Russian Master Class was held at Catholic University on Saturday, November 20. Famous Russian Bass Mikhail Svetlov generously shared his talent and experience with singers of Bel Cantanti working on the music of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Peter Tchaikovsky, Sergey Rachmaninoff.
Featured singers:
Meghan McCall: N. Rimsky-Korsakov " The Tsar's Bride", Marfa's Mad Scene
Alice Dillon, Bryan Jackson: S. Rachmaninoff "Aleko", Cradle Scene
Bryan Jackson: S. Rachmaninoff "Aleko", Aleko's Cavatina
Amanda Gosier: P.Tchaikovsky "Eugene Onegin", Letter Scene
"...Marfa's mad scene from "The Tsar's Bride" by Rimsky-Korsakov is truly a masterpiece of Russian music. Rimsky-Korsakov managed to capture every element of a girl's broken heart and madness in a delusional world with every note of this mad scene. I have been so fortunate to be introduced to this beautiful music by Katerina. Mikhail Svetlov was a fantastic master for our class. He helped me open my eyes to the more intimate details of the character I was singing. Not only this but he touched on a few technical points which made a world of difference in capturing the right vocal quality for the piece. I will certainly carry on these tips for the next time I sing the aria and am so thankful to Katerina for bringing such a fine artist for us to learn from." Meghan McCall
"...Mikhail was wonderful and offered great insight into the overall character of the Russian music. I particularly appreciated how Mikhail guided us, the singers, to trust the music to inform our dramatic interpretations." Amanda Gosier
"...Mr. Svetlov was amazing to hear and watch. His deep profundo bass was wonderful to hear as he showed examples for the singers. The absolute economy of his hand gestures showed a controlled fury and then sorrow and then a remembrance of love, without distracting from the singing. Attendees were able to watch a master guiding the singers to a deeper understanding of their respective roles in Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Rachmaninoff. " Daryl Ott