At Carnegie Hall for last Wednesday’s performance of Rossini’s Moise et Pharaon, the overwhelming amount of my audio and visual attention naturally went to my brother standing in line with the lustrously serried tenors of the Collegiate Chorale. And yet, I was occasionally forced to pay some attention to those people standing at the lip of the stage. I couldn’t help it – they were that good.
We were treated to two coloratura adepts:
Angela Meade, whose embrace of he tessitura was fearless. I heard Meade’s Met debut in Ernani in 2008 when she covered for Sondra Radvanovsky, and yes I did think, We didn’t get shortchanged tonight despite the absence of the star. (Of course I went back to hear SR another time.)
Recently Donna Anna at the Met, Marina Rebeka seemed to flail a bit at times breasting “Or Sai Chi L’Onore,” but here her sound was splendidly covered. Eric Cutler was doing the best singing I’ve heard from him and laid full claim to the status of authentic bel canto tenor.
Kyle Ketelson was all that a lower-voiced despot should be, and James Morris sounded much better than he has of late. NOT singing the Met’s Rings has helped rejuvenate his voice. And from Ginger Costa-Jackson’s sleek frame issued a mezzo as deep and resonant. . .as the depths of the Nile? (at flood time, I mean.)