Recitals are back! (Live at Lunch, Royal Opera House, 27.01.2023)

It really doesn't matter how many times you hear the most famous arias - if they're interpreted with sincerity, engagement and freshness, they always sound like you hear them for the first time.

That was exactly the case during the last Friday's afternoon Live at Lunch baritone recital. It was wonderfully refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable. Young and talented baritone Ben Knight and the pianist Jonathan Williams delighted us with a varied but well-thought program. Some arias were well-known, others less-so, but all of them interpreted with personal insight and engagement, especially two Mozart's arias - aria of Papagenno and Leporello. Of all the composers that Ben and Jonathan chose, Mozart (I think) suited Ben's voice the best. He really found his way to tell their "stories" (musically and dramatically) and to entertain us at the same time.

But I want to give him credit for other arias too. After "warming up" with Argante's aria from Handel's Rinaldo, he quickly changed the mood - from quick, full-scaled aria to more subdued, long-legatos and lyrical one: Leave me loathsome light, from Handel's Semele. After that, there was a change of style and language interpreting Aleko's aria from Russian composer Rachmaninoff. With this beautiful, melancholic music, he opened Aleko's world and his tormented love, passion and jealousy. Rachmaninoff's music permits singers to build on the intensity by penetrating the character's thoughts and pains and Ben got hold of Aleko's pains very well. It is also a good vehicle for pianists to show their technical virtuosity, and Jonathan Williams played his music very skillfully as well as emotionally.

British composers afterwards: the showpiece for the public was the Lone Dog aria from Michael Head. This was a very entertaining, jazzy, even cabaret -like, theatrical piece. Song I got me flowers from Vaughan Williams had rather religious, (gregorian choir-like) and also traditional folk-song quality. The third British composer Ben chose was Benjamin Britten. Undeniably a genius of 20th-century British music, with his ability to portray feelings of ordinary people through a very intense, intime and honest music. Like Rachmaninoff, Britten gives a unique opportunity for singers to blend into a character's soul and heart very directly.

Ben, apart from his career as a solo-singer, has also participated in numerous spectacles at major opera houses and festivals. He also co-operates on various projects with Royal Opera house's Learning and Participation department, teaching communities how to sing. Jonathan Williams has accompanied him with equal passion and engagement and I'm very happy that, once agan and thanks to them, I learnt something new.