The range of voices singing these difficult Opera pieces were unbelievable at Delirio Amoroso!
Every year the Montclair State University Opera Workshop performs one act works and scenes from favorite operas in a unique way to express the true variety of talent in the school’s vocal program. On Friday night, students of the John J. Cali School of Music delivered the passionate performance of Delirio Amoroso accompanied by pianist Dimitri Korneev.
The program began with a piece called “Old Age and Youth.” As the lights dimmed down and the soft sound of the piano began to fill the room, the first performer hooked the audience with his voice that echoed throughout the theater. The program continued with pieces from Purcell, Mozart, Donizetti and Puccini along with many other famous Italian composers. Wait, did I forget to mention that the singing was in Italian? Yup that’s right – it wasn’t just the name, Delirio Amoroso, which they decided to put in another language! It was an entire evening of both male and female vocalists showing off their talent with a wide-ranging amount of high and low notes in Italian.
The students delivered each performance in such a unique manner, setting every single one apart from another. Along with the amazing vocals, the students’ acting skills are what kept the audience’s eyes glued to the stage. Each scene was restructured to portray a proper atmosphere with the use of sets and props. The message of each song, often reflected in its title, was brought to the stage by intense body movements and beautiful costumes. For those who were unable to comprehend the language of the songs, the meaning was visually expressed allowing the audience to feel when the song was intimate, comedic or even painful.
“I loved acting! Being a voice major I just sing all the time but I don’t get to act, so this was really cool and it changed up my day. It was so much fun to express the meaning of each song,” said freshman performer Teresa Toriello.
Along with the singing and acting, collaboration played a huge role in tying this performance together. Aside from the soloist acts, the audience got to experience groups working together to deliver amazing sounds and performances. These collaborations allowed the audience to appreciate the performers’ hard work and dedication. A few of the group performances included pieces called “Chance Meetings,” “Self Pity” and “Jealousy Toys with the Boy” where the entire company came together with an array of vocals to express the feeling of the piece.
“We had a really hard time harmonizing in the parts that we sang together, but we eventually worked it out and it ended up being really good,” said Toriello.
The night was filled with pieces of evident love and madness, hence the title Delirio Amoroso – Erotic Madness: Love and its Consequences. Each performance left the audience craving more. All of the performers brought their unique voices to the stage resulting in an exclusive evening of music and acting for Montclair and its surrounding communities. Check out Peak Performances website at peakperfs.org for more information on what’s coming up in the area. You don’t want to miss out!
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