Maria Padilla

By Gaetano Donizetti

Wexford Opera House, November 1

The final night of the Wexford Festival Opera almost turned into s ob Sunday. Retiring chairman Paul Hennessy was choking back tears and artistic director David Agnew was borderline as well.

But there was no holding back by American soprano Barbara Quintiliani who, following a spontaneous standing ovation, opened the sluice gates proper. All this emotion was triggered by a production of Maria Padilla - a story about love, betrayal and tribal hatred in 16th century Spain. Here, though, it was given a modern makeover of sometimes confusing oddities.

The opera itself is strong stuff and probably just a single ‘killer’ aria short of regular repertoire. The plot embraces a number of terrific singing roles that were well serviced here by an impressive squad.

Quintiliani as Maria Padilla soared spectacularly time after time, but her acting was sometimes static.

However, she delivered splendidly on the vocal pyrotechnics - some of a terrifying nature. Donizetti did not spare his leading ladies and the delectable Ketevan Kemoklidze, a recent graduate of the La Scala Milan academy, also provided many fine scenes.

The male favourite was undoubtedly Adriano Graziani (Don Ruiz), an Italian tenor from the Gigli mould. But the other leads also produced quality goods.

This production was not without flaws, but ultimately the Wexford audience responded generously to what it truly believes in, and demands: top-class singing. In that, it was not disappointed.

Orchestra of St Cecilia

Beethoven symphonies Nos 3 and 4

NCH, Dublin, Oct 2 This concert in the Orchestra of St Cecilia’s Great Conductors: Great Symphonies series was as exhilarating as it was absorbing. Beethoven works are always popular, but at this concert, the clinching factor between merely good and memorably great was the elegant control of guest conductor Neville Marriner.

He’s a musician whose reputation has rung through chamber music for 40 years since he founded the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in 1969.

Watching the octogenarian’s cool technique - in which he seemed to visibly meld into the orchestra, inspiring it from the inside while guiding it from the outside -was a great experience.

The orchestra responded with thrilling conviction. Despite many achievements, this was undoubtedly a formidable test and it responded with pride and passion.

These two symphonies are rarely played back-to back and wrong way round. The No 4 has always been overshadowed, squeezed as it is between two of Ludwig’s greatest symphonic hits, the Eroica (No 3) and the No 5.

But here the No 4 positively zinged with the colours, energy and idiosyncratic headlong string rushes that mark out Beethoven’s finest achievements.

Marriner drew out every nuance and left one wondering why No 4 is an underachiever in Beethovian terms. The adagio was particularly lovely and its all hands on-deck finale generated a genuine interval buzz.

Probably the biggest compliment one can pay the No 4 is that the Eroica - usually the main event - did not overshadow it, even though it too received a sleek and polished performance that set the night aglow. Obviously, ancient Marriners are not all doom and gloom.