The Nicosia Municipality Orchestra and two fine baritone soloists Erkan Dağli and Ahmet Zeyin

By Heidi Trautmann

For the third concert of the Classic Music Days the Nicosia Municipality Orchestra and guest director Oskay Hoca brought a programme of a varied music compilation of popular arias and new compositions at the Rauf Denktaş Cultural Centre at the TED College.

The evening started with a concert written by Ali Hoca for Oboe and String players which I enjoyed very much, it was like a walk through a deep forest, the kind of forest of my childhood. We heard the Ave Maria by Schubert sung by Ahmet Zeyin, also the beautiful arias ‘Ombra Mai Fu’ by Handel, ‘Lasciatemi Morire’ by Monteverdi and Hai Gia Vinta La Causa (Figaro) by Mozart; the last two I enjoyed very much.

Sung by Erkan Dağli, a baritone I have heard before at other occasions, brought an aria by Handel ‘Lascia ch’io Pianga’ and by J.Bock ‘Sunrise, Sunset’ from Fiddler on the Roof, and ‘Over the Rainbow’ from The Wizard of Oz by H.Arlen, two pieces that were a little drowned by the orchestra.  I liked the ‘Lüküs Hayat’ piece by C.R. Rey sung by Erkan Dağli again,  and the ‘Dolama’ a composition by Oskay Hoca himself where both baritones were singing and which received spontaneous applause by the audience, so they sung it again invited by the official director of the Lefkoşa Beleldiye Orchestra Can Sözer.

Beautiful baritone voices, different in expression, but with enthusiasm and passion. We should hear more of them.

The next concert with the same programme will be presented in Famagusta at the new Congress and Culture Centre on January 29.