Wednesday, July 25, 2012

John Malveaux: 'Opera's Next Wave to sing in Los Angeles during 150th Anniversary Emancipation Proclamation'


[Latonia Moore as Aida at the Met © Cory Weaver/Metropolitan Opera 2012]

Opera News
August 2012
Opera's Next Wave
Soprano LATONIA MOORE
There are so few sopranos who seem able to lay claim to the Italian repertoire that there is bound to be plenty of excitement when one breaks through. That happened on March 3 of this year, when Latonia Moore made an unexpected debut at the Metropolitan Opera, filling in for an indisposed Violeta Urmana in the title role of Aida. Moore has a gleaming spinto sound, with thrilling cut, a wide range of vocal colors and a stunning pianissimo. She first attracted major attention in Opera Orchestra of New York's 2008 presentation of Puccini's Edgar, with a beautiful performance of Fidelia's aria, "Addio, mio dolce amor," stealing thunder from her celebrated costars Marcello Giordani and Jennifer Larmore.

Moore is a born stage performer: she knows how to swell a note, how to caress a phrase, how to take her time. At a recital at New York's Weill Hall in 2007, she made the bold choice to open with Tatiana's letter scene from Eugene Onegin, and by the time she ended with "O mio babbino caro," the audience was under her spell. 

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