Word: sopranos
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Octavian, mezzo-soprano Marvosh has a solid voice, although not quite the caliber of Woolf’s or Betanski’s—made especially apparent when singing alongside either actor. Marvosh’s voice becomes a bit stiff and her vibrato asymmetrical when attempting to sustain higher pitches. Marvosh’s decisive character choices not only compensate for this minor offense, but also make her the best actor of the show...
...expressions and helping to clarify the subtle shifts between sentiments. In one especially memorable section, the dancers, cast in a bluish light, simulate swimming motions in the air. The only disappointment of the work is not in the dancing, but in the singing. The live duet between soprano Sandra Patrikalakis and contralto Susan Larson often detracts from the beauty of the choreography; overall, however, the piece is effective. The ending is particularly creative, making use of a tower built by the dancers from wooden blocks and topped by an illuminated, reflective sphere. The lights dim with the dancers intensely focused...
...ever a role is going to expose a rising soprano's skills and flaws, it's that of Alcina. Running over four hours, the Baroque opera presents its leading lady with aria upon aria of fiendishly difficult coloratura singing (Ah! Mio cor! alone is a 12-minute, seven-stages-of-grieving emotional roller-coaster) with minimal orchestral backing. With typical understatement, Durkin calls it musical "Ping Pong." Only the finest sopranos can survive such exercise. Handel's original Alcina, Anna Strada, was unkindly described by a contemporary as having "so little of Venus in her appearance, that she was usually...
...horns." For an art form looking to reinvent itself and draw new audiences, Durkin is a marketer's dream: 1.8 m tall and gobsmackingly glamorous, her cultural reference points are as much James Bond as James Levine, the Met's famed musical director, who has cast her as lead soprano in its 2008 production of Philip Glass' Satyagraha. Last May, Durkin sang alongside such luminaries as Karita Mattila, Pl?cido Domingo and Natalie Dessay as the company farewelled outgoing general manager Joseph Volpe, and already some of their luster is rubbing off. But for someone who only seven years...
...best-seller charts, as did their next release, Monday, Monday. Papa John Phillips, 25, an Annapolis dropout, is the group's songsmith, and what his lyrics lack in depth his melodies make up in lilting appeal. Phillips' wife Michelle, a willowy ex-model, is the spiraling soprano; Denny Doherty, 24, sings a secure tenor. Anchor girl is rotund (200 lbs.) Cass Elliot, 23, whose ringing contralto gives the quartet its oomph. Together they build a buoyant vocal blend that floats easily through intricate harmonic shifts, toying with rhythms that are as fresh and bracing as ocean breezes. The quartet...