Elena Xanthoudakis to take on the Queen

The Australian soprano reflects on the challenges of singing Donizetti’s tragic Anna Bolena.

Elena Xanthoudakis as Anna Bolena for Melbourne Opera
Elena Xanthoudakis as Anna Bolena

While Anna Bolena is definitely on the larger end of the bel canto roles, it still requires great flexibility, as well as heft and drama where required. It is a great thrill to sing and while it is perhaps ‘heavier’ than some other bel canto roles – mostly due to the intense dramatic situation Anna finds herself in – one must remember to maintain a lilt and ease so that the voice remains flexible. There are also a number of lower notes: the bottom register is well applied by Donizetti to add drama and colour, and I absolutely love using a wide range of colours to characterise her journey. The challenges of the role lie in matching the tessitura and the weight or volume.

Sally Anne-Russell, Jane Seymour & Elena Xanthoudakis, Anna Bolena
Sally Anne-Russell, Jane Seymour & Elena Xanthoudakis, Anna Bolena

There are also a number of added cadenzas and high notes, so finding the balance between the elements is crucial. Anna is extremely fun to sing, as well as technically challenging – but again therein lies the fun too! Donizetti’s Anna Bolena departs from the historical details in a number of ways, done for dramatic licence. However, there is much that corresponds with the historical Anne Boleyn’s journey. In my opinion, her trial itself was a complete set-up, and the nature of it is made very clear in the opera.As for Anna’s mad scene, I would say it is less ‘mad’ than many! She begins the mad scene in a state of delusion, drifting in and out of awareness of her real situation. It begins in some respects like the Lucia di Lammermoor mad scene, in both concept – Anna is imagining a wedding – and orchestral colour. However, it soon shifts to much more dramatic colours and intense melodic shapes. It is perhaps less florid than roles like Elvira or Lucia, but is no less impressive. The role of Anna Bolena has been performed by a great number of sopranos, including Callas, Sutherland, and Netrebko. In an ideal world we would all love the dramatic intensity of La Callas, as well as the beauty of tone and flexibility of La Stupenda. Of the other major exponents of the role, I admire Beverly Sills for her recordings, which are extremely ornamented – perhaps too much? I would like to be at least as inventive where required. And though no recordings of Giuditta Pasta exist, one would hope to have a voice as strong and flexible as hers at the top, with the same depth and colour in the middle and bottom. Pasta, the original Anna, was a mezzo-like soprano, who was both the first Norma and Amina, the latter of which is substantially lighter and requires more limpid flexibility. Given the original Anna’s voice, and contemporary audience expectation for extemporised top notes, balance and care must be taken in order to maintain ease at both ends of the registers, to give the widest range of possible colour. Knowing the repertoire of Donizetti’s Tudor Queens, it would be a joy to one day have the opportunity to sing Queen Elizabeth in Roberto Devereux.

Elena’s performance of Mozart’s, Ch’io mi scordi di te? K 505, with Jayson Gillham and the Tait Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Kelly Lovelady, at the 2014 Tait Winter Prom at St John’s Smith Square.

Elena Xanthoudakis appears in the Australian premiere of Donizetti’s Anna Bolena for Melbourne Opera November 2, 5 and 9. Buy tickets here

Melbourne Opera stages the Australian premiere of Roberto Deveraux in 2017.

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Following the sold out triumph of Maria Stuarda last year, Melbourne Opera continues the great Donizetti trilogy bringing the bel canto masterpiece Anna Bolena to The Athenaeum for the first time this November.

Starring Elena Xanthoudakis (Anne Boleyn), Sally-Anne Russell (Jane Seymour), Eddie Muliaumaseali’i (Henry VIII), Boyd Owen (Richard Percy), Dimity Shepherd (Mark Smeaton) and Phillip Calcagno (Lord Rochefort).

Source: Elena Xanthoudakis to take on the Queen from Limelight Magazine

Jewels of the Bel Canto – Elena Xanthoudakis, Catherine Carby, Richard Bonynge, Royal Northern Sinfonia

The Tait Memorial Trust are thrilled to announce the launch of a new recording by Tait Awardee, Elena Xanthoudakis, and the great Australian master of Bel Canto, Richard Bonynge. Released by Signum Records the CD will be officially launched in March 2014 generously supported by the Borletti Buitoni Trust. Please watch the attached video

Elena Xanthoudakis, Soprano - Jewels of the Bel Canto Conducted by Richard Bonynge Catherine Carby, Mezzo Soprano. Royal Northern Sinfonia
Elena Xanthoudakis, Soprano – Jewels of the Bel Canto Conducted by Richard Bonynge
Catherine Carby, Mezzo Soprano. Royal Northern Sinfonia

2008 Tait Prize winner, Elena Xanthoudakis was nominated for a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award in 2011 and is a ‘Borletti-Buitoni Trust artist’. The BBT and Signum Records have come together to present Elena in a solo recital disc of ‘Bel Canto’ arias called ‘Jewels of the Bel Canto’ with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Maestro Richard Bonynge. Jewels of the Bel Canto’ is for release April 1st 2014 and also features special guest artist, Australian Mezzo-soprano Catherine Carby, as Alisa in Lucia.

The process of making this CD involved Elena coaching with Maestro Bonynge in his home in Switzerland which were also supported by the Tait Memorial Trust.

More info about Elena here

A golden night for singing

Last night two Tait awardees; Lauren Fagan, Soprano 2013 and Lauren Zolezzi, Soprano 2012 sang the lead roles in the Guildhall School of Music & Drama double bill at the Silk Street Theatre, The Barbican.

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Lauren Fagan, Soprano singing the Countess, The Marriage of Figaro 2012

Lauren Fagan appeared first in Debussy’s l’enfant prodigue. Her singing was of the highest standard, ravishing tone and an impeccable technique. Her performance as the despairing Mother was full of pathos…lovely. Lauren displayed a maturity of performance not often seen in student productions. We look forward to hearing her sing again in a TMT concert in 2014. Read more about Lauren here

Lauren Zolezzi stole the show in the second opera performed last night, Donizetti’s, Francesca di Foix. Glittering top notes, easy production and a stage presence that was simply divine. Earlier in the year Lauren sang in the first concert of the Trust series at the Foundling Museum, London and gave this interview

All in all it was a golden night for the Trust. Thrilling for us at the Tait Memorial Trust to see Lauren Fagan and Lauren Zolezzi performing to such a high standard in one of the most prestigious music schools in the world.

We are very grateful for the steadfast and loyal; support we receive from our many donors. Last night was their triumph.

Lauren Zolezzi, Soprano
Lauren Zolezzi, Soprano
Initially stepping onto the stage as a young ballerina, Australian born soprano Lauren Zolezzi has now moved into the world of opera and is at the outset of an exciting career.

In September 2012, Lauren took up her scholarship on the Opera Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under the tutelage of Susan Waters. Before that, Lauren completed her Master of Arts (Preparatory Opera) with Distinction and scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, London. Her musical training alongside previous ballet training as well as her study of the Italian language, has led to a well-rounded performer who manages to capture the attention of audiences internationally.

Lauren has been most successful in many singing competitions and scholarships, having won over one hundred awards and scholarships over the years. Recently she won the National Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Scholarship in Australia. Lauren also placed first in Sydney Eisteddfod open age Oratorio and Russian Song sections as well as the Lieder and Oratorio Sections (21-25 yrs).  She placed 3rd in both the Female Voices and the Operatic Aria Sections. Other scholarships and prizes include The Sainsbury Award at the Royal Academy of Music and The Marion Macaulay Bequest Scholarship for overseas study from the University of Sydney.

Lauren is an extremely busy performer both in the UK and Australia. Roles include Armida Rinaldo, Drusilla L’Incoronazione di Poppea, Despina Cosi’ fan tutte and Journalist 1 The Last King of Scotland, The Princess L’enfant et les sortilèges, Norina Don Pasquale, Sophie Der Rosenkavalier, Jano Jenufa, Melisande Pelleas et Melisande and Barbarina The Little Green Swallow (Dove) in Guildhall Opera Scenes.  She also performed the role of Barbarina Le Nozze di Figaro (GSMD) in February 2013 and covered the role of Susanna as well as receiving a solo recital of artsong at the Foundling Museum in London.

Before arriving in the UK she sang as soloist for the Australian ‘Opera and Arts Support Group’ soiree in Sydney Australia. During the 2008 World Youth Day celebrations, she sang to great acclaim as the featured soloist at the Evening Vigil liturgy with Pope Benedict XVI, held at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney. She was also featured soprano in a concert of excerpts from The Messiah at St Mary’s Cathedral in December 2008. Lauren was invited by the Honorary John Aquilina to perform at the National European Day ball held at Government House in 2008 to an audience of foreign representatives.

Lauren’s past featured operatic roles have included Naiad Ariadne auf Naxos and Ellen Lakme’ (Academy Opera Scenes). She also played the title role of Carmen in ‘Carmen – The Musical’ at the State Theatre and a member of the chorus for Dead Man Walking – The Opera at the Lyric Theatre in 2007. She partook in all of the Mid-Summer Operas held at the Conservatorium of Music from 2005-2008, in all of which she featured as a soloist performing roles such as Virtu’ L’Incoronazione di Poppea and Papagena Die Zauberflöte.

Lauren’s continued development is generously supported by the Tait Memorial Trust, the Opera and Arts Support Group Australia, The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers, the Worshipful Company of Barbers and the Australian Government through the Australian Council of the Arts, it’s Arts Funding and Advisory Body.