Last night I attended the JDF recital at the Sydney Opera House. The 2700 seat hall was packed to capacity. When he walked onto the stage the roar from the audience was almost deafening. A large contingent of local Peruvians waved the flag of Peru and called out words of encouragement in Spanish. I should add this was an evening in which usual concert decorum went out the window.
The main body of the recital consisted of well known arias by Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Verdi, Puccini and Gounod. He was magnificent. A showman to his fingertips.
As Marc from Cali reported for his encore he came onstage with his guitar and sang a number of Peruvian songs to the delight of the Peruvians in the audience and at times asked them to join in.
I thought this was going to be the end but how wrong I was. He returned with the pianist and sang 6 encores including Ah mes amis from Daughter of the Regiment (with its 8 high C’s), La Donna Mobile, Nesun Dorma and Granada. After each number the audience reacted with increasing levels of delirium.
It would be the understatement of the century to say that this was a recital like no other.