By Phil Jarratt
The brilliant Italian tenor Raffaele Pierno dines out on the fact that he was born in the same Naples street as the legendary Enrico Caruso, but in the street where he lives in Brisbane he’s better known as “that bloke who sings to his lemon trees”.
In Noosa he’s fast becoming known as “that bloke that sings at John’s place”, following amazing recitals at former timber tycoon John Fraser’s 91st birthday at his Sunrise Beach mansion in November and again at an intimate gathering in the week before Christmas when he, along with pianist Leanne Warne and Australian Opera soprano Anna Stephens, gave a well-received performance that included arias, Raffaele’s trademark Neapolitan songs and, of course, some popular carols.
“We did O Holy Night in French and English, Silent Night, and Jingle Bells brought the house down,” Raffaele tells Noosa Today. “Not to mention Besame Mucho. And Anna gave a glorious rendition of Queen of the Night from The Magic Flute.”
The Christmas recital was the first of a planned series to be held on a monthly basis at the Fraser home and other venues, with the next scheduled for late January. Although the events are invitation only at this stage, Raffaele is hopeful that he can present his beautiful voice and wide-ranging repertoire to the broader Noosa community during 2024. He says: “The idea [of the home recitals] is to invite different types of guests to each one, but also I have a vast repertoire, including over 120 Neapolitan songs and 300 operatic arias, so we can rotate the material and guarantee a memorable night every time, even if you’re a regular. We guarantee there will always be surprises. While the venue will mainly be John’s house, we will also be looking at the possibility of other venues. And we’re also looking at involving other musicians from the Noosa area, like maybe a quartet, or even a student orchestra.”
Raffaele was performing at a local trattoria in Naples when he was discovered, just like Caruso, by the person who would become his voice coach, and first hit the cultural radar with a Caruso tribute concert. He then spent seven years at the Ancient Italian School of Singing (La Vecchia Scuola Italiana di Canto), and later graduated from the Conservatorio Domenico Cimarosa di Avellino with a Diploma di Canto. After graduating, he became a singer of choice for public festivals and celebrations, not only in Naples, but all over Italy, while his command of sacred music saw him make many appearances in the great cathedrals.
After migrating to Australia in 2004, Raffaele settled in Sydney before moving to Brisbane in 2008 when he was contracted to Opera Queensland. He says: “I met my partner in Brisbane and we have made a family together. Our daughter is 11 and she’s already following my footsteps with her music. I am very proud.”
But let’s get back to those lemons! Raffaele became a tabloid TV sensation this year when not one but two Brisbane networks beat up a story that neighbours were circulating a petition to stop the great tenor loudly singing to his lemon trees in his suburban garden at dawn. Raffaele, almost as good a publicist as he is a singer, tells Noosa Today: “There was no petition, just a small misunderstanding. I think in my very thick accent I told the reporters that I wake at six and start doing my breathing exercises to prepare myself to sing. I have a slow metabolism and it takes about an hour for me to warm my voice up and I don’t really get going until about 11am, and I’m at my best by 3pm. But as soon as I feel ready I go out to my garden and shout out for joy at my lemons. I know they enjoy my singing and I enjoy watching them grow. It’s basically a quid pro quo. The neighbours don’t get upset by it, in fact I sometimes hear them singing along with me.”
Raffaele learnt the technique of singing to his lemon trees from his grandfather back in Naples, and he swears by it: “My lemons are wonderful. They start out like little buds and sometimes grow to the size of pineapples. I start singing to them about three or four months before they’re ready, and we often pick them at a staggering 600 grams!”
If you’re a tad sceptical, 7 News found someone to back Raffaele on the subject of music-inspired plant growth. “Paul Gauthier from the Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation told 7NEWS that Pierno’s lemons are responding to the release of CO2. ‘He is releasing a lot of CO2 from his mouth, which the plants love,’ he said.”
Maybe, but If I was a lemon and I heard Raffaele singing beautifully in my garden, I’d be jumping out of my skin too!
Enquiries about Raffaele Pierno performances may be directed to his Australasian management, Darryl Burrows of the Michael Weston Organisation, on 0413 209 644.
