Rachel Abbott gave a really powerful recital at the Old Coal Yard last week. The title of her performance was an ‘Afternoon of Opera with Rachel Abbott’. I was impressed with her stamina. In an hour she covered a whole range of opera pieces from tragic arias to uplifting love songs to the drama of Wagner. She also included some well known songs from musicals, showing the divide between the two genres is often not too precise.
If you have read my wife’s piece, Opera and Me you will know I am not exactly an opera buff, but I think that the beauty of Rachel’s performance was that she covered the whole range of what opera is about and showed its power to capture our emotions. Anyone who like me is not an opera aficionado could not help but be captivated by its power. Most of us have heard of Wagner and Verdi but perhaps are not so familiar with works like Othello and Tanhauser. The beauty of Rachel’s performance was that it will certainly make me go to see more opera and not just stick to the old favourites such as The Magic Flute, La Boheme and Tosca. Talking of favourites Rachel gave a spirited performance of ‘Love is Like A wild Bird’ from Carmen, making it really come alive.
Rachel has such a powerful voice I could have heard it the other side of the Tyne. I hope more people have a chance to see her perform. Well worth going, particularly if you do not know much about opera.
David Taylor-Gooby saw Rachel Abbott at The Old Coal Yard as part of Newcastle Fringe.
More reviews from Newcastle Fringe
Tales from our Revolution at Alphabetti: Review
Howay the Lasses at the Newcastle Fringe
Through the Wormhole: A Psych-Pop retelling by Stevie What? at the Lubberfiend
