Today the format for The Watercooler changes slightly. It links up with my Random Ramblings newsletter and will now be updated two or three times a week rather than daily. But some posts will be slightly longer than previously.

Yesterday afternoon we went to Birmingham’s Symphony Hall for a performance by the Italian mezzo-soprano, Cecilia Bartoli. Bartoli is arguably the world’s greatest female operatic singer. She does not pursue the populist line of cross-over, in fact each album, each concert goes down the route of ever more obscure music. Yesterday she sang music from eleven composers, with only one of whom I am familiar. She tells her record company what she will sing, not the more usual opposite way round. She is  the ultimate prima donna. Except that she doesn’t behave like one.

Excluding the interval, the concert lasted just over two hours. Bartoli was on stage and singing for 75-80% of that time. That is a prodigious feat in itself and is probably at least twice the time that other stars spend on the concert stage. I have been privileged to witness performances from a number of greats of the opera world but some seem to feel that showing up is sufficient.

Cecilia Bartoli leaves you gasping for breath at the fact that she appears not to require to breathe. Her breath control is unbelievable. Her acting – facial movement, hand and whole body gestures – are an object lesson for any speaker or presenter, let alone a singer. Likewise her rapport with the audience; her presence on stage. Her costume had changed at several points during the concert. For her first encore she returned with the most ridiculously large red cape that she used like a pair of wings. The audience loved it. For her second encore the cape was supplemented by the largest pair of feathers you are ever likely to see. At the climax of the song she cast these into the air; one to drift into the front row of the audience. Someone in the front row picked it up and placed it back on the stage. Of course, she could have left it for a stage hand to collect, but she picked it up herself and by way of thanks, used it for as a feather duster to brush the floor, to much laughter. After more than 15 minutes of encores and applause, she finally left the stage waving to the audience. I have seen Cecilia Bartoli probably half a dozen times over the years. She just gets better and better. This performance was an utter triumph and brought the most enthusiastic response from the audience that I have witnessed over the years I’ve been attending concerts.

Cecilia Bartoli is a great star but she acts like one only when performing. Her performances are just that – performances. Maybe part of Bartoli’s success is that she also gives wonderful value for money. However great our product, we live in an age where value for money is vital if we are to have long term sustainable success. When you have witnessed a performance such as yesterday’s you feel uplifted. You recognise that you have been in the presence of genius.

As we left there was a queue at the stage door. After a marathon performance like that most would want to lie down in a dark room. Bartoli makes herself available to sign autographs. Awesome.