Rachelle wows Singapore

MANILA, Philippines - Rachelle Gerodias (photo) had just reminded Singaporeans why she is the most-awarded Filipino soprano and the toast of the opera scene from Asia to Europe.

At the recent staging of Mozart’s comedy of mistaken identities Cosi Fan Tutte at the Esplanade Theater in Singapore, Rachelle floored both audience and critics with her amazing portrayal of Fiordigili, an arrogant mistress. The Pinay opera diva was said to have been a marvel in utilizing her wide vocal range that tested even her low notes. She sang in lighter tone color compared to the original singer for whom Mozart created the role, Italian operatic soprano Adriana Ferrarese del Bene. The show marked Rachelle’s triumphant to the Lion City after her rendition of Kathy in The Student Prince, Micaëla in Carmen, Susanna in Le Nozzedi Figaro and Liu in Puccini’s Turandot.

Critics also applauded Rachelle’s acting skills which came to fore most notably in Come Scoglia, which Seen And Heard International website reported, came off “brilliantly” and her second act aria Per Pieta, Bien Mio, Perdona, which shows Fiordigili’s regret over entertaining the pleas of new lovers. In the former, Rachelle was hailed for “fiendish coloratura passages” done beautifully.

Rachelle led an international cast, including Du Qin, Ee-Ping and Raffaele d’Ascanio all of whom “shared great chemistry, interacting like a genuine ensemble,” reported The Mad Scene blogsite. They were accompanied no less than by the Singapore Lyric Opera Chorus with chorus master Adrian Poon and the Singapore Lyric Opera Orchestra under the baton of Joshua Kangming Tan. Cosi Fan Tutte was a production of Singapore Lyric Opera.