Not only did I find this gala such a joy to watch, but seeing as it was paying tribute to a great tenor such as Richard Tucker I also found it very moving. The archive footage is interesting if hard not to get emotional by, the whole gala is shot beautifully and makes great use of the concert hall and the music is consistently brilliant and lovingly performed and conducted.
All the soloists range from very good to outstanding. It was nice to see Paul Groves, but my favourites of the night were Renee Fleming, Dimitri Hvorostovsky and Dolora Zajick, all looking and sounding wonderful, Fleming's was the most well sung, Hvorostovsky was the most commanding and Zajick was the most consistent in both categories.
Sherrill Milnes-who I love- is not so good to start with, his Si Puo-not a patch on the revelation that was his 1978 Met performance- is not as bad as some of the you tube comments have said, the voice is still sizeable, he has a brilliant entrance, he looks handsome and the A flat was good complete with good legato and phrasing, however he is very flat often, it is not always rhythmically secure with him sometimes dragging the tempo and there is some carelessness with his vowels here.
However, the Un Ballo in Maschera Quintet fares much better, where he and Francessca Patane show the best singing and acting and Elizabeth Vidol also impresses with an alluring presence and angelic voice. Overall, a fitting gala tribute with wonderful singing and music to accompany it. 9/10 Bethany Cox
