When Giuseppe Verdi and Johnny Cash hang out together…

There are people you wouldn’t get into an opera house, even with the most refined skills of persuasion. But listen to a concert of the Luna Llena Duo once, and the fascination of the great arias will get hold of you and keep you spellbound. What Simona Mango and Bruce Reynolds – her a mighty classical mezzo-soprano and him a through and through rock guitarist – get across to their audience is far away from any stiffness and pomp. While she delivers Bizet’s Carmen, Saint-Saëns’ Dalilah or Tchaikovsky’s Olga, he coaxes chords from his guitar of great elegance and beauty, and of no lesser goose-bump-potential than those of an orchestra. And so, the audience sits there amazed and ecstatic, harbouring the thought that well, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad to go to the opera some time or other – and that’s what makes Simona smile – removing all fear of classical singing being close to her heart.

© 2009 Karin Hänzi, stöbern

 

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I would like to thank you again for your concert at Schloss Bümpliz. Naples in Bümpliz, what a feeling! With your extraordinary voice, accompanied by a fabulous guitarist, you two succeeded in enthralling us listeners.
As for me, old rock and roller, blues and country fan: totally enthusiastic !!!!
 
Thomas Zaugg
Grizzlies Motorcycle Group

 

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That was truly a successful musical midsummernight.
Warmest congratulations to you both!

Hansjürg Kuhn – classical pianist