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Nicole Cabell, USA, Concert 3
She straightened her hair tonight and wore a very grown-up dress but Nicole Cabell didn't fool us - the breathtaking talent she showed in her recital was there again in buckets tonight. She has such a presence on stage. It's not just about what she wears but you can't take your eyes off her. |
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However what she wore tonight was very special. Horizontal pleats cascading down a slim fitting dress cut so that it appears a perfect column from the front but has a little fullness below the knee at the back for easier walking. The wide shoulder straps, one running diagonally, echo the pleats and all in matte black. Glorious! But the main point of this outfit is that it throws the whole emphasis onto the performance.
Instead of offering the obvious crowd-pleasers, Nicole gave us arias that were more reflective - Juliette praying that Romeo will rescue her before her forced marriage, Pamina heartbroken that Tamino will not speak to her. Nicole finished with an aria almost unknown here. Menotti's opera The Old Maid and the Thief was written for the radio so the voice has to do all the work. 'Steal me sweet thief' is the servant's yearning to experience life before she too becomes a desperate old maid. It's full of long adagio lines and Nicole gave a stunning performance. Following her recital where she was such a physical performer, this set of arias showed another side of her vocal prowess. |
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