Warm German reception for Christchurch tenor

Press, 19 June 1979, Page 13

Warm German reception for Christchurch tenor

NZPA London[ An enthusiastic German ■ audience broke into thun-i derous applause after the t Christchurch-born tenor, i Richard Greager, sung the' famous “Che Gelida Manina’’ (“Your Tiny Hand is Frozen”) ana in the Hanover; State Opera’s recent prod-; uction of Puccini’s “La 80-; heme."

In the role of Rodolfo, the New Zealand singer was also applauded by the critics in Germany’s leading newspapers. “Undisputably at the centre of this feast was Richard Greager’s Rodolfo,” wrote one critic. “Greager is not only in brilliant vocal form, but also demonstrated an intelfigent use of his vocal material, as well as an

understanding of and sympa-i thy for his role. " I, “The ovation which ] erupted after the ‘Che Gelida Manina’ was throughly de- i served,” he said. i Mr Greager has been prin- < cipal tenor of the Hanover I State Opera since 1977. He left New Zealand in i 1970 and, after studying in i Australia, won three major i l singing competitions there, ■ .including the “Sun” aria, ' I within one year. i His first house contract in Britain was with the Royal Opera House in Covent ' (Garden. He also sang with I the Scottish Opera for four years. Earlier this year Mr Greaiger made his United States | debut in the Seattle Opera I Company’s production of (Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.’’ i He sang in four performances with the acclaimed baritone, Sherrill Milnes. i One Canadian critic wrote of the “heavenly radiance” in Greager’s voice and of his “angelic skill in the shaping of phrase.” >

At the end of April Mr Greager sang in a centenary performance of Beethoven’s “Missa Soiemnis” in Germany in an international quartet of soloists, which included the great German bass, Kurt Moll. Although he has no immediate plans of returning to sing in New Zealand, Mr Greager will sing in Sydney with the Australian Opera Company in two seasons next year. In January and February he will . sing in “Lucia di Lammermoor” with Dame Joan Sutherland. Another New Zealander based in Germany, the conductor, John Matheson, has again received high praise from opera critics. The monthly arts magazine “Orpheus” chose Mr Mathesons’s recent production of Hindemith’s “Cardillac” for its “Premiere of the Month” award. It was significant for among the other major premieres that month was Riccardo Muti’s production of “Aida” at the Munich State Opera.