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Well, folks, Despina may be a secondary role in a more-or-less
frivolous opera, but La Maestra performed it with charm, wit
and grace. I think that CB's renown and reputation are what
made the choice of Despina the maid easy: who known what made
the decision final...
Nonetheless, that character is charming, and Ms. B was given
a platform from which to display her comedic talents and her
vocal prowess ("In uomini, In soldati" is a beautiful lark:
no showcase piece, but fine and crystalline). The new production,
masterminded by Lesley Koenig (debuting as production head),
allowed CB to camp it up in her initial stage appearance, and in
the subsequent buffo disguise sequences, in which she was hilarious.
The production as a whole was of phenomenal quality, and, my CB-phile
prejudices aside, and sopranos in the principal roles were quite good.
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La Cecilia on Feb 8 in Cosė Fan Tutte 
