HBSO Kicks Off 2021 withTheir First Concert

HCMC - The HCMC Ballet, Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will present a New Year’s Concert on January 9 in the Saigon Opera House, beginning at 8 p.m.

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La Danza, a patter song by Gioachino Rossini, will be featured at the HBSO’s January 9 concert – PHOTO: COURTESY OF HBSO

The program showcases a vibrant collection of items from operettas and similar productions, featuring a colorful repertoire.

The evening’s program will commence with the Overture to Die Fledermaus, composed by Johann Strauss II. This particular piece will be familiar to those who have previously attended HBSO’s full productions of this operetta.

Next, we will present a solo performance of “Dien ist mein ganzes Herz” (“Yours is my heart alone”) from Lehar’s “Das Land des Lachelns” (“The Land of Smiles”). The talented soloist for this piece will be Trung Kiet.

The program will continue with Fruhlingsstimmen (‘Voices of Spring’) by Johann Strauss II, a captivating orchestral waltz featuring solo soprano voice. We are delighted to have Pham Khanh Ngoc as the esteemed soloist for this performance in HCMC.

Rossini’s La Danza will showcase the HBSO Dance, a vibrant and captivating patter song in Neopolitan style. The lyrics are penned by the esteemed librettist of Bellini’s renowned opera Il Puritani (“The Puritans”).

The HBSO Orchestra is proud to present the enchanting Intermezzo and Barcarolle from Offenbach’s beloved opera Les Contes de Hoffmann (“The Tales of Hoffmann”). The Barcarolle, a cherished melody reminiscent of the gondoliers of Venice, evokes the romantic tradition of lovers renting gondolas for moonlit cruises. This exquisite piece is not to be missed.

The content features poetic expressions that extol the enchanting allure of the nighttime and lament on the fleeting nature of time: “Exquisite night, oh night of love” and “Time swiftly passes, never to be regained.”

Next in the program will be an aria from the opera “Der Fledermaus” titled “Mein Herr Marquis”, commonly referred to as “Adele’s Laughing Song”. The aria is performed by Adele, a maid who has taken on the identity of her mistress and attended a ball. In this song, Adele expresses her disbelief at being recognized, questioning how someone as glamorous as her could be mistaken for a lowly chambermaid. The soloist for this performance will be Thu Huong.

Join us for a spectacular New Year’s celebration featuring a performance of Rossini’s Il Barbieri d Siviglia (“The Barber of Seville”), specifically the famous aria “Largo al Factotum.” This lively piece showcases the barber Figaro as he humorously celebrates his hectic work schedule. The talented and renowned baritone, Dao Mac, will be the soloist for this exciting performance. Don’t miss out on this major event hosted by HBSO.

Next on the program is “Non ti scordar mai di me” (‘Don’t forget about me’). This Italian popular song was released in 2008. The soloist performing in Saigon will be Thanh Nam.

The performance will feature Granada, a song composed in 1932 by Agustin Lara that pays homage to the beautiful city of Granada in southern Spain. The talented soloist for this rendition will be Pham Trang.

HBSO Dance will showcase their performance of the Waltz of the Flowers from Tchaikovsky’s renowned ballet, The Nutcracker. This piece has received outstanding reception with sold-out shows at the Saigon Opera House.

Lehar’s operetta “Die Lustige Witwe” (The Merry Widow) entails a performance of the notable song, “Vilja Leid” (the Vilja song), which portrays a forest fairy named Vilja. The performance will showcase Duyen Huyen alongside the HBSO Chorus.

The Tritsch Tratsch Polka, composed by Johann Strauss II, features the Chorus remaining on stage. This vibrant piece captures the essence of Viennese gossip and chit-chat.

Finally, as a special bonus, we present Les Brown’s “We Wish you the Merriest,” a tune that was originally recorded in 1961. This lively song serves as a perfect ending to what promises to be a tremendously enjoyable event.