Cloud Gate sizzles as M-Dans and Jose Carreras fizzle

Celebrity mega-events like this are nothing without a sense of occasion. This was lacking, and I didn't feel privileged to have been there. Pavarotti might have brought it off, but really it was the venue that was to blame. A pop concert would work here because then audiences are expected to be vociferous and to establish an atmosphere of give and take with the artists, each feeding the others' energy. Classical music, unfortunately, isn't like that any more. You felt that the rage for encores was an attempt to establish just that kind of pop-concert rapport. It succeeded, but it was, sadly, much too late.