Dame Kiri revisited

Kiri just after the concert greeting fans

Kiri Te Kanawa stepped on the stage of the Yis Theatre of Thessaloniki at 21.30, left the stage after a triumphant recital at about 23.30 and after meeting fans, left in a huge white limo. My spies informed me that she was quite good. She sang the typical Kiri stuff (Depuis le Jour, Marietta, some Strauss Lieder, O mio babbino caro and some Maori song as an encore etc.) but miked, of course, as the theatre is open-air and it's accoustics are quite bad . (My spies also inform me that most members of the audience carried invitations rather than tickets...cool).

It seems that Kiri was really talkative last night....here are some of the things she said:

"I can't believe we 're in the middle of nowhere! I know it's Thessaloniki, but I didn't realise that so many people would take the time and trouble to come to this nice little theater!''

"The second reason why I came here was to avoid British weather. It's awful there, but it's good to know that the sun shines somewhere in the world."


I spent almost 5 years in Thessaloniki, studying, during which I almost forgot my passion for opera. The cultural events were less than mediocre and the operatic ones- that were indeed very few- were usually dreadful (with exceptions, like a Turandot with Ghena Dimitrova, about 12 years ago). I couldn't even locate any other opera lover in a city of a million(+) people...

I can remember a Recital of Mariella Devia, 2-3 years ago. I flew from Athens to be there (550 km. away) and to listen to Mariella and I found the Thessaloniki Concert Hall half empty, with people yawning of boredom and Mariella singing marvellously for an audience that would rather be home in pyjamas watching TV. (You can download and listen to this Recital HERE)

Anyway, enough with nagging (for a city that I used to love for being avant-garde but unfortunately has made steps backwards to extreme conservatism.)

The stage and Kiri, Thessaloniki, 8 September 2008

Kiri 's last concert in Athens took place 2 years ago, at the Odeon Of Herodes Atticus, (Kiri was miked again) and here are for my sexy readers some arias from that night (no, my spies didn't record the tonight concert, dammit)
***Parsi is soon to have a full recording & a DVD of the Recital***

Porgi Amor

Dove Sono

Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante

Adieu notre petite table

Depuis le jour