Word: sopranoes
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Walker's own favorite seemed to be The Lincolnshire Posy by Percy Grainger (1940). This set of six folk songs testifies to the possibilities of marrving folk and classical music. The sweet trumpet tone of Rick Wilson and a delicious canon for oboe and soprano sax, expressively played by Tim Daniels and Hardin Matthews brought out the work's potential for colors and contrasts...
More disappointing were the two guest soloists, perhaps because of the attention drawn to them by separate billing and fancier stage protocol. In BWV 105 soprano Carole Bogard began confidently but was evidently unsure of most of the aria beyond the opening phrases. As the movement progressed she became increasingly dependent on the score in her hand, and while her opening phrases had been nicely shaped the rest was little more than competent reading. Still, she obviously had a good ear, enviable accuracy of pitch and a fair amount of vocal agility. Alto Eunice Alberts sang with the inertia typical...
...vocal typecasting that prevails in opera, sopranos play the heroines, winning the glory as often as they win the tenor. Lower-voiced mezzo-sopranos, on the other hand, usually end up on the limelight's fringes, portraying a disappointed rival or a sister-and wishing they were sopranos. As a result, the soprano field tends to be overcrowded. Two decades ago, Bronx-born Regina Resnik, a dramatic soprano with a rich lower range, found the field so overcrowded that even her widely recognized abilities were not taking her to the top. "I was just a talented youngster compared with...
Against all advice, she reversed the usual pattern and switched from soprano to mezzo in 1957. Making the most of her big, warm voice, mature musicianship and canny flair for stagecraft, she was discovered all over again in the character roles of the mezzo repertory. Today, at 45, she has arrived at the point where she can not only steal the show from high-flying prima donnas but also carry an entire production herself. In recent seasons she has frequently done both, demonstrating the versatility as well as the power of her portrayals by encompassing the quirky pathos...
...most of her operatic career, Berlin-born Soprano Anja Silja, 27, got better coverage in German tabloids and picture magazines than in the critical columns. It was easy to see why. Her breezy, bohemian style of life made good copy, especially with photos of her in miniskirt or sleek red Jaguar. Lately, Anja Silja has been making musical headlines as well, and is now hailed as Europe's fastest-rising prima donna...