As the lights of the Main Hall dimmed, the man seated next to me whispered: "We're in for a real treat. A quick glance around the audience confirmed all seemed to agree. After all, it isn't every day that the British Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) performs in Cairo (actually, this was their first visit to the Middle East). And I don't think anyone left that evening less than elated by the formidable performance. Tickets were hard to come by, even at the unusually high prices for an evening at the Opera - between LE 100-250. So it didn't seem fair that the lucky few who were able to get their hands on a ticket were also treated to free gifts, ranging from key chains, to chocolates, and, yes, soap, as the 20 or so corporate sponsors vied for attention. The festive air was contagious with the entrance to the parking lot, and all the way to the metal detectors near the hall, was lined with booths and neon light-boxes that were overbearing. "Was it a tasteful display of commercialism? I contemplated as I munched on my Cadbury Flake. "Not really. On the other hand, if this less-than-subtle display of marketing helped pay for the hefty orchestra to travel to Cairo and Alexandria for the three performances, then it's a small inconvenience. Once you enter the hall, however, the doors are closed to the advertisers, and you're treated to an unadulterated evening of sublime music. Watching some 80 members of the ensemble as they took their seats on stage only heightened the anticipation, and the audience applauded eagerly when internationally renowned American conductor Leonard Slatkin walked on stage in his black tails. Slowly they began to play the first notes of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka's "Russlan and Ludmilla Overture. The deceptively sweet melody, an entrée that only whet our appetite, juxtaposed the fast and furious fiddling by the striking string section. Under the direction of Slatkin's precise movements, the bows seemed to move in whirlwind tandem. Unquestionably the highlight of Wednesday evening's performance was Egyptian piano virtuoso Ahmed Abou Zahra's stellar performance. His solo rendition of Mozart's "Piano Concerto No. 20 struck a chord of pride among the audience. Seated at the piano, and swaying in time with the music, the initial notes he played were unexpectedly soft and melancholic. But as the banter between the piano and the orchestra started up, Abou Zahra's playing became swifter and more expressive. His passion matched Mozart's emotive composition, taking the audience on an emotional rollercoaster, sweetly teasing us with the notes of the romanza to the exciting crescendo of the rondo. It was inspiring, and during the brief pauses, the audience was unsure whether to catch their breath or to break out into applause. Slatvin finished off the evening with Brahms' "Symphony No. 2 . Typical of the Romantic Movement, this composition was more soulful, and the playing seemed almost intuitive rather than constructed. Each section of the string seemed to create another layer of music, another implied intonation. The result was stirring and inspiring. As the violinist's bows swept across the strings for the last time, the audience was up on their feet applauding the seamless performance. Brahms' bittersweet symphony still resonating in the hall, already reminding us that it will be too long before Egypt is treated to a performance like this again.
