:00:00. > :00:07.For a week, this famous concert hall has been filled with the sound
:00:08. > :00:12.We've witnessed performances of rare power and beauty from 20
:00:13. > :00:16.thrilling new artists, all invited to Cardiff
:00:17. > :00:29.Five young talents who will compete in one of the most hotly-anticipated
:00:30. > :00:31.finals in this competition's long and distinguished history.
:00:32. > :01:11.Welcome to BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2017.
:01:12. > :01:18.Every two years, the eyes of the opera world turn to Cardiff.
:01:19. > :01:30.Many of today's leading opera singers first emerged here.
:01:31. > :01:35.It is the number-1 composition of the world.
:01:36. > :01:37.Nearly 400 singers entered this time, from 64 countries.
:01:38. > :01:52.Amazing singers, voices, talent, here in musical country.
:01:53. > :01:55.Already we've seen history made, with the award of joint
:01:56. > :01:58.Both Song Prize winners compete in tonight's Grand Final
:01:59. > :02:05.in a line-up that promises something very special.
:02:06. > :02:11.Their challenge, to win the hearts and minds of a formidable
:02:12. > :02:16.international jury. What happens next is totally in
:02:17. > :02:25.their hands. The voice alone is not enough. Show what you can do. Sure
:02:26. > :02:30.what is in you. You need to have the confidence, to draw the audience to
:02:31. > :02:37.you. The stage is yours, make people happy.
:02:38. > :02:40.The line-up promises something very special.
:02:41. > :02:41.Five world-class voices, five very individual
:02:42. > :02:44.They are Mongolian baritone Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar,
:02:45. > :03:04.Soprano Louise Alder from England, winner of the third round.
:03:05. > :03:10.I feel very lucky to be here, I hope I sing as well as I can.
:03:11. > :03:14.Round-four winner Kang Wang, a tenor representing Australia.
:03:15. > :03:20.I could not wait to share my singing with the rest of the world, who will
:03:21. > :03:22.be watching through television. Hello!
:03:23. > :03:30.Our wild card, also from round four, Scottish mezzo Catriona Morison.
:03:31. > :03:33.When my name was called, I was totally in shock.
:03:34. > :03:35.And, last to sing the evening off, another baritone,
:03:36. > :03:42.and winner of round one, Anthony Clark Evans from the USA.
:03:43. > :03:48.Hopefully I can maybe win, that would be great, and put my name on
:03:49. > :03:54.that with some of the great people that have won this can petition.
:03:55. > :04:04.The opera world is waiting to find out who will be the next BBC Cardiff
:04:05. > :04:06.Sauber. -- BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.
:04:07. > :04:09.Welcome to St David's Hall for the last time this week.
:04:10. > :04:11.I think we can promise a thrilling BBC Cardiff Singer
:04:12. > :04:14.What a great way to spend a Sunday night.
:04:15. > :04:17.Get the tea tray out, or the wine glasses,
:04:18. > :04:20.Over the next two and half hours, famous arias
:04:21. > :04:22.from Rossini's Barber of Seville, Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin
:04:23. > :04:25.and Strauss' Rosenkavalier, alongside Leoncavallo and Lehar
:04:26. > :04:29.As well as crowning a new Cardiff Singer of the World,
:04:30. > :04:32.we'll also learn the winner of the Dame Joan
:04:33. > :04:38.Lines are now closed, but you can still have your say
:04:39. > :04:41.on tonight's finalists on our Facebook page and on Twitter,
:04:42. > :04:49.You can also follow our special live blog at bbc.co.uk/cardiffsinger
:04:50. > :04:52.to find out what's going on behind the scenes here, with on-the-spot
:04:53. > :04:57.analysis from Scottish tenor Nicky Spence and 2013 winner
:04:58. > :05:04.Joining me this evening, two people who know all about the pressures
:05:05. > :05:09.Direct from her triumphant debut at the Vienna State Opera,
:05:10. > :05:12.where she has been singing one of her signature roles,
:05:13. > :05:14.Norina in Don Pasquale, it's great to welcome back
:05:15. > :05:18.the acclaimed soprano Danielle de Niese.
:05:19. > :05:21.And alongside her, the bass baritone Gerald Finley,
:05:22. > :05:24.who features on a new stamp in his homeland, Canada,
:05:25. > :05:27.and yesterday was appointed a Commander of the British Empire
:05:28. > :05:29.in the Queen's birthday honours list.
:05:30. > :05:45.We will hear such a range tonight, somebody who was here last night,
:05:46. > :05:49.somebody you have worked with in Chicago, someone else who is sinking
:05:50. > :05:54.in houses across Europe, why risk it all on a platform like this?
:05:55. > :05:59.Competitions are great exposure for young singers, no matter what
:06:00. > :06:03.happens tonight all who wins, all of these finalists will have been seen
:06:04. > :06:07.on the world stage, they will have work, they have been hugely
:06:08. > :06:13.successful, but we are not just looking for people who can sing, we
:06:14. > :06:20.are looking for an artist. You avoided competitions. I find them
:06:21. > :06:24.very stressful. I did not always sync my desk in that circumstance, I
:06:25. > :06:27.try to make the most impression on the stage. We look forward to
:06:28. > :06:31.hearing your thoughts and analysis. If you are with us for the first
:06:32. > :06:35.time tonight, where have you been? Each night this week,
:06:36. > :06:37.the American soprano Angel Blue and I have been introducing some
:06:38. > :06:39.great performances, and we've been joined by vocal coach
:06:40. > :06:41.and singer Mary King. Right now, Angel and Mary are
:06:42. > :06:58.together just in front of the stage. We have had a wonderful week, and
:06:59. > :07:00.excitement is buzzing around backstage.
:07:01. > :07:02.We have a soprano, mezzo, tenor and two baritones
:07:03. > :07:16.I have had the pleasure of speaking with Mary, what are you looking
:07:17. > :07:20.forward to tonight? It is hard to say, everybody is singing good
:07:21. > :07:25.repertoire that suits them, and I think they will all do very well. I
:07:26. > :07:28.am very glad I am not the jury. I am as well!
:07:29. > :07:31.Well, we're now just a few minutes from the first competitor.
:07:32. > :07:33.No surprise that St David's Hall is packed tonight.
:07:34. > :07:35.Agents, directors and producers here amongst an audience
:07:36. > :07:42.But the reality is our singers will be aiming their performances
:07:43. > :08:03.They are Grammy award-winning Korean soprano Sumi Jo,
:08:04. > :08:06.If you participate at this level because you have a short window, you
:08:07. > :08:11.can make mistakes. The renowned Austrian baritone
:08:12. > :08:20.Wolfgang Holzmair... This is singing at the highest
:08:21. > :08:23.standard, you do not have one moment to relax. You are kind of naked on
:08:24. > :08:30.the stage. What is it that they can do that is
:08:31. > :08:44.most impressive? Internationally-acclaimed Estonian
:08:45. > :08:53.conductor Anu Tali. It is extreme pressure, but if one
:08:54. > :09:06.can try to make the music come through .Mac .Mac --. Mac.
:09:07. > :09:08.And chairing the jury, artistic director of
:09:09. > :09:15.The most important thing is they are delivering a message from one human
:09:16. > :09:17.being to another. The Cardiff Singer jury, making that
:09:18. > :09:19.all-important decision tonight. On stage is the BBC
:09:20. > :09:22.National Orchestra of Wales, one of our two competition
:09:23. > :09:23.orchestras, who have shared the responsibility
:09:24. > :09:25.of accompanying our singers throughout the week with
:09:26. > :09:29.the Welsh National Opera orchestra. We are live on BBC Four this
:09:30. > :09:33.evening, and also on BBC Two Wales, and we welcome listeners
:09:34. > :09:37.to BBC Radio 3. Already victorious in this year's
:09:38. > :10:12.Song Prize, 29-year-old Mongolian What does it mean to have won the
:10:13. > :10:15.song price? TRANSLATION: I sang with many strong competitors, I did not
:10:16. > :10:24.expect to win, it was Ed Dickson prize an amazing feeling. How do you
:10:25. > :10:32.feel, representing Mongolia here at the World Cup of opera singing? Of
:10:33. > :10:38.course, it is a fantastic feeling, I know that my teachers, my fellow
:10:39. > :10:43.singers and the people of Mongolia are behind me. When I hear them and
:10:44. > :10:45.outs Mongolia on stage, it gives me encouragement, and in my heart and
:10:46. > :10:58.soul I feel that I can do it. I think that the challenges that I
:10:59. > :11:05.have faced have prepared me for the world famous Cardiff stage. But I
:11:06. > :11:07.think about my life journey and reflected in my sinking, the truth
:11:08. > :11:15.comes out in the melody. Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar
:11:16. > :11:18.from Mongolia waits Tonight he sings a programme
:11:19. > :11:30.of Rossini, Tchaikovsky and, to open, the clown Tonio's aria
:11:31. > :11:32.from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. A troupe of clowns are performing
:11:33. > :11:35.in Calabria in southern Italy. Tonio, one of their number,
:11:36. > :11:38.stands in front of the curtain to deliver the prologue,
:11:39. > :11:40.asking the audience to remember that what they are about to see is not
:11:41. > :11:43.just a play, but a story Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar,
:11:44. > :17:04.accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
:17:05. > :17:13.and conductor Tomas Hanus. Thomas is the Czech music director
:17:14. > :17:24.of Welsh National Opera. Lets get an immediate reaction. A
:17:25. > :17:29.wonderful piece of character singing. I am thrilled he would
:17:30. > :17:31.choose that piece to open the programme. A great opener to the
:17:32. > :17:35.opera. He will now sing. Prince Yeletsky's aria from
:17:36. > :17:37.Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades next. The prince pouring out his emotions
:17:38. > :17:40.to his beloved Lisa, telling her that he loves
:17:41. > :23:37.her beyond reckoning. He sang that aria at Buckingham
:23:38. > :23:48.Palace after winning the Tchaikovsky competition.
:23:49. > :24:01.Prince Charles sent a letter of thanks afterwards.
:24:02. > :24:08.He is going to include his performance here at Carter singer
:24:09. > :24:14.with one of opera's best loved arias, Largo Al Factotum.
:24:15. > :24:17.the Sevillian barber, sings his own praises
:24:18. > :24:21.No better Mr Fixit to be found anywhere in Seville.
:24:22. > :29:15.APPLAUSE The 29-year-old Mongolian baritone
:29:16. > :29:20.Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar. Started singing at 18 but left college after
:29:21. > :29:27.two years unable to continue his studies. He worked as a taxi driver.
:29:28. > :29:34.And Labour are, and one night, he had a chance fair, picking up the
:29:35. > :29:38.chief of police. He suggested he joined the police ensemble and that
:29:39. > :29:43.got him singing professionally again. He is still a captain in the
:29:44. > :29:47.Mongolian police force. Perhaps the first policemen we have had singing
:29:48. > :29:51.at Cardiff Singer. A glorious lyrical tone.
:29:52. > :30:00.Beautiful, rich sound, easy all the way up the range. Being first is a
:30:01. > :30:06.double-edged sword, you do not have a temperature reading of the public,
:30:07. > :30:10.but on the other hand, you do not have the experience of becoming
:30:11. > :30:16.nervous. He came out and set the bar for everybody else. A mighty voice,
:30:17. > :30:24.does that sometimes cause problems when you have those fast runs? That
:30:25. > :30:31.is the challenge for all singers, if you have a big instrument, you try
:30:32. > :30:39.to gain flexibility, he played to his strengths in that group, because
:30:40. > :30:44.it was mostly long lines, and when the showmanship was needed for the
:30:45. > :30:50.Figaro, he did a really good job. What about the Tchaikovsky? There
:30:51. > :30:55.was real emotion. He can in note, that we can see. He had a queue
:30:56. > :31:00.intonation problems, which the judges will contribute to nerves,
:31:01. > :31:04.and all of that personality, I would have liked to have seen more, but he
:31:05. > :31:07.has got it within him. He has won over many hearts.
:31:08. > :31:15.Well, let's get his thoughts now, he's with Angel.
:31:16. > :31:31.Bravo, how did it feel to begin the competition?
:31:32. > :31:39.TRANSLATION: It was quite amazing, and at the same time it was
:31:40. > :31:43.nerve-racking. After the second song, I came back to my normal self
:31:44. > :31:50.and enjoyed it. Bravo, and best of luck. Thank you! Let's meet our
:31:51. > :31:52.second competitor. Representing England,
:31:53. > :32:12.let's meet 30-year-old Louise, congratulations on making it
:32:13. > :32:18.through. How do you feel? Really excited, genuinely excited. It is
:32:19. > :32:24.really fun, being out there. What does it mean to represent England?
:32:25. > :32:29.It means a lot, I love London, where I am from, and I love England very
:32:30. > :32:36.much, but I feel very European, so I think it is more a celebration of
:32:37. > :32:38.music and of culture and art. What a fantastic platform to showcase what
:32:39. > :32:45.people love to do around the world, classical sinking. No other
:32:46. > :32:51.competition, apart from Eurovision, maybe... This is the classical
:32:52. > :32:53.Eurovision! No other competition brings so many different
:32:54. > :33:01.nationalities together, the Mongolians are a hoot! Meeting
:33:02. > :33:05.singers from all over the world is really cool, you can share
:33:06. > :33:08.experiences and talk about what is hard about the career and what is
:33:09. > :33:14.different between each country. It is fascinating. I am very happy for
:33:15. > :33:21.you, and looking forward to hearing you sing. I can't wait. My final
:33:22. > :33:26.repertoire is kind of like a party. I am really looking forward to it.
:33:27. > :33:40.So to open her performance this evening, Elvira's aria from Act Two
:33:41. > :33:44.Elvira is daughter of the commander of a Puritan stronghold under threat
:33:45. > :41:26.from royalist troops ? one of whom, Arturo, she is in love with.
:41:27. > :41:42.The English sopranos starting her entry sinking from Bellini. Her
:41:43. > :41:48.conductor is conducting his own orchestra, the BBC Orchestra of
:41:49. > :41:51.Wales. Danielle? That is how do show the audience and the judges what you
:41:52. > :41:53.are made of, that is difficult. I am very impressed.
:41:54. > :41:56.Next that rare thing at Cardiff Singer,
:41:57. > :41:58.a contemporary opera, Andre Previn's Streetcar
:41:59. > :42:00.Named Desire, based on Tennessee Williams' play.
:42:01. > :42:03.Renee Fleming created the role of Blanche Dubois when the work
:42:04. > :42:08.Blanche confessing to Mitch, who she hopes will
:42:09. > :42:12.become her husband, that she doesn't always tell
:42:13. > :42:16.the truth, but rather what should be the truth.
:42:17. > :43:22.# That's what I try to give to people.
:43:23. > :43:55.# But I tell what ought to be the truth.
:43:56. > :44:33.# Magic's what I try to give to people.
:44:34. > :44:55.# If that's a sin, if that is such a sin, then let me be damned for it!
:44:56. > :45:08.# It'll all look so ugly in that light.
:45:09. > :45:35.# Why not see by candlelight, or moonlight, or starlight?
:45:36. > :46:41.Louise Alder, singing to the Cardiff Singer world jury, I Want Magic from
:46:42. > :46:43.Streetcar Named Desire by Andrei Prepelita. She is a big fan of Renee
:46:44. > :51:43.Fleming. APPLAUSE
:51:44. > :51:47.Giuditta. He ran away to North Africa and
:51:48. > :51:55.became a nightclub hostess and reckons all men find her
:51:56. > :52:03.irresistible. Ending her entry in this final, singing from Lehar's
:52:04. > :52:07.1934 opera Giuditta. She is good friends with a former winner, Jamie
:52:08. > :52:10.Barton, and was wavering about whether to enter and Jamie Barton
:52:11. > :52:21.told Louise she would be an idiot not to have a go. And what an
:52:22. > :52:27.extraordinary week Louise has had in Cardiff. Singing last night in
:52:28. > :52:32.Rosenkavalier at Welsh National Opera and the Song Prize final the
:52:33. > :52:36.night before. Two other appearances. You could not do that unless your
:52:37. > :52:41.voice was in the right place. She has got it all sorted out. This is
:52:42. > :52:52.quite an extraordinary performance and generosity. She is born for that
:52:53. > :52:55.stage. I enjoyed it so much. She has an incredible technical grasp. So
:52:56. > :53:00.happy for everything she accomplished this week. She is
:53:01. > :53:05.wonderful to look at, expressive. You do not take your eyes off her.
:53:06. > :53:10.She has a sense of languages, she showed us three to night. I do not
:53:11. > :53:15.think it could be better. It was a journey from the limpid tones in the
:53:16. > :53:23.Bellini and entering the deep South. The accent sounded good. It sounded
:53:24. > :53:28.perfect to me. One of the goals of Cardiff is to be able to show the
:53:29. > :53:33.judges all of what you can do, all the facets and colours. It is one
:53:34. > :53:39.thing to have a gorgeous instrument, it is another to employ vocal
:53:40. > :53:45.colour. I love to the Lehar. Could it have been heavy for her voice?
:53:46. > :53:56.What I found was wonderful that she had throughout the whole programme,
:53:57. > :54:00.the leap into the Previn. The contemporary. I was not bothered by
:54:01. > :54:08.the lightness. Let's go backstage now. Louise is with Angel.
:54:09. > :54:17.Just a great programme. Streetcar Named Desire is not always
:54:18. > :54:23.performed, why did you choose it? Especially not in the UK, I don't
:54:24. > :54:27.think. I was looking on YouTube and found amazing recording of Renee
:54:28. > :54:33.Fleming in the original production written for her. I fell in love and
:54:34. > :54:38.thought it was magical. It shows a lot of different sparkling high
:54:39. > :54:41.notes, or it should! That's why I had a stab at the American accent.
:54:42. > :54:43.Best of luck. Welcome, if you have just joined us
:54:44. > :54:49.here at St David's Hall this Sunday night,
:54:50. > :54:51.and the final of BBC Let us know your thoughts
:54:52. > :55:25.on what we have heard so far, When I was little I hated opera.
:55:26. > :55:30.Because my parents are singers and I grew up listening to opera. I loved
:55:31. > :55:38.music. I was quite rebellious. When I was a teenager. Whatever my
:55:39. > :55:45.parents do, I hate! Then I watched a movie starring Mario Lanza. When I
:55:46. > :55:56.was 17. I thought maybe I could sing. You seem very composed when
:55:57. > :56:01.you are singing. I think the pressure of Cardiff Singer of the
:56:02. > :56:07.world, the biggest competition, but you have maintained a stillness. I
:56:08. > :56:13.try. How do you maintain that? I have a tendency to go all over the
:56:14. > :56:19.place and demote all over the place. If at that moment you felt you were
:56:20. > :56:26.giving your heart and the audience felt, what is going on? If you are
:56:27. > :56:30.composed, the emotion from the audience came from themselves and
:56:31. > :56:44.they view it intensely. If you keep still and composed, it gives more
:56:45. > :56:46.impact. Kang Wang will start singing from the Donazetti opera Lucia di
:56:47. > :56:53.Lammermoor. Edgardo prepares to fight
:56:54. > :56:55.to the death in a duel He has heard that Lucia
:56:56. > :03:29.is marrying another and can't Let's get an immediate response.
:03:30. > :03:34.That was breathtaking. If you are watching at home, stop what you are
:03:35. > :03:39.doing and press record. A considerably incredible, a wonderful
:03:40. > :03:45.combination of so many ingredients that can manifest themselves into
:03:46. > :03:53.sound. Clearly winning the hearts of the audience. There is a reason
:03:54. > :03:57.behind it, it is a wonderful start. Born in China, his family moved to
:03:58. > :04:00.Darwin in northern Australia, where he grew up.
:04:01. > :04:03.Started his studies in Australia, then at the Royal Northern College
:04:04. > :04:06.of Music in Manchester, and is now on the Lindemann Young
:04:07. > :04:14.Artist Development Program at New York's Metropolitan Opera.
:04:15. > :04:19.He thinks his performance was a bit too slow.
:04:20. > :04:22.Lensky challenged Onegin to a duel in response to his advances
:04:23. > :04:24.on Lensky's fiancee, Olga.
:04:25. > :04:28.Now, on the morning of the duel, Lensky looks back on his happy youth
:04:29. > :04:35.He realises that he will probably die in the duel and that he does not
:04:36. > :04:40.The only great loss in his death would be that he would
:04:41. > :11:50.Our third finalist, Kang Wang, 29-year-old Australian tenor.
:11:51. > :11:55.Graduated as a computer programmer, who used to sing as a hobby, but now
:11:56. > :11:58.is the reverse, he programmes for fun and he sings around the world.
:11:59. > :12:00.Taught by Joseph Ward, the great singing teacher from Preston,
:12:01. > :12:04.founder of the opera school in Manchester and now
:12:05. > :12:25.Dedicated to pushing forward a new generation of Australian singers,
:12:26. > :12:32.like Kang Wang. Not talking to me me, I'm talking to them, he says.
:12:33. > :12:34.That gives you a clue as to his final aria.
:12:35. > :12:37.He closes his programme with an aria that may once again steel
:12:38. > :12:41.Mimi has lost her key in the dark, Rodolfo finds it
:12:42. > :12:52.Her hand is like ice but a love affair kindles.
:12:53. > :17:33.Kang Wang, from Australia, sinking in Cardiff Singer of the World.
:17:34. > :17:54.Kang Wang first applied in 2811 and did not get through but kept on
:17:55. > :18:00.applying and he is here on his fourth application. And he is in the
:18:01. > :18:05.final. His father himself facing describes this competition as being
:18:06. > :18:13.the Olympics of singing. Kang Wang take the goal is to night? Lisa
:18:14. > :18:14.Gasteen won Cardiff Singer for Australia in 1991. Could he be the
:18:15. > :18:17.second. His wife is expecting their child,
:18:18. > :18:29.a daughter, in September. Let's find out what our guests made
:18:30. > :18:35.of that. You just never felt anything was going to go wrong,
:18:36. > :18:38.absolute confidence. Absolute confidence, absolute sincerity, he
:18:39. > :18:46.is full of his own personality and lives each role. It is tremendous,
:18:47. > :18:53.again. A generous performer and very secure in himself. What a charmer.
:18:54. > :19:03.What is rare about someone like him is that the emotive finesse is there
:19:04. > :19:09.but what is rare is that he lets himself feel the music in a way that
:19:10. > :19:14.if we watched him tomorrow it might be different. I think the ability to
:19:15. > :19:22.let music live within you and to allow that to come out on a bed of
:19:23. > :19:26.sound that feels like it came from an emotion and not something mapped
:19:27. > :19:32.out ahead of time. I think that is the authenticity that makes you a
:19:33. > :19:36.real artist. It is a big voice. You do not always get that on the
:19:37. > :19:42.television when watching, but he will sing Rodolfo in America later
:19:43. > :19:47.this season, big opera houses he will have no problem filling. The
:19:48. > :19:53.sound was ringing around the hall. In the Bellini, at the beginning,
:19:54. > :19:58.yes, at the beginning. The Donizetti. Really, the power of the
:19:59. > :20:08.emotion, it was contacting every audience member. We can join him
:20:09. > :20:13.with Angel. You are wonderful, I love your voice
:20:14. > :20:18.so much. Obviously the audience loves you. How does that feel, the
:20:19. > :20:33.wonderful reception? It felt great. The first time in a final of the
:20:34. > :20:40.competition this big. Yes. Great. I did not, I am sorry, I did not
:20:41. > :20:47.really think about me me. I was only talking to the audience -- Mimi.
:20:48. > :20:50.Thank you. Back to you Petroc. This year, six mezzos
:20:51. > :20:52.made it to Cardiff. Just one has reached
:20:53. > :20:54.the final, 31-year-old She didn't actually win her round,
:20:55. > :21:01.but was the wild-card choice of the jury to join the other four
:21:02. > :21:22.contenders tonight. You are the wild card and you will
:21:23. > :21:27.be singing in the final, how does it feel? The opportunity to sing once
:21:28. > :21:30.more for the judges and audience is wonderful and it is wonderful
:21:31. > :21:39.friends from where I am based in Germany, all around the world, will
:21:40. > :21:43.be able to tune in, as well. When you are singing I notice you have a
:21:44. > :21:49.unique way of keeping the atmosphere. Do you work on that, do
:21:50. > :21:55.you practise it? You cannot really practice it because if you practise,
:21:56. > :22:00.it is fake. I think it has to be so real and truthful and part of it is
:22:01. > :22:07.living off the atmosphere in the hall. I do quite a lot of silent
:22:08. > :22:11.practice. I can imagine the emotion and connection to the text and I
:22:12. > :22:15.think that helps and it's great, because I do not have to sing and I
:22:16. > :22:21.rest my voice. What does it mean to be representing Scotland in this
:22:22. > :22:26.competition? As a proud Scot, it means everything. I am honoured to
:22:27. > :22:27.be here and the fact I am representing Scotland is fantastic.
:22:28. > :22:34.I hope I am doing them proud. She begins this evening in a trouser
:22:35. > :22:37.role, a woman singing a man, Tancredi, a banished member
:22:38. > :22:40.of the royal family, returns from exile and sings
:22:41. > :22:42.of his beloved. Little does he know that she's
:22:43. > :22:44.been promised to another Catriona Morison, mezzo soprano,
:22:45. > :29:54.singing for Scotland. Another trouser role next
:29:55. > :29:58.from Catriona Morison. Count Octavian, a young nobleman,
:29:59. > :30:02.sings of his passion for the older, They have just made love,
:30:03. > :34:51.he adores her beyond words. A graduate of the National
:34:52. > :34:53.Conservatoire of Scotland, one of three of our singers this
:34:54. > :35:17.week to have studied there. Next, an aria from Ravel's L'heure
:35:18. > :35:19.espagnole, his one-act opera about a clockmaker whose unfaithful
:35:20. > :35:21.wife Conception is While he is away winding
:35:22. > :35:24.the town's timepieces, two of her lovers turn up
:35:25. > :35:27.at the same time, each ending up How useless her lovers
:35:28. > :38:52.are, she declares. She is already a winner here, the
:38:53. > :38:58.co-winner of the song prize. Will she make it a double?
:38:59. > :39:01.Catriona is going to close her programme with Dido's Lament
:39:02. > :39:05.Dido is dying of a broken heart after her lover Aeneas has been
:39:06. > :39:47.# Darkness shades me, on thy bosom let me rest.
:39:48. > :40:01.# More I would, but Death invades me.
:40:02. > :41:10.# May my wrongs create no trouble, no trouble in thy breast.
:41:11. > :41:49.# May my wrongs create no trouble, no trouble in thy breast.
:41:50. > :44:36.Catriona Morison, sinking from Dido and NAS.
:44:37. > :44:39.Catriona is a member of the ensemble at Wuppertal Opera in Germany,
:44:40. > :44:41.and has sung in many of the country's opera houses,
:44:42. > :44:42.including Nordhausen, Erfurt and Weimar.
:44:43. > :44:46.Germany has 83 publicly-funded opera houses, many dating back
:44:47. > :44:48.to the country's old patchwork of duchies and principalities.
:44:49. > :44:51.Over 7,000 opera performances take place in Germany in an average year,
:44:52. > :45:20.Lettuce talk to my guests Gerald Finley and Danielle de Niese. What a
:45:21. > :45:26.beautifully crafted set of works. That could not have been a better
:45:27. > :45:31.entry for a competition like this? It showed complete versatility. Big
:45:32. > :45:35.demands for her, to go through all of those emotions and technical
:45:36. > :45:43.challenges. I think she did a really good job. Conception is a role
:45:44. > :45:49.familiar to you? That is right. I did think Conception at
:45:50. > :45:56.Glyndebourne. It is interesting, it was the only piece that addressed a
:45:57. > :46:03.different side of her flavour. She is a thoughtful performer. In the
:46:04. > :46:07.case of the Ravel aria, it does not have any sense of form and Ravel was
:46:08. > :46:13.playing with form when he wrote this and it is moody, an erratic piece.
:46:14. > :46:20.Pent-up. There is a lot of frustration. I was curious she took
:46:21. > :46:23.a laid-back tempo and in a way that was probably right for her
:46:24. > :46:34.temperament. It matched the programme. In the first round people
:46:35. > :46:41.thought what she sang might be dark but Octavia was perfect. She seemed
:46:42. > :46:47.very confident in the passionate, post loving mood. LAUGHTER.
:46:48. > :46:52.A good place to be! We can go backstage.
:46:53. > :46:58.The colours in your voice are magical and you create an atmosphere
:46:59. > :47:04.on stage, you are an actress. You seem to be having fun. Were you
:47:05. > :47:09.having a good time? I loved that, so exciting, a range of different
:47:10. > :47:15.characters. I felt I got to let loose. It was really enjoyable. It
:47:16. > :47:17.was enjoyable for us. I wish you luck, honey.
:47:18. > :47:20.Now on to our final singer in this year's Cardiff Singer competition,
:47:21. > :47:35.32-year-old baritone Anthony Clark Evans from the USA.
:47:36. > :47:44.Your presentation was stellar in the first round. How calm and
:47:45. > :47:50.comfortable you were. Do you work on that? Is it natural? I have never
:47:51. > :47:54.been nervous about singing and music. As soon as I got comfortable
:47:55. > :47:59.with my technique, everything else followed. There is no reason to be
:48:00. > :48:05.nervous. I was selling cars five years ago. I will never forget, the
:48:06. > :48:09.first time I asked the right question to a stage director, what
:48:10. > :48:15.kind of personality with this character have? He said you are a
:48:16. > :48:19.car salesman, sell me this aria. It clicked. Sometimes when I sold cars
:48:20. > :48:24.I would say this car is good, but this other one, it is more
:48:25. > :48:29.expensive, but it gets better mileage. In the car sales industry
:48:30. > :48:36.they call it on stage, offstage. There you go. A wonderful reception
:48:37. > :48:41.from the audience. They were kind of crazy, I loved it. They were more
:48:42. > :48:51.energetic than most of the audiences back home. I really enjoyed that.
:48:52. > :48:53.Anthony Clark Evans has had a long wait. Winner of the first round this
:48:54. > :49:04.week and last tonight. He will perform in Chicago next
:49:05. > :49:08.year. Riccardo. Distraught his beloved Elvira loves another. He
:49:09. > :54:45.fears he has lost her for good. Anthony Clark Evans. Thomas
:54:46. > :54:51.Sondergard was his conductor. From Kentucky. He says one of his
:54:52. > :54:52.passions is the odd glass of Kentucky bourbon. Wagner next.
:54:53. > :54:56.Tannhauser. Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar of Mongolia
:54:57. > :00:46.opened this Cardiff Singer final with Tonio's aria
:00:47. > :06:17.from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci The last notes have been sung in the
:06:18. > :06:20.final of Cardiff Singer of the World 2017. The baritone from Kentucky,
:06:21. > :06:23.Anthony Clark Evans. A graduate of the Chicago Opera
:06:24. > :06:26.Young Singers Programme. The first classical recording
:06:27. > :06:30.he ever bought was Bryn's The two men met this week
:06:31. > :07:03.when Sir Bryn came to his Song Prize When he left the United States, his
:07:04. > :07:08.passport was completely blank, he had never before been overseas. I
:07:09. > :07:13.think he made the right decision, to get on the plane. He is wonderful,
:07:14. > :07:18.we have worked together. What you see is what you get, he is exactly
:07:19. > :07:26.like that of the stage, a big personality with a big voice. You
:07:27. > :07:33.can feel how he sold the last aria, it suits his personality, as well as
:07:34. > :07:42.his dramatic rep. You were listening to him sinking with his mouth open.
:07:43. > :07:53.It is lovely to see a younger artist really taking on big sinking. This
:07:54. > :07:57.was a lovely performance. What is fascinating, we have heard two
:07:58. > :08:04.baritones with the same range, and yet completely different. They do
:08:05. > :08:08.have different personalities. There is a lot of talent on display this
:08:09. > :08:17.evening, and one thing I have noticed in comparison to other years
:08:18. > :08:22.is that vocally there is a lot of even, fantastic, technically sound
:08:23. > :08:27.sinking. It will be up to all of the other qualities that the judges will
:08:28. > :08:30.be looking at. We will get your opinions later, but it is still
:08:31. > :08:40.clock's night, he is backstage. Bravo, really great. You were the
:08:41. > :08:45.first person to win in round one, what has been going through your
:08:46. > :08:51.mind? Drink a lot of water! Don't drink any beer! How do you feel that
:08:52. > :08:57.the audience received due? They received me well. I do different
:08:58. > :09:03.stuff, because I think people have been catching up on who the round
:09:04. > :09:09.one guy was, so I try to change it up a little bit. A fantastic job,
:09:10. > :09:14.really excited for you. That concludes our backstage interviews.
:09:15. > :09:16.I'm now joined by chairman of the jury and Welsh National
:09:17. > :09:18.Opera's artistic director, David Pountney.
:09:19. > :09:21.And patron of the Cardiff Singer of the World competition,
:09:22. > :09:33.What a great final. I cannot remember a better one in your time.
:09:34. > :09:43.I hoped we would have something like this. It is really starting their
:09:44. > :09:46.major international career, and fantastic for the rest of the world
:09:47. > :09:53.to see these singers. You will have a tough task, you will go to the
:09:54. > :09:58.Viscount Tony Pandy room, how do you decide? What is the process? The
:09:59. > :10:06.first process is to rank the five singers from one to five. If you are
:10:07. > :10:14.lucky, that yields a clear result. Very often, it does not. If there is
:10:15. > :10:19.a draw? You have to vote again, and discussion takes place. Initially it
:10:20. > :10:25.is just a matter of, put down what your instinct told you. But if that
:10:26. > :10:31.has to be rejigged or re-voted on, debate can be intense. What we have
:10:32. > :10:37.seen tonight is proof of the wonderful showcase that this is, a
:10:38. > :10:43.chance for new talent to be spotted. Exactly. It has always been there,
:10:44. > :10:46.but now we are getting so many other countries that are interested in
:10:47. > :10:51.classical music, they study it amazingly, and the Internet does
:10:52. > :10:55.amazing things as well. I hope you will not keep us waiting too long!
:10:56. > :10:57.We will let you go and join your fellow jurors.
:10:58. > :11:02.This is the tenth time I have presented Cardiff Singer.
:11:03. > :11:06.As ever, it's been a revelatory week.
:11:07. > :11:08.Listening to and watching singers of so many different styles,
:11:09. > :11:12.I'm sure, like me, you established your favourites.
:11:13. > :11:15.Some of mine are through tonight, some not.
:11:16. > :11:18.And I know it's the same for Angel and Mary, who got
:11:19. > :11:43.There are always some standout moments. For me, Anthony Clark Evans
:11:44. > :11:51.was the first, spine tingling top notes.
:11:52. > :12:00.Because his technique is so solid, his voice is even throughout, from
:12:01. > :12:02.the top to the bottom. I am fickle, and I have a bit of previous with
:12:03. > :12:28.Mongolian baritones. He was the most exciting, he he pulls his entire
:12:29. > :12:37.being in it, I can listen to him sing all day. And all night. One of
:12:38. > :12:46.the moments I adored was with Lee, you knew all of the top Cs would be
:12:47. > :13:00.nailed, he was looking forward to showing off, and he did.
:13:01. > :13:08.I cannot say enough good things about Louise's sinking, she was
:13:09. > :13:12.poised, in complete control, and she is also in control of the orchestra.
:13:13. > :13:19.She breeds clearly so the conductor knows when to bring the orchestra
:13:20. > :13:23.in. Also, seeing that many fast notes with such clear articulation,
:13:24. > :13:31.and looking so effortless as she does it, fantastic.
:13:32. > :13:47.I love tennis, they are like sopranos, but a tenor like Kang
:13:48. > :13:51.Wang, the stage presence, his performance was dedicated to his
:13:52. > :13:57.wife, and that came across in just about every song. And by singing to
:13:58. > :14:00.one person, your whole audience received that love. I really think
:14:01. > :14:21.he is very special. Angel and Mary's review of the week
:14:22. > :14:26.and I guess nobody has been closer to the action that angel and Mary,
:14:27. > :14:36.both professional singers, and they are with me now from prompt corner.
:14:37. > :14:40.This is an amazing final. It is a fantastic final. Absolutely
:14:41. > :14:51.brilliant. I do not know how the jury can possibly make... We have
:14:52. > :14:56.lost Mary. I think we got a sense of her excitement. Mary has been coming
:14:57. > :15:02.to the competition, ten, 12 years. Are you back with us? I am sorry. I
:15:03. > :15:07.have been coming here for sometime and I think this is the best final
:15:08. > :15:12.we have ever had, brilliant. Difficult to choose a winner. Angel,
:15:13. > :15:19.your thoughts on what we have seen tonight and this week? I am happy
:15:20. > :15:25.for all of the singers. I have made friends with them, all 20 from the
:15:26. > :15:28.last week. It is a gruelling process they have been through and I am
:15:29. > :15:34.proud of them and hope to see them on the world's biggest and greatest
:15:35. > :15:38.stages. Reiterate the friendly nature of competition. You have seen
:15:39. > :15:48.singers backstage patting each other on the back, checking each other's
:15:49. > :15:51.health, getting gifts or each other. There is a lot of love. That
:15:52. > :15:57.camaraderie helps the spirit of the competition. Everybody competing for
:15:58. > :16:02.the prize, but all these singers at some point in their career will see
:16:03. > :16:06.each other again onstage and today they have made friends here, out in
:16:07. > :16:12.the world they will have friends there, so a great start for them.
:16:13. > :16:20.And for me. A wonderful example of how to be with our cast. Last brief
:16:21. > :16:25.question, Mary, did you shed a tear to night? I was in great control
:16:26. > :16:32.throughout. I do not know if that is good or bad. That was good. Lovely
:16:33. > :16:37.to have you with us in Cardiff. We are very close to a result and I
:16:38. > :16:46.gather the jury has arrived backstage. Before we hear from the
:16:47. > :16:55.jury, and I ask Jerry and Danielle, let's remind ourselves of the
:16:56. > :17:01.finalists this evening. From Mongolia, Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar.
:17:02. > :17:07.And then it was the turn of hard-working English soprano Louise
:17:08. > :17:14.Alder. From Australia, Kang Wang, the
:17:15. > :17:32.tenor, who warmed hearts here. Then singing for Scotland, mezzo
:17:33. > :17:49.soprano Catriona Morison. And finally, once he sold used cars.
:17:50. > :17:50.Now he delights audiences in Cardiff. Baritone Anthony Clark
:17:51. > :18:22.Evans. One of those singers will very
:18:23. > :18:27.shortly be crowned BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2017. Danielle
:18:28. > :18:32.de Niese, Gerald Finley, the jury have a difficult task. They do. It
:18:33. > :18:36.has been an evening of fantastic singing and nobody has made
:18:37. > :18:42.mistakes. We got to see an evening of talent. The real question I think
:18:43. > :18:47.will be who has everything? Can anyone have everything in a
:18:48. > :18:54.competition like this? I think so. Whether we all feel we have attained
:18:55. > :18:59.everything to 100%, the perfection we seek, is part of being an artist.
:19:00. > :19:03.When you are in an audience, you have a feeling on your skin, when
:19:04. > :19:09.you encounter an artist who gives you everything, and moves you. It is
:19:10. > :19:14.time to put you on the spot. Do you have a winner? It has been an
:19:15. > :19:21.exhibition tonight of a wonderful range of talent. They are all
:19:22. > :19:27.winners for me. I am not sure that is good enough. If you press... Just
:19:28. > :19:34.that the joy and radiance of her singing, I would say Louise. Do you
:19:35. > :19:42.have a winner? To be different, I will go with Kang Wang. He was
:19:43. > :19:49.moving. I felt he had everything in terms of being a great performer and
:19:50. > :19:53.artists. There are two tips. Gerald Finley reckons it will be Louise
:19:54. > :19:59.Alder and Danielle de Niese reckons it is Kang Wang. I wonder what the
:20:00. > :20:04.jury thought. I think they are at the side of the stage and about to
:20:05. > :20:09.make their way on. We will go backstage to see them preparing.
:20:10. > :20:18.There they are, the eminent Cardiff Singer 2017 jury. APPLAUSE
:20:19. > :20:27.And here they come onto the St David's Hall stage. Kiri Te Kanawa,
:20:28. > :20:31.David Pountney, Lord Hall of Birkenhead, the director-general of
:20:32. > :20:36.the BBC, who will announce the first winner because we have two prizes.
:20:37. > :20:48.The Audience Prize will come first. Anu Tali. Grace Bumbry, Sumi Jo,
:20:49. > :20:57.Wolfgang Holzmair. I am delighted to be here in this wonderful constant
:20:58. > :20:58.hall -- concert Hall. I would like to thank two superb orchestra as we
:20:59. > :21:19.have enjoyed this week. APPLAUSE The Welsh National Opera Orchestra
:21:20. > :21:24.and the orchestra behind me, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Thanks
:21:25. > :21:41.also to the two conductors, Thomas Sondergard and Tomas Hanus. APPLAUSE
:21:42. > :21:49.Thank you both for your support and skill in accompanying our singers.
:21:50. > :21:55.Today, Cardiff Singer is rightly regarded as one of the world's most
:21:56. > :22:00.important music competitions. It is the result of a remarkable and
:22:01. > :22:05.long-standing partnership between BBC Wales, Welsh National Opera, and
:22:06. > :22:11.the city and County of Cardiff. This past week has seen extensive
:22:12. > :22:16.coverage across BBC services here in the UK and internationally. Thanks
:22:17. > :22:20.to an array of digital media. As well as offering audiences the
:22:21. > :22:26.opportunity to enjoy the remarkable talents of so many gifted singers,
:22:27. > :22:32.the BBC has also given viewers and listeners and online users the
:22:33. > :22:37.chance to choose their winner of the Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize.
:22:38. > :22:41.The prize, which is supported by the University of Cardiff School of
:22:42. > :22:49.music, reflects the view of audiences in St -- St David's Hall
:22:50. > :22:57.and in the UK, for the singer who impressed them in the concert
:22:58. > :23:04.rounds. The winner of the prize and check for ?2500 is Louise Alder.
:23:05. > :23:12.APPLAUSE That will come with great delight to
:23:13. > :23:16.Louise Alder's many fans in Cardiff and further afield. Cardiff, which
:23:17. > :23:22.has been her home in the past seven weeks as she rehearsed and starred
:23:23. > :23:26.in the Welsh National Opera production of Rosenkavalier.
:23:27. > :23:34.Creating this hectic schedule for her. Two finals, two rounds, two
:23:35. > :23:39.performances of Rosenkavalier. Tony Hall, the director-general of the
:23:40. > :23:46.BBC, shaking her hand. And it is Councillor Bob Darbyshire,
:23:47. > :23:53.presenting her with the Dame Joan Sutherland audience trophy. Voted
:23:54. > :23:58.for by you, viewers, listeners, to Cardiff Singer of the World. This is
:23:59. > :24:02.the prize. The jury have no say in it. Now we come to the big prize.
:24:03. > :24:44.Very well-deserved. There is a lovely phrase in the song
:24:45. > :24:49.Louise San, the Andre Previn song, magic, that is what I try to give to
:24:50. > :24:55.people. My goodness, these people have given us some magic over these
:24:56. > :25:10.last few days. APPLAUSE
:25:11. > :25:15.And to find out in a very closely calibrated group who just about gave
:25:16. > :25:26.the most magic, Dame Kiri, please, come and tell us.
:25:27. > :25:34.May I say it has been a privilege and honour since the last Cardiff
:25:35. > :25:39.Singer of the World, we always have thoughts of what would happen in the
:25:40. > :25:52.next, and here we are, 2017, the winner of the Cardiff Singer of the
:25:53. > :25:57.World from Scotland to... CHEERING No more needs to be said.
:25:58. > :26:02.It is Catriona Morison, the 31-year-old mezzo soprano. She did
:26:03. > :26:08.not win her round, but she got the wild card position in this final.
:26:09. > :26:13.And she sang her way this evening to victory. Performing Rossini,
:26:14. > :26:19.Strauss, Ravel and Henry Purcell. She makes her way down the judges.
:26:20. > :26:30.Sumi Jo, Anu Tali, the Estonian conductor. Letters get a response to
:26:31. > :26:36.that from Danielle de Niese. Gosh, what a fantastic scream from the
:26:37. > :26:42.audience. Upon hearing Catriona Morison. That is amazing. She is a
:26:43. > :26:48.thoughtful Singer and she put in a lot of personality. To her
:26:49. > :26:54.interpretations. Gerald Finley. She is a thoughtful artist and full of
:26:55. > :27:04.passion. She will have a very interesting career. Very emotional
:27:05. > :27:06.right now. Thank you for joining us. A great end to BBC Cardiff Singer of
:27:07. > :27:07.the World 2017. And if you're after more and you're
:27:08. > :27:15.in Wales, stay with us, BBC Two Wales continues
:27:16. > :27:17.with all the reaction If you're elsewhere in the UK,
:27:18. > :27:26.watch via the website - From all of us here at
:27:27. > :27:31.St David's Hall in Cardiff. Catriona Morison, the 2017 BBC
:27:32. > :28:59.Cardiff Singer of the World. # Work it harder
:29:00. > :29:07.Make it better # Do it faster
:29:08. > :29:09.Makes us stronger... # I want to, like,
:29:10. > :29:12.hang out with you guys.