In order to capture them all a) in one post and b) not interspersed with other matters. Oh, and to correct typos and unautocorrect!
Roberto Alagna is here. He was stood *right* next to Jimmy
First half of concert extremely good. Highlight Wintersturme or Gia nella notte densa. Or Song to the Moon.
For those who need to know Ange's dress looks like purple rubber covered in gold & silver sequins. I had Xmas wrapping paper like it.
Figure hugging like a Beijing Olympic swimming suit. Mermaid's tail. Maybe Angela thought she was at Aquatics Centre, not Dome.
Home from the *best* concert I have ever attended, notwithstanding the world's most uncomfortable chairs
Angela Gheorghiu's second dress was conceptual. Imagine taking a white sheet & daubing it with broad brush-strokes of brown & pale blue paint...elasticate the waist, & neckline so it can handily be conventional sleeves or an off-the-shoulder number. Team it with no bra...Attach an elasticated mahogany sequinned waistband and similar cuffs of 30cm depth. Sew on white buttons to the waistband and cuffs......ensure that the overall effect is akin to a shift dress women of our age may wear at beach - or Beach Volleyball at Horseguards?
3rd dress I initially thought was leopard print, but Jimmy confidently told me was crocodile skin. Much the same mermaid shape as Dress1......but it was backless except for a couple of restraining straps; a big slit in the front, & it made her look all hips & bum, unfortunate......when she was boogying, stooped, with her back to the audience during Lacuona's Siboney. I'm afraid my companions & I sniggered.
Plácido Domingo was dressed his characteristic all black suit & shirt (2 buttons undone) & black cummerbund
But jokes about the dresses aside, Angela Gheorghiu was *fabulous*. Really amazing voice, & totally threw herself into the performance
She was exceptional in Song to the Moon; her Ebben ne andro lontana was lovely, and her O mio babbino caro was touching
Being Ange, she sang two Romanian folk songs, one, The Tree, dedicated to Roberto. Boring songs, but she delivered a formidable performance
Her I Could Have Danced All Night was...idiomatic (Prof. Higgins would have some work to do on that pronounciation) but musically spot on
She was touching as Amelia in the Boccanegra Father-Daughter recognition duet. I wasn't so sure of her in Gia nella notte densa...
...but I was amused by how she was taking the applause at the end as if it's from an opera called 'Desdemona'
I just think she has an amazing voice. Absolutely solid throughout the range. Jimmy was bowled over (he's heard her in La Rondine & Tosca)
Plácido was as I expected him to be, & yet, more so. I shall reserve writing my impressions until tomorrow when I shall blog, at length!
I've mentioned some of the numbers he sang. The encores included No puede ser, Granada, Besame mucho & Lippen schweigen...
I shall go to bed with 'Goodnight, goodnight, sleep well and when you dream, dream of...Besame mucho" in my ears...
He also sang The Impossible Dream, which I wouldn't have predicted to be on the programme; I enjoyed it tremedously...
Woman next to me on Tube remarked on how it was great how he restrained his voice not to drown out Ange, but he let rip when singing solo
He's very smart the way he moves around stage. Clever to switch between microphones, so each half of the arena gets a good view alternately
He actually doesn't otherwise move a great deal but gives the impression of being very physically involved & active......during the closing duet from El Gato Montes he was playing a convincing torero. Sadly, he did no falling to the floor
We were lucky to be in the 4th row of front central block, so excellent view, & we could basically ignore the amplification. Amazing night!
At the very end, Plácido made one of the cellists abandon her instrument & walk off stage on his arm. She looked...daunted!
And Ange grabbed the orchestra leader (she does rather copy Plácido's unique style...!)
Brilliant seeing so many superlatives in my Tweetdeck 'Plácido Domingo' column. That, & the Tube, makes me think everyone had a good time!
As well as seeing Roberto Alagna (Angela Gheorghiu's husband), we also saw Plácido's wife, Marta, & youngest son, Alvaro.
Woman in front spent all night taking rubbish photos on her phone & gave every sign of not listening to the music!
I forgot to mention Angela's hair. In the 1st half it was Callas-meets-Amy tribute. After the interval it was a one-sided Rebekah tribute......then she brushed it out so it hung freely & straight
I slept very soundly last night *and* dreamed that Plácido Domingo was singing Besame Mucho just a few feet away from me...
...or was it a dream?
Something that *really* annoys me about Plácido - during applause he turns round to thank the orchestra so I have a lot of back view photos!
