Press
Critical Acclaim | Features
Boston Symphony Orchestra debut at Tanglewood 2011
“Most of the buzz surrounded soprano Angela Meade, recent winner of the Richard Tucker Foundation award, who was making her BSO debut. Meade has been honing the role of Norma in concert performances (most recently at the Caramoor Festival), and her poised voicing of ‘Casta diva’ was stunning.”
— Opera News, Judith Malafronte (July 2011)
“Meade held the audience rapt in Casta diva, the priestess’s gorgeous, trance-like prayer to the moon, and later, singing of her love for the despised proconsul, Meade sent coloratura passages flashing like streaks of lightning through her cabaletta.”
— The Classical Review, David Wright (July 2011)
Verdi Requiem with Baltimore Symphony
“[Meade] gave a sensational account of the pivotal soprano solo on Thursday. The way she floated the ‘Sed signifer’ portion of the ‘Offertorio’ matched perfectly the text’s description of a ‘holy light.’ Could Meade be the next great Verdian soprano? I might take that bet.”
— Baltimore Sun, Tim Smith (Baltimore Symphony, June 2011)
“There were some shining solo moments, particularly from soprano Angela Meade, whose projection and ability to change the color of the voice in any register set her apart.”
— The Washington Post, Robert Battey (Baltimore Symphony, June 2011)
Associated Press
“Meade gave a performance of power and poise that had the audience repeatedly interrupting with cheers … she has a remarkable career ahead of her.”
— Mike Silverman, Associated Press
Norma in concert at the Caramoor International Music Festival (Norma)
“Ms. Meade’s stunning Norma was the big news. From the first lines of Norma’s entrance — in which the druids, chafing under the degradation they suffer from the Romans, are poised to rebel — Ms. Meade sounded in complete command of the role, delivering the character’s charged, defiant dramatic recitative with gleaming sound and incisive attack. The druids await the blessing of their prophetic high priestess on the plan to battle the Romans. Norma counsels peace in ‘Casta Diva,’ and Ms. Meade sang it 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 … Vocally, Ms. Meade handled the emotional shift brilliantly, unleashing hard-edged, piercing phrases to denounce Adalgisa. As an actress, Ms. Meade had a Junoesque presence and conveyed disarming honesty … She was even more impressive when she caressed soulful pianissimo phrases.”
— The New York Times, Anthony Tommasini (July 2010)
A Miraculous Belle of Bellini
NEW YORK POST | While the rest of the civilized world rallied ’round the World Cup finals Saturday, opera buffs flocked to Caramoor for something they found just as thrilling: the emergence of a brilliant new interpreter of “Norma.”
Bellini’s 1831 tragedy of a Druid priestess who violates her vow of chastity for the love of an enemy Roman general requires the utmost of a soprano’s vocal and emotional range.It’s tempted most of the great divas of history to try to meet its demands. Now Angela Meade, 32, has shown she’s ready to join the exclusive sorority of great Normas.
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)