Stars dimmer than expected in the concert Rossini opera 'Semiramide'

Concert opera companies often end up specializing in a form of opera akin to an athletic event: The focus is turned from the drama onto the physical feat of producing the sound. The Washington Concert Opera is a fine purveyor of this manifestation of the genre, often focusing on bel canto opera, which is not much done by major opera companies (too long, too esoteric) but which, when you get good singers and an involved audience, can move the crowd-pleasing needle high up into the green.