Florida Grand Opera's "Turandot"

[cubanmiamiboy]

Last night I went to the FGO uber-traditional-(let's thank good reasoning, finally)-and luxurious production of Turandot. The one thing I want to underline here was that the loudest cheers of the night were reserved for our very Cuban soprano Miss Elizabeth Caballero ,who gave one of the most powerful performances I've ever seen of the slave girl Liu. If you have not heard of Miss Caballero, then you're missing what I assure is just her absolute meteoric rise to fame. She possesses one of the most exciting voices in opera today-(that I've heard)-, and her future looks set to be a series of extraordinary successes. Here in Miami I already witnessed her superb capability during her amazing Lucia last season . Her voice is very warm, steely and thrusting when needed, then subtle, reflective and diminutive as the score changes the demands it places on the singer. Liu’s first aria “Signore, ascolta!” with its Chinese pentatonic construction, was extremely moving, even if she moved away a little from its usual meltingly tender pianissimo. Her second aria, “Tu che di gel sei cinta”, was the most glorious piece of singing of the entire evening, you could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium as her POWERFUL voice arced through the Ziff Opera House in glorious waves of sound. Apart from proving herself to be an accomplished vocalist, she is also an intensely moving actress. During curtain calls, she totally stole the show. I felt bad for Miss Lise Lindstrom, last night's Turandot. My mom whispered to me what she saw as a very unconfortable situation between the two sopranos up there, to which I riposted..."That's what this is all about...excitement, rivalry, cheers, drama..." I love it...!

Viva Elizabeth !!!