Never got the chance to blog about this the morning after, but better late than never. It was a great concert and I think everyone really enjoyed themselves. The music was great and the orchestra was spectacular, not to mention Placido’s voice that echoed throughout Jerash. It was also a full house; apparently there’s a lot of opera lovers as people cheered and applauded endlessly, counting at least 3 standing ovations. But there’s this annoying habit of clapping in unison that doesn’t always work best with opera music. Here are some visuals for your viewing pleasure.
I was waiting for this post the morning after 🙂
Photos are great, I didn’t go but my friend told me the atmosphere was amazing, and that apparently there are lot of Spaniards in Jordan.
It’s very interesting to see that an Opera concert attracted a full house in such a huge amphitheatre… Jordan sure has changed in the past few years, and the extensive marketing from the JOrdan Tourism Board paid off well!
Ah, what a beautiful night it was. I so enjoyed the drive out to Jarash, the walk to the theatre and the buzz of the audience as well, and found it a good warm up to the performance.
Domingo’s voice was just incredible in that setting and soprani Julia Migenes and Monica Yunus where so absolutely charming! They all seemed to be having a fun time performing while the Cairo orchestra carried them thru the night lead by maestro Eugene Kohn and a passionate, roaring audience. I had to practically hold back my pal Lulwa from flinging herself down to dance all night with them!
Domingo was just playing that stage the entire night, and the performance not only entertained, but also flirted with the audience. Obviously we know about Placido Domingo, but it’s certainly worth sharing that Migenes has been doing amazing work in music as well as film and on stage. Last night I also learned that Yunus is the daughter of Dr. Muhammad Yunus/Grameen Bank. I like to know more about the performers coz I often wonder what kind of life and environment they grew up in to emerge with such magnificent talent and ability to woo their audiences.
So much thanks to everyone who made that night in Jarash happen and for offering us this treat right here in Jordan. On a night light Monday, I feel we are indeed lucky sometimes!
By the way, I was watweting it live, something I had never done before, and totally had a good time with that. It was really cool sharing bits of the experience thru watwet messages with people not at the concert. Kind of like spreading the love live I guess!
Nas, thanks for this review! Very sad to have missed this event.
Arabian Monkey, thanks for the extra details!!!
how come almost everyone I met who had attended the Jordan Festival had free passes. I resent the fact I and other Jordanians had to pay for the festival with our tax money so others, probably wealthier people, get in for free. this is sooooo unfair. only in Jordan the rich get free rides at the expense of the poorer citizens.
It was definitely a night to remember, I was nearly dragged to attend it, my previous experiences in Jerash were not that nice, but I have to say that I was impressed by the amount of organization and security and the caliber of the people that attended.
I have to say that I was expecting a dull night but instead I had a wonderful time and my emotions were dancing between happiness, sadness, love, hate and satisfaction.
My biggest surprise was when Julia Migenes was singing and performing Carmen, when ever I get a chance to visit Europe I look for this opera in theatres, and I’m happy that I had the chance to attend parts of it here in Jordan with the best performance ever.
I just need to clarify that there isn’t anything called free tickets; those “free passes” are sponsorship tickets from corporations that already paid for them and then distributed them to their employees or preferred clients, there’s nothing like the rich has free passes and the poor has to pay, please verify your information before making conclusions and start spreading negative thoughts around.
Lets cur the crap Nour. the festival is not funded fully by corporate sponsors. maybe 10% or 15% max. I am saying 100% of the 30 or so people I know who attended the Jordan Festival got free tickets and NOT through any corporate sponsor or workplaces. of course you are defending the system. those who get free rides seek to preserve the status quo sp they can get more free rides. What a rotten system. What rotten people who defend it.
Samar – I just wonder where all the bitterness comes from. I know at least 100 people who attended (not many from 4 thousand I know) and every one of them paid for their tickets. I was absolutely fed up that I could not go as I was sick and had to give me ticket away – but I had paid for it! Where did the 30 or so people you know who got free tickets get them from?
Hold your horses dear Samar, this is not a professional way to answer, you don’t know me to call me rotten, and apparently you’re not within the system to describe it. If you didn’t have the chance to get a “free pass” it’s not the system’s fault.
I just hope that we learn to look at the positive things around us other than the negative. I feel honored to be able to attend an Opera in that level in Jordan; I assure you that you will have to pay much more if you attend these events elsewhere and I guarantee you that next year a lot will be willing to pay more to attend such great events.
People have spent lots of time and effort to make such event a success and that proves that the system can never be rotten, if it can deliver such caliber. It will be unfair for us to just criticize and complain without verification.
TJoLadies, I bet you are close to the management of the Jordan Festival. your silly defensiveness says so. What do you mean you know 100 people who paid for the ticket. 100 a nice number. You only meet people in multiples of 10? I can assure you no one of the people I know paid for their tickets. I don’t know how many but less than 100 😉 Everyone knows this is a festival financed by the poor jordanians to entertain the rich. This is how things have become in jordan. that’s how the powers that be buy loyalties in jordan. they take from starving peter to help fatten paul. so it’s naturally for paul to stand up for the system that fattens him up. it’s never about the love of jordan, it’s about how much we can grab from jordan.
And that’s why we never progress.. instead of discussing the culturally amazing night, we fight and bitch at one another for the stupidest reasons. Shame.
Does anyone remember the song Monica Yunis performed during her encore? thanks
omar she sang Puccini’s aria O Mio Bambino Caro
Thats the one! thanks a lot monkey. appreciated.
Omar, here’s an excellent vid of the encores if you want to relive a bit of that wonderful night! http://ikbis.com/jordanfestival/shot/122981