AIDA on Saturday October 9th

The October 9th AIDA had a flow to it that was exceptional. Every now and then you have a performance where everything goes right and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Frankly it doesn't happen very often. I can recall a few times--a TURANDOT at Opera Festival of New Jersey, a night of SCOTT JOPLIN AND TREEMONISHA, a performance long ago in North Carolina of PAGLIACCI outdoors when the confetti that the villanous Tonio threw flew upwards into the wind and a flock of birds flew over when Nedda referred to the flight of swallows in her aria. The AIDA performance had that feel--particularly in the second act when every cast member was in fine voice and absolutely performing at their best. You live for these special performances and they keep you going on.

As the 2010-2011 season was the last one that I planned at Opera Memphis, this AIDA was a great way to finish! And now on to H&G in Fargo.

Aida in Memphis

Memphis' AIDA has been a success. Frankly, my luck at pulling off the heavier Verdi in Memphis has had mixed results--uneven casts. However, this group--Kishna Davis, Hugo Vera, Galina Ivannikova, and Eric Greene made a great quartet of leads. And as the Commercial Appeal review indicates, the Chorus, prepared and recruited by Stephen Carey had a powerful sound, certainly a more powerful sound than I have ever heard out of the Memphis group. What a way to go!