Review

Samoan tenor Pene Pati radiates joy, sings of cicadas in his Cincinnati return

Jun 7, 2021 by Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati Business Courier

Samoan tenor Pene Pati performs in Memorial Hall with pianist Ronny Michael Greenberg on Sunday.When the Samoan tenor Pene Pati heard he would be singing in Cincinnati during the 17-year infestation of cicadas, he said to himself, “I cannot pass this up.” He had the perfect encore.

So, to conclude his recital for Matinée Musicale on Sunday afternoon, he launched into “Tarakihi” (“Cicada”). The Maori chant is meant to frighten the enemy with fearful expressions, waving arm gestures and by sticking out one’s tongue. His performance brought down the house. It was one of many times the audience cheered during his exceptional concert in Memorial Hall.

Pati, a native of New Zealand, returned to Cincinnati after a triumphant recital two years ago, this time post-pandemic, to reopen the series that has presented artists for 108 years. His hour-long program with the excellent pianist Ronny Michael Greenberg consisted of “art songs we cherish,” Pati told the audience. (They also performed it on Friday night.)

The selections – French, Russian and Neapolitan songs – provided a good sampling of his versatility. But they all had several things in common, starting with his sensational tenor voice and powerful skills of communication. Every note radiated the joy of his art, and each song ended with a big, genuine smile. 

It was the duo’s first performance together in nearly a year-and-a-half, yet their collaboration was seamless. They opened with two songs by Henri Duparc. “L’invitation au voyage” described a mystical journey into an exotic world. Pati’s French enunciation was flawless, but more impressive was the way he communicated the mystery and ecstasy of the text in his nuanced phrases. As Greenberg created a lush sound world at the piano, the tenor ended with his hand on his heart.

The “Dream Aria” (“En fermant les yeux”) from Massenet’s opera “Manon” formed the centerpiece of this set. Pati’s expression was tender and utterly authentic. He sang with delicacy and beautiful tone, even in the highest register. It was in Duparc’s “Phidylé” that he finally unleashed the full power and glory of his voice, capping his most impassioned phrases with effortless top notes.

Two songs by Rachmaninoff followed: “How Fair This Spot” and “Oh, Never Sing to Me Again.” The latter was a setting of a poem by Pushkin, reflecting on his own exile. Here, Pati’s interpretation conveyed the pain of the poet’s remembrance of the motherland. At the piano Greenberg captured the nostalgic mood with singing tone.

Pati ended his Russian group with “Lenski’s Aria” (“Kuda, kuda, vi udalilis”) from Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin.” It is the moment in the opera just before the duel with Onegin that Lenski knows will kill him, and he reflects on his love for Olga.

He delivered a gripping characterization, singing with hand outstretched, and reaching a potent, impassioned climax that subsided into a somber note of resignation. 

For a change of mood, the tenor concluded with a group of Neapolitan songs by Francesco Paolo Tosti. With Greenberg providing the introduction, he leapt onto the stage and into the famous song, “Mattinata.” It was all there – that voice, that charm, that smile and those thrilling high notes. The audience roared.

After “Mattinata,” Pati diverged from the written program, substituting Tosti’s “Non t’amo piu” and “Ideale,” both deeply felt. For the finale, it was Rossini’s showpiece, “La Danza,” with Greenberg providing wizardry at the piano and Pati swaying his hips.

After “Cicada,” the encores continued with an aria from Puccini’s “La Bohème,” requested by Sheri Greenawald, who discovered Pati in New Zealand and was in the audience. She had encouraged him to pursue opera and became his mentor. (The director of the San Francisco Opera Center and artistic director for the Merola Opera Program announced her retirement last year.) 

Somehow, after such a diverse program, Pati summoned the control and artistry to provide her – and us – with Rodolfo’s famous aria “Che gelida manina” (“What a frozen little hand”). It was spellbinding.

But he wasn’t done yet. There was also “Core 'ngrato” (“Ungrateful heart”) by Salvatore Cardillo, a signature song of Mario Lanza. Pati sang it, as he did everything else in this recital, from the heart.

Matinée Musicale will open its full season on Oct. 3 in Memorial Hall. To see the lineup, visit matineemusicalecincinnati.org. Subscriptions: 513-977-8838.

Janelle Gelfand's work is supported by the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.

Janelle Gelfand, Courier contributor.