parterre box

31 comments

• Baritenor says:

  Well, she was listen in the program as Angela Simpson and in her bio as Angela Renee Simpson. I dunno. But there’s no chance of her being mistaken for either Gheorghiu or Fleming: She’s a large, tall black woman with a voice the size of a buick. I think she sang Aida with the Met at One point, I’m not sure.

  on May 27, 2007 at 1:01 AM
• Todd says:

  NO, you silly, that’s angela BROWN. she’s slated to sing in Ballo/Aida next season at the Met, i think. i heard a tape of a recital she gave at hunter college in NYC. she sang some verdi and some gershwin. huge, unruly voice, many technical problems. hopefully she’s gotten better.

  on May 27, 2007 at 1:16 AM
• Machito says:

  Wasn’t Gail Gimore one of the singers in those Pavarotti masterclasses from Juilliard back in the late 70s? I think she sang Komponist. I saw Gail Gilmore sing Amneris at the Arena di Verona back in about ’93. The Italians did not like her brand of vocalism. I remember sitting at a cafe near the theatre the next day, and listening to the jibes about her. The idea, I believe, was Maria Chiara, who was magnificent, with huge operatic gestures.
  About Isola Jones–she has been living in the Phoenix, Arizona area for some years and teaching voice in some small school. I never really appreciated her voice, but of course her looks were great. I remember seeing her on Columbus Avenue once in the early 80′s, right in front of the Met, talking with someone who looked like Peter Hoffmann. She was dressed in tight leather pants and boots—SMOKIN!

  on May 27, 2007 at 4:36 AM
• Baritenor says:

  Todd-

  Which Angela are you talking about when you say a “huge, unruley voice,” Simpson or Brown? I have heard and enjoyed both.

  on May 28, 2007 at 12:06 AM
• ljc says:

  Actfive says that I. Jones had a chocolaty mezzo. After the great Troyanos left us Opera News said she had had a plummy mezzo. How many types of grocery store mezzos, or other voice types, can there be?

  on May 29, 2007 at 3:38 PM
• Todd says:

  baritenor,

  i meant Brown, of course, i was answering your post. i think you had confused them. Brown sang aida at the met and it made the front page of the local paper (NYT). at least from the tape i heard, it sounded like a rather large, wild, barely-in-control voice.

  in regards to mezzo flavors: what do critics mean by “fruity?” is that good or bad?????

  on May 29, 2007 at 9:02 PM
• ljc says:

  A ramen noodle mezzo, a pastrami mezzo, an oolong tea mezzo? And a lady under discussion had a voice the size of a Buick. Any divas with a Landrover or Peterbilt, or Ford Pinto voice?

  on May 29, 2007 at 11:21 PM
• Baritenor says:

  Well, I’ve heard the size of Zinka Milanov, Birgit Nilsson and Pre-surgery Deborah Voigt’s voices respectively compared to a tank, a 16-wheeler and a Hummer.

  Incidently, I’ve heard the size of Zinka Milanov, Birgit Nilsson and Pre-surgery Deborah Voigt respectively compared to a tank, a 16-wheeler and a Hummer.

  on May 30, 2007 at 2:41 AM
• I Sing Because I have to says:

  Todd…you are correct. here is Angela Simpson’s site. http://www.classicalsinger.com/sites/index.php?user_id=82384

  And Angela Brown… http://www.angelambrown.com

  I know they sing the same rep, but they are far from the same people.

  on May 30, 2007 at 3:55 PM
• ljc says:

  The girth of divas was probably hashed over by Monteverdi and friends. There is a Sydney opera video of Dame Joan doing Lucia’s first aria and she is Huge and in a Huge hoopskirt and Huge wig and has Huge boozums. She could not possibly have fled from that bull that came at her in the field.

  on May 30, 2007 at 5:29 PM