Racette Shines in Tosca at Houston Grand Opera

Some readers might know about one of my passions – opera. At this point, you’re either going to go visit another blog of relevance or stick with me … either way, I want to blog about opera and the performances I attend.

Let’s start with Tosca. I just got back from Houston (on a business trip) and attended the Feb. 3 performance of the Houston Grand Opera with my good friend Ben Wheatley, a Houston-based PR professional. I primarily went to hear Patricia Racette, one of my absolute (there’s that word again) favorite sopranos. I’ve seen her in Dallas, Santa Fe and New York, so I’m a real Racette fan.

She did not disappoint, even though some of the reviews were not entirely favorable. I really enjoyed her performance – and this was, in fact, the first time she had sung the role. Although I was sitting pretty high up, I could still see her expressive take on the role – something so important for this tragic role.

I do agree with Scott Cantrell’s review in that the orchestra was stellar – their performance was amazing; grand when needed to be and subtle for expression.

I’d follow Racette anywhere, even if she wanted to sing Wagner, which probably won’t happen. Look for her return next year as Madame Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera.