night consisted of Vorspiel from “Die Meistersinger von Nurmberg”/Elisabeth’s Aria from “Tannhauser”/Prelude and Liebestod from “Tristan and Isolde”/Wintersturme from “Die Walkure”/Introduction to Act 3 from “Die Meistersinger” and Immolation Scene from “Gotterdammerung”. An English translation was flashed on the screen for greater appeal.

While Primrose sang, each aria gained consistently in atmosphere, credence and momentum, magnetizing the listeners with its fiery intensity. Dressed appropriately in a glittering black gown for the lachrymose arias, she would wring her hands or clasp them tightly as Isolde giving over her lifeless Tristan, or as Brunhilde despondent over her fallen Siegfried.

With her sumptuous, puissant voice — dark and rich — her firmly sustained top notes rose and floated above the orchestra. While in the grip of despair, her dramatic climaxes reaching magnificent heights, she was arguably inimitable.

In my experience, the only Wagnerian soprano who may have slightly surpassed Primrose vocally was the Swedish Birgit Nilsson whom I heard in New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. Her thunderous voice, the timber even through all the registers, had a shattering impact, seemingly piercing the walls — such was its power, sonority and resonance!

For her part, Primrose infused the profoundest meaning and rousing, nerve-tingling realism into her interpretations. She being excellent both as actress and singer, her communication was complete. Total.

Tenor Randy Gilongo was in fine fettle, his voice clear, full, expressive and eloquent. He was apparently conversant with the underlying drastic form and substance of Wagner’s music dramas. There was pleasing rapport between him as Siegmund and Primrose as Sieglinde in Wintersturme from “Die Walkure”. But his voice, in power and volume, did not quite match that of the Australian soprano. Nevertheless, in the over-all rating, he held his own.

The MSO, consisting of very young members playing under the baton of Vikulov, gave vivid and energetic interpretation to Wagner’s score, its dramatic as much as its musical content receiving driving, indeed, blazing emphasis.

Doubtless, Primrose was the evening’s star. Her prodigious technique which produced fascinating nuances and tonal colors, her grand manner, which maintained a dignified air through grief and dismay, were astonishing indeed.

Overwhelmed, the audience, conveying its admiration for her superlative performance, gave her a standing ovation, noisily clamoring for an encore which, understandably, it did not get.

Among the concert sponsors were the Australian embassy, Manila Hotel, Qantas Airlines, Business World and Lyric Piano.

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Celebrated Japanese conductor Yoshikazu Fukumura will wield the baton over the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra on Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. in the CCP main theater.

The program will consist of Delius’ Irmelin Prelude, Kodaly’s Dances of Galanta and Brahms’ Symphony No. 2.

Renato Lucas, who has retired as PPO’s eminent principal cellist, will play at the concert.