Report | CMIM Aria Semi-Final II: A Momentum for Fleuranne Brockway?

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We now know the names of the finalists of the Montreal International Music Competition (MIMC) in the Aria category: Fleuranne Brockway, Yewon Han, Junho Hwang, Julia Muzychenko-Greenhalgh, and Thedore Platt.

Four of these five candidates were part of the second semifinal, yesterday, June 4, at the Maison symphonique, showing that the level of performance was indeed higher on this evening. We were treated to a battle between the two coloratura sopranos that will continue into the final, to the delight of the audience.

Russian soprano Julia Muzychenko-Greenhalgh confirmed once again that she is one of the favourites of this year’s competition. We don’t need to rehash her vocal qualities, her admirable control of dynamics, her crescendos and decrescendos. Admittedly, the most discerning listeners will say that she overdoes it, that it’s not always necessary, but it must be acknowledged that she is the only one of the five to offer a performance of this level. Moreover, the volume of her voice, clearly above the orchestra, lent itself perfectly to the hall’s acoustics.

For her part, South Korean soprano Yewon Han may not have the velvety timbre, vocal power or depth of feeling of her direct competitor, but she has the dynamism, athleticism and rigor of the sung language. Two schools of thought clash, each with its supporters, but the Russian soprano stands out more for her artistic sense and maturity.

At the same time, another battle emerged between Australian mezzo-soprano Fleuranne Brockway and British baritone Theodore Platt. The former continues to gain strength with each passing stage. Yesterday, Brockway delivered her best performance to date, building a strong momentum that could take her to the podium in the final. Very generous in the phrasing of “Erbarme dich,” her voice then demonstrated flexibility and consistency across all registers in “Non più mesta.” Finally, “Sein wir wieder gut” allowed us to appreciate her nuances, never as well sculpted as on this evening.

Conversely, Platt seemed to be weakening somewhat at the end of the competition. He showed signs of fatigue in the upper registers, to the point of being drowned out by the orchestra in Mendelssohn’s “It is Enough” and Korngold’s “Mein Sehnen, Mein Wähnen.” Fortunately, his experience and singing intelligence served him well in handling the difficult passages and still making a good impression. Rossini’s “Come un’ape ne giorni d’aprile” provided him with an opportunity to excel in the comic register. He remains the most refined candidate in terms of linguistic and melodic articulation.

Soprano Ariane Cosette, the only Canadian in the semi-finals, clearly had the voice to fill the entire Maison symphonique hall. She was a conqueror in many aspects of stagecraft and singing, but several melodic descents in Mendelsohn’s “Hear ye, Israel” were not executed with care. She also lacked precision in J. Strauss II’s “Klänge der Heimat”.