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Hi all. Cecilia was in top form, again, singing from Opera Proibita and more at Boston's Symphony Hall on Sunday afternoon, in my opinion a venue better suited to her voice than the more expansive Carnegie Hall. Symphony Hall is, I suppose, closer to the type of houses she performs in Europe. With a seating capacity of 2600, the hall is reminiscent in looks to the concert hall in Graz, that of the Haydn and Mozart DVDs. The Boston stage is narrower than Carnegie's, and there are only three seating levels: Orchestra, First and Second balconies (Carnegie has five levels). Thus more intimacy is established between perfomer and audience in venues such as Symphony Hall. Highlights? Again, hard to chose. But this time I'll go with Caldara's treacherous-on-the-lungs "Si piangete pupille dolenti" which Cecilia sang with impeccable breath control while able to grippingly convey the drama: The piece is an opera all on its own. Handel's "Io sperai trovar nel vero" is another breathtakng staight-to-the-heart gem: Cecilia's voice, so full of melancholy, reached every corner of the hall with special grace and poignancy. The familiar "Lascia la spina," a favorite encore of Cecilia's from years ago, is now one of the main attractions, as she seems to discover something new everytime she sings it: The piano playing with which La Scintilla concludes this piece is surely something to treasure. Cecilia was heading back to New York after the concert: I was hoping to run into her on my train ride back, but I know she is traveling by car with Oliver--Lucky him!
So, until next time, Suprema. Thanks for the many years of musical bliss, those past and those to come.
Best wishes,
Ruben in New York at 3:40 in the morning and, still, Bartoli-Berserk!
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La Suprema a Boston 
Krannert Center performance details available
(Mariska)
