Gallows humor
La Cieca hears that Susan Neves has joined the cast of Washington National Opera’s Un ballo in maschera to sing Amelia in two performances, and Tamara Wilson will sing two additional performances. The American sopranos take over dates held by Irène Theorin.
The lass for the MASKED BALL job is surely Alwyn Mellor.
Now that is absolutely true, for once
However, I’m told that she doesn’t really like singing Verdi. Ah! A pity.
Doesn’t like singing Verdi? Oh dear. I hate to be the voice of doom, but I doubt she’s going to live up to her immense potential if she goes straight for the Wagner/Strauss/Turandot axis.
I’ve never heard her, but her name has always misled me.
Alwyn Mellor is the kind of name you’d expect a Susanna or a Despina or a Sophie to have, somehow.
She was Stemme’s cover at the ROH Tristan about this time last year. I heard her at that Gwyneth masterclass I went to, being coached on Isolde’s narration and curse, and she has just done the Walkure Brunnhilde at Longborough.
Her extreme top (b, c, maybe the b-flat) was astonishing, I was going to say alla Nilsson but maybe alla Marc would be more realistic. The rest of the voice though, and the performance in general was a bit so-so, but masterclasses are funny things so I’d hate to draw too many conclusions. It did strike me though that a dose of long legato lines and morbidezza (ie, the Ballo arias or similar!) would help to make her the whole package.
Alwyn Mellor is scheduled to sing Brunnhilde in Seattle in their 2013 Ring.