I am.... alone.... and content....

[robingoh]

It was an eventful night, although most of the events took place within myself. It was a terrific concert with the two soloists pulling out all the stops to impress, and impress they did! How wonderful to see these two world-class artists singing their hearts out for us! More of that later, but the best thing I heard tonight was the prelude to La

Comments

[idle_banter]

I did think that the Traviata prelude was especially poignant and stirring too... But I found Hvorostovsky's top a little short, tight and dry and there was an audible beat in Donose's voice when stretched...

[robingoh]

I don't think it was a beat lah. It was just the nature of her vibrato. Her voice was just not particularly ingratiating. She was obviously better in the bel canto than in the French selections, or maybe she was just not very convincing as either temptress( Dalila or Carmen). I didn't find Dimitri's top that bad for a baritone, although of course it wouldn't have the squillo associated with a tenor( can baritones boast of squillo?), but I did find he barked a bit, especially in the Figaro solo, where his notes were not very distinctly placed and he just sort of bark-sang through it. I'm glad you felt the same about the Traviata. It thought it was sentimental old me. The orchestra really swung, didn't it?

[idle_banter]

Maybe it wasn't his top but the passaggio that I could hear the change of gears in the transition between registers? I was rolling my eyes when he did "O sole mio" as an encore, how corny... Were you seated near enough to size him up? Unfortunately, I wasn't, but even from where I was, can't deny his aura.

[robingoh]

I was in row A, front and center, and he was undeniably a superstar, cockily so. The encore was corny but how about those trumpets?! I was surprised that Donose's encore was the entire Cenerentola aria, but it really was what she was good at.