These are four versatile, confident, imaginative artists. When it comes to State Opera star Okka von der Damerau, it comes as no surprise that she captivates with her warm mezzo and electrifying stage presence. The pianist Maciej Pikulski, whose sparkling accompaniment offers the most stable base for the voices, is not a new name in the concert cosmos. But in the spirit of the “Stars and Rising Stars” festival, the fixed ones are joined by the ascending stars. Here they are the Polish tenor Michał Prószyński (born in 1992 and a member of the Bern Opera ensemble) and the 32-year-old baritone Matthias Winckhler, who gained experience in Hanover, among other places.
Now they sing German, Italian and other repertoire, all in the Freiheitshalle on the Donnersbergerbrücke, which is not only acoustically very good, but can also rely on the charm of its unplastered walls. All in all, it’s a treat, because both Prószyński and Winckhler are solidly trained singers with reliable musical intuition. In the Mozart aria “Il mio tesoro intanto” Prószyński shows his pleasantly dark timbre tenor, who knows how to articulate the chain of semiquavers as flexibly as he does emphatically and reaches the high notes with confidence. Winckhler enters with “Ah, per semper” from Bellini’s “I puritani”, authoritarian like a puritanical soldier leader and vulnerable like an abandoned lover.
These singers have everything you need for a stage career. It becomes clear when Okka von der Damerau appears that perhaps there is still a little theatrical air missing to develop the abundant talent. A look, an inconspicuous gesture convey a whole scene where the two up-and-coming artists act a bit clumsily on stage. In this respect, the “Stars and Rising Stars” format is also instructive for other young vocalists. In view of the moderate prices, it should also be intended for them. Perhaps there will be more of them at the other concerts, that would be desirable.