Although the 71st opera season of the ABAO will begin on October 15 with the screening of Bellini’s I Puritani, the first of five titles this season, on September 24 we had the opportunity to enjoy a first-class opera night, culminating the Tutto Verdi project.

This project, which starts in 2006 and ends this year, has programmed 30 Verdean catalogue titles with 127 actions for 17 years. In addition, it has had numerous activities that have focused on the knowledge of the human, artistic and intellectual facet of the composer. As I mentioned, with this concert they wanted to complete this project as best as possible. They were great voices that, together with the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra and the Bilbao Opera Choir, made a real feast for opera lovers.

The aria sample was varied and interesting, although titles such as La traviata, Rigoletto and Otello were missing. However, it was a good sample of Verdi's production and well interpreted.

The Gypsy Choir of Il trovatore was performed by the Bilbao Opera Choir with nuances and intensities under the direction of Daniel Oren.

Then we discovered the mezzo Daniela Barcellone, full of strength, in the O don fatale of the opera Don Carlo, with forcefulness and depth of voice that we are accustomed to. With the same stimulus and the good attitude of the scenario, Barcellone gave us several interpretations performed in the duo and trios of Aida, representing the role of Amneris. She especially highlighted in the aria L'aborrita rivale a me sfuggia, or in La fatal pietra sovra me si chiuso…, together with Angela Meader, in the role of Aída, and with Sergio Escobar, in the role of Radames.

American soprano Angela Meade was the star of the night. She's a singer who seems to have no limits. It has a full, well-lit and homogeneous voice in its entirety. It has a lot of strength in times of rage, Traditor!... Priest! Rest of you! Like in the aria, but it seduces with delicate pianissim in the most painful moments, as Qui Radames will see… Or motherland my passage. Perfect.

Tenor Sergio Escobar and baritone Giovanni Meoni acted effectively, but Meoni had some difficult time someday that did not flow correctly.

The session ended with two powerful numbers: He is a pensioner of Nabucco, full of nuances, and the Hymn of the Nations, full of enthusiasm, in which Sergio Escobar composed.