Verdi Requeim with the Houston Grand Opera

May 23rd, 2017

“Verdi’s Requiem has frequently been described as operatic (and sometimes criticized, primly, as too much so). A factor in this response is his evocation of types we can recognize from the theatrical stage: angelic soprano, matronly alto, ardent tenor, and authoritative bass. Each of the four soloists gave a deeply satisfying performance by capturing the moods and personae that Verdi wove into their roles….Making her HGO debut, soprano Angela Meade, too, demonstrated a wide range of vocal colors from thrilling ray-of-light brilliance (“Kyrie eleison”) to sepulchral gloom (“Tremens factus ego sum”).”

Opera News, Gregory Barnett

“Soloists Angela Meade, Sasha Cooke, Alexey Dolgov and Peixin Chen led the chorus of over 120 to triumph. Meade, sandwiched between the mass of voices behind her and the arcing, acrobatic bassoons and violins in front, rose out of the blanket of harmonies in a series of vibrant solos toward the end of the night. In a vibrant display of technique that was nevertheless devoid of showmanship, Meade and Cooke sang a duet, the Agnus Dei, that fluttered like clarinets. Cooke, singing an octave under the soprano, sounded not like she was under Meade’s voice but rather within her, like the high notes were enveloping the lower notes the way red velvet cake folds over icing between the layers.”

Houston Chronicle, Wei-Huan Chen

“Meade, in her HGO debut, boasted the most imposing voice of the solo quartet — full and rich, but also capable of soaring through the Requiem’s most ethereal moments. Thanks to her, Verdi’s outcries surged and his melodies flowed out generously. She gave a gutsy impact to the plea for deliverance that opens the “Libera me.” Yet in the a cappella section that followed, Meade’s voice floated heavenward in a luminous pianissimo.”

Texas Classical Review, Steven Brown

“American soprano Angela Meade made her HGO debut with a bang, lifting up this requiem to sacred heights. Her voice is as swarthy as Chen’s with some space to play…hers is a voice you’ll want to hear and never forget.” – Houstonia Magazine (02/13/17)

Houstonia Magazine, Sydney Boyd