Hiding behind a full orchestra, a conductor, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky's big secksay shoulders, last nite a gold-sequined Anna Netrebko has finally appeared in a recital at Carnegie Hall: "artistically ready at last" (read: not as afraid of showing up alone with a piano accompanist in front of all those meanies lol).
The AP is not totally awed by our lovely soprano:
In her opening number, Juliette's waltz song from Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette," she sounded more nervous than impetuous. The Act 1 aria from Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" was theatrically gripping, as was the haunting "Song to the Moon" from Dvorak's "Rusalka." A sad Rachmaninoff song, "Oh, Do Not Sing to Me, Fair Maiden" was lovely, until marred by a slight crack on one high note. Her two duets with Hvorostovsky, from Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci" and Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin," were well sung but seemed dubious choices for the concert hall, dependent as they are on the dramatic context of the full operas.
We love Dmitri's black leather pants though.