Tonight: Joyce DiDonato

Tonight: Joyce DiDonato at the Rose Theatre of Lincoln Center
David Zobel accompanies on piano.

Vivaldi: Col piacer della mia fede
Vivaldi: Vedro? con mio diletto
Vivaldi: Da quel ferro che ha svenato
Chausson: Four songs
Turina: Poema en forma de canciones
Copland: Eight songs from 12 Poems of Emily Dickinson
Gershwin: By Strauss
Gershwin: The Man I Love

The Yankee Diva is ready and so am I!

There was nothing but JOY in JOYce's recital. She looked glamorous and beautiful in two different gowns, the first a sort of teal green silk crepe with a full skirt and beading over the bodice. Her bling was pretty spectacular. The second dress was a strapless fitted number in black that was adorned with tiny ruffles and strips of sparkle. She left the necklace bling in the dressing room for this dress and wore long strings of diamond earrings. Her voice was wonderful. Her trill is lovely and ladylike and her fortissimo is thrilling. I loved the 8 songs of Emily Dickinson. She talked about choosing those songs for a recording with David for a start-up French label. The record label told her that she could record whatever she wanted and she said, "Well I'd like to record all of the hits of Ethel Merman." Oh Joyce. That record is The Deepest Desire . I need to add it to my collection. Her encores were The Composter's Aria by Strauss and then she that by "going back to her roots, with an aria from Rossini's La Cenerentola. Wow.