While the stage technology for Sarah Brightman's first concert in Indonesia was unusually low key, the acclaimed British soprano definitely reached the high Cs when it came to her performance.

Those used to seeing Brightman in her performances surrounded by holograms of enchanted forests or rolling waves, or even rising up in the air on a giant swing, were reminded Tuesday night that she owes her fame first and foremost to her amazing voice, which morphs from classical to pop in an instant, reaches high notes and joins in perfect union with that of a tenor.

The day before her concert, she was telling a room packed with journalists that her albums and concerts had always been very themed and created a visual treat for people.

"Technology nowadays, which has only really happened in the last few years, has allowed me to create worlds which live in my imagination. I have created worlds around my music. It is amazing technology that enables us to create that on stage, out of nowhere, to match our imagination."

But there was no holographic 3-D machine in sight at the concert and everything on the stage of the Gran Melia Hotel ballroom was black, except for Brightman. Her 29 musicians - orchestra and band - her conductor and her five-person choir all wore black. Even the curtains behind the stage were black.

So when Brightman walked onto the stage, wearing a red corset dress with her long black wavy hair falling on either side of her angelic face, the audience knew it would be entirely up to her voice and musical accompaniments where their imaginations would be taken that night.

It is hard to understand why this concert was Brightman's first in Indonesia when she has such a following here and has performed several times in China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Taiwan. She said it was the first time she had been invited. But her audience was glad she was there.

"People automatically think that I appeal to an adult audience," Brightman said. "Often, I find that in different areas of the world, sometimes it's either really, really young and in other countries, it's very much older than I thought and in other countries, it's just a complete mixture."

She opened with quite a few songs from her latest album Symphony (2008), such as "Fleurs du Mal", "Let it Rain" and "Symphony" and then moved on to some of her classics: "Hijo de la Luna", "Anytime Anywhere" and "Nella Fantasia".

The spectators clapped with joy when they recognized the first notes of "The Phantom of the Opera", especially when dashing tenor Alessandro Safina joined Brightman for a duet. The two stood at opposite ends of the stage, facing each other, while belting out some of the highest notes in their repertoires. Brightman's voice rose to octaves that made her audience ecstatic.

It was hard not to think about her comments the previous day about her voice and making sure she reached those high notes.

"A voice is a muscle. It's a physical thing. Part of it is very spiritual, but you have to train continually. I work with coaches all over the world, and continually try to keep my voice in check and work with other people."

As well as flexing her muscle in many of her songs, Brightman changed dresses three times, each dress more striking than the last. She slipped into a less revealing, high necked long white gown, yet one could still make out her body curves as she undulated while singing. Her last shiny black dress made Brightman look like a mermaid.

As the concert was coming to an end, Brightman announced it was "Time to Say Goodbye" and launched into the songs she finds the most satisfying to sing.

For Brightman, "Time to Say Goodbye" and "Nella Fantasia" are "pieces of music well constructed for singers. You're able to really let go with them. There's a pureness about them, there is something melancholic, and it gives an audience everything."

Popular

To my horror, it’s just a movie!

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Pentagon chief congratulates Prabowo on being elected President