Brightman kicked off her New York City show on a harking note with “Gothica” from her Symphony album, and it was followed by “Stranger in Paradise.” She performed “Carpe Diem” with Vincent Niclo, where he sang with the same amount of conviction that Mario Frangoulis had invested in the song, where they recorded it together.
Other noteworthy songs were “Anytime, Anywhere,” the calming “Misere Mei,” and “Figlio Perduto” from Beethoven’s 7th Symphony.
Brightman also made classic rock band Queen’s “Who Wants to Live Forever” her own, by giving it a compelling classical crossover twist. Equally remarkable was “Miracle” with classically-trained pianist Yoshiki on piano.
After a brief intermission, Brightman returned for the second act, which was comprised of music from her latest studio offering, Hymn. It began with a refreshing version of the inspirational title cut “Hymn,” and “Sogni,” featuring Niclo, which was powerful and stunning.
Equally gorgeous and expressive tunes were “Fly to Paradise” and the atmospheric “Better Is One Day.” “Time To Say Goodbye” was the song that everybody was waiting for, and she did a superb job performing it entirely in English, which was gentle, controlled and soothing.
After “Masquerade,” she treated the Radio City Music Hall audience to “The Phantom of the Opera,” and closed with the mid-tempo and lilting “Running.”
The Verdict
Overall, Sarah Brightman put on a phenomenal live show at Radio City Music Hall. She looked and sounded fabulous. She commanded the hallowed stage the entire time, and Brightman proved that she has one of the best female voices in the contemporary music industry. Her glorious vocals are simply too good to be mortal. It is no wonder that she is the best-selling soprano in the world. Her live set garnered an A+ rating.
Read More: Sarah Brightman chatted with Digital Journal in November of 2018.
