What is it about tenors? On a previous visit to the National Concert Hall, Gegam Grigorian ended Canio's lament from Pagliacci with a restraint that was considerably more effective then the histrionics he indulged in last Thursday evening.
The Armenian has an opulent voice with a warm baritonal colouring that stretches right up to a ringing top. It's perfect for Verdi's Otello, as he demonstrated in authoritative performances of the Act I love duet and the death scene from that opera. But elsewhere, in pieces from Tosca and Butterfly, his cavalier treatment of note values and pulling-about of rhythm left one regretting so many missed opportunities.
By contrast, Romanian soprano Mariana Colpos is strong in matters of phrasing and rhythm.
After a solid, trill-less Jewel song from Faust, she went on to traverse the wide phrases of Bellini's Norma, Puccini's Butterfly and a couple of heroines from Verdi's Il trovatore and Un ballo in maschera with aplomb.
As on previous occasions when she sang here, she came off most of her climactic high notes a little too soon. In general, though, her vibrant tones, strong sense of theatre and commanding presence had all the assets of a true prima donna, in the best sense of that term.
The Limerick Voices, directed by Colette Davis, backed the soloists with strong attack and an enthusiasm, especially from the dominant soprano and tenor sections, that sometimes pushed their tone to the edge of rawness.
They were more disciplined in a well-balanced rendering of the choral lament from Donizetti's Maria Stuarda. Accompanist Brenda Hurley supported soloists and chorus with an ability to transcend the limitations of the piano reductions.