And that for me typifies an evening that dutifully delivers a musical classic but only briefly acquires a touch of ecstasy.
The only sign of time's passage is in his voice - its natural rasp has acquired a touch of hoarseness, but it lends gravitas.
The ancient, unpretentious neighborhood of Trastevere acquired a touch of wine snobbery with Ferrara, via del Moro, 1A, phone and fax 39-066) 5803769, a sleek new wine bar and restaurant.
Costanzo's voice is still very much in its prime, but since the time when he first dazzled audiences, at the Met in 2011, it has acquired a touch of grit in its lower reaches, and a bit of a wild edge on top.
Until control problems were completely solved, the Avro test pilots acquired a "touch" for the extremely sensitive control inputs and Avro Aircraft Chief Development Test Pilot Potocki was eventually able to demonstrate a "hands-off" flight.
By the evening's end, what started as a feather-light sendup has acquired a surprisingly touching depth.
Mathews is set to acquire a whole lot of touches in 2012, and there's no substitute for a heavy workload.
Even the exchanges with European leaders have lately acquired a family touch.
By his release in 1990, he had acquired a common touch, magnanimity and sense of humour which was surprising to everyone.
Shelley, for his part, acquired a lighter touch and borrowed, if nothing else, a number of Byronic forms: "The Witch of Atlas" was written in the ottava rima of "Don Juan"; "Adonais" adopted the Spenserian stanza of "Childe Harold".
