Herbert
"Probably one of Anna Netrebko's best concerts ever" - it may sound like an ad for Heineken beer, but it is true.
Last night she sang at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, and it was an absolute triumph. The Parisiens - many young people in the audience - love and adore her. She was welcomed with ovations even before she had sung a single note.
It was the same programme as in Baden-Baden in June, this time with the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava (conductor: Massimo Zanetti), and her tenor partner for two duets was Riccardo Massi.
Although there were numberless curtain calls at the end, she added only one encore (from Dvorak, "Rusalka") and then said she had to finish because she had to sing in Paris again on Monday.
All her arias and duets from Il Trovatore, Macbeth, Otello, Manon Lescaut, Adriana Lecouvreur were samples and "tasters" which made you wish to hear the whole opera sung and interpreted by her.
What a voice, what a presence!
