Press
Critical Acclaim | Features
Angela Meade’s Norma
THE NEW YORKER | Andrew Porter, who wrote brilliantly on music for this magazine from 1972 to 1992, said of the title role of Bellini’s “Norma”: “It calls for power; grace in slow cantilena; pure, fluent coloratura; stamina; tones both tender and violent; force and intensity of verbal declamation; and a commanding stage presence.” The young American soprano Angela Meade, who sang Norma on Saturday night in a concert performance at Caramoor and will sing it again on Friday, has most of the qualities that this devilishly difficult role requires. In technical terms, Meade is astounding. She is almost scarily secure at the top of the range—at the end of Act I she let out a blazing high D—and she makes a rich, rounded sound at the lower end. She has exceptional dynamic control, able to move from floating pianissimos to sudden dramatic swells. The coloratura effects—rapid runs, trills, delicate turns, and so on—are handled with uncommon ease. She is a very musical singer, naturally and intelligently riding the phrase. Her tone has a distinct character, slightly darker than the coloratura norm yet warmly glowing. She doesn’t seem to make her voice do things; it is doing what it was born to do. As a friend remarked, you relax when you listen to her; you don’t worry for the singer, and lose yourself in the music.
Norma (Casta Diva)
“Ms. Meade sang [‘Casta Diva’] beautifully, filling the long-spun lines with rich, unforced sound, shaping the phrases with bittersweet poignancy, gracing the melody with tasteful embellishments and lifting her voice to majestic highs.”
— Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, July 12, 2010
“Angela Meade powered out a ‘Casta Diva’ from Bellini’s ‘Norma’ that left everyone breathless.”
— The New York Times
“…the evening’s knockout – soprano Angela Meade, whose ‘Casta Diva’ was nothing less than a revelation.”
– Opera News
Soprano Angela Meade Conquers ‘Norma’
THE SEATTLE TIMES | KATONAH, N.Y. —
In the world of opera, there is no greater challenge for a performer than the heroine of Bellini’s 1831 masterpiece, “Norma.”
And in the world of talented young singers, there may be none with greater promise just now than 32-year-old American soprano Angela Meade.
The two crossed paths on Saturday night at the Caramoor International Music Festival with extraordinary results. Meade gave a performance of power and poise that had the audience repeatedly interrupting with cheers and reinforced the impression that she has a remarkable career ahead of her.
Philadelphia City Paper
“…reminiscent of the young Margaret Price (there are few greater compliments); wonderful promise here…”
–Philadelphia City Paper
Ernani at the Metropolitan Opera (Elvira, professional debut)
“She showed a vibrant voice with nice color and an assured technique and sang like an old pro from start to finish.”
— Associated Press, Ron Blum (March 2008)
Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions – Grand Finals Concert
“All the turns, the glissandi, the re-iterations of the A’s on top, a true messa di voce tossed in where appropriate. The vocal line is spun seamlessly and effortlessly. The glorious high C at the end shook even the most uninitiated listener to the core; and the foyer and smoking alcove outside were abuzz. This is fine singing, at any level…The crowd thought they’d been wowed by ‘Casta Diva’ from Bellini’s Norma, but they went absolutely bananas after her ‘O zittre nicht’ from Die Zauberflöte.”
— trill.com
Willamette Week
“…matchless beauty of tone and inimitable style. Mozart singing does not come much better than this.”
— Willamette Week
Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions: Oregon District
“One powerhouse soprano out-larynxed them all – the supremely angelic Angela Meade. This lady’s got big pipes, real instincts, and a sincerity on stage that seems almost incongruent with her enormous potential for diva status.”
— Willamette Week