After Pene Pati's introductory romp through Questa o Quella, Edris gave us a scintillating Gavotte from Massenet's Manon, admonishing us with a wagging finger for twice breaking in with applause.
Ioelu was bearishly Mephistophelian in his Golden Calf turn from Gounod's Faust and a radiant Amitai Pati captured Alfredo's joys at the beginning of La Traviata's second act.
After this, Marlena Devoe was a thoughtfully nuanced heroine from Charpentier's Louise.
Ensembles worked well. If the Pati brothers joshed their way through a Rossini tarantella, then Pene and Edris made a few minutes from Verdi's Rigoletto come to life in concert, ending with the soprano's brilliant Caro nome.
Ioelu and Edris stole the show in a La Boheme quartet, as the feisty Musetta and Marcello, after the two sopranos had delivered total ravishment in the famous Lakme duet.
We were here to tribute Pene Pati. He is a phenomenon, solid in stature, with vocal chops to match. Introducing his brother for the last time, Amitai Pati talked of "a man who knows what he wants and goes out and gets it".
Which he did with the final scene from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, with subtle shifts of mood, climaxing in a glorious top D that seemed to go on forever.
What: Pene Pati & friends
Where: Auckland Town Hall
