Every time I go to see Tarja Turunen live I leave the show absolutely convinced it was the best, I've ever been to. Until the next, which turns out to be even better.

I mean how cool can she get really? Could she be any more amazing, than she already is? Oh dear, you bet!

If you can make more than 5,000 hard metal fans explode in emotion after a Bach suite or stand up and dance on Carmen's famous aria, you can surely do anything.

All that happened on the very first "Beauty and the Beat" concert, which was initiated by Tarja and Mike Tarrana and took place at the ancient Amphitheater in Plovdiv (Bulgaria) on September, the 21st 2011.


The show began with beautiful Carmen overture, performed by the Plovdiv Philahrmonic Orchestra and maestro Levon Manukyan, followed by an extreme Concert for Violin & Oboe, which even Bach himself couldn't possible imagine.

When Tarja showed up for the first time that evening the audience went literally crazy and wouldn't stop screaming, shouting, clapping and jumping all around. She tried to calm down everyone, but didn't have much of a success. I believe she was quite touched by this and shed a tear or two :)



Some of the songs, performed either by Tarja or Mike include:

Blute Nur by Bach (Tarja)
Zeuignung by Strauss (Tarja)
Barber of Seville by Rossini (Mike)
Song to the moon by Dvorak (Tarja)
You take my breath away by Queen (Tarja & Choir)
Swanhearth by Nightwish (Tarja, Mike & orchestra)
CanCan by Offenbach (Mike)
I could have danced by Loewe (Tarja)
L'amourest un rebelle by Bizet (Tarja)
I walk alone (Tarja)
and many more...

It would be hard to describe all the beautiful things, that happened on the show. I wish they recorded it on a DVD or something, so we can all enjoy the magic over and over again. At the end of the concert no one wanted to go, so Tarja & Mike had to come on stage 3 times and explain it really was over :(

I can only hope Tarja, Mike and the others of the band would keep doing this kinda stuff, cause I'm huge fan of opera and it really sounds awesome in its modern representation.

Few photos from the concert can be found here (the event was camera friendly, but flash lights unfriendly, so quality isn't very good). Also, quite decent video with most of the show can be seen on YouTube.

By the way, did I mention it rained all the time? It was hard to notice with such outstanding singers, drummers and musicians :)