Word: aria
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...repertory, will lead off singing the first act of Die Walkure. Then comes Pavarotti in the first act of Otello, new for him, though it is Domingo's signature role. The finale will feature both men in the third act of Il Trovatore, with its famous double-barreled tenor aria...
Composers have long recognized the hypnotic impact of repeated melody: the grinding pathos of the Albinoni Adagio; the inexorable drive of Ravel's Bolero; the serene radiance of Gandhi's final aria in Glass's Satyagraha. None of these pieces, however, approach in length or cumulative impact a new work by British composer Gavin Bryars, Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet, which is at once an apotheosis of minimalist technique and a moving affirmation of the power of simple song...
James Ruff's energetic portrayal of Lindoro, the heroine's lover, saves was an otherwise anemic role. Of all the leads, ruffs arias are the most consistent, his crescendos gradual and never punched. Aside from needless in his opening aria, Ruff displayed Sunday night a mastery of facial mime and stage presence. His improvisation takes full advantage of the humorous license that Rossini gives his characters...
...show's chorus, made up of the only graduates in the cast, offers a fine complement to the show's great leads. The choreography of the opening and the pirate scene during Isabella's first aria are excellent. But too often members gesturing seemed vapid, aimless and irrelevant. This inability to sustain convincing activity behind the leads greatly hurts an otherwise good performance...
...Songs of Self-Discovery" contains the most introspective pieces. These selections recount discoveries of identity, sexuality, language and emotions. "Aria," Richard Rodriguez' introductory chapter to his book Hunger of Memory is perhaps the best offering in this section; the piece grapples lyrically with the two cultures that separate his public and private spheres. Sandra Cisneros and Rudolfo Anaya's selections explore adolescent sensual awareness in markedly different ways. Anaya's nearly magical story is infused with innocent curiosity, while Cisneros' darker story deals with the traumatizing effects of leaving childhood games to play adult roles...