“Melody Moore brought a much-needed regality to Elisabetta, contrasting passion with repression, and thoughtful, provocative phrasing. Her aria at the tomb was a masterclass in phrasing, subdividing the lengthy aria into smaller, emotionally-motivated fragments.”
Harry Rose – Parterre.com
“On opening night, the work was blessed with the performance of Melody Moore, a Tennessee soprano who was making her FGO debut in a part she had never played. Her voice effortlessly sank into the depths of her register and then soared into the upper reaches to mirror her character’s inner tumult. She inhabits the persona of a Brahmin princess who likely hasn’t heard the word “no” much in her life and yet who seems to genuinely grieve for the man she has had killed.”
Bill Hirschman, South Florida
“Vocally, Moore was a revelation. She sounded remarkably at ease, in full control of pitch, articulation and intensity. Singing from the highest forte expression of desire and anger to the lowest pianissimos without any seeming strain”
Jean-François Lejeune, Opera News
“Moore and Tigges give the show a captivating, beating heart with a stunning performance of Act 2’s crucial love duet. Conductor Arthur Fagen gives forceful drama to the music’s juxtaposed moments of full, lush orchestration and dramatic quiet. Moore and Tigges bring to life a cosmic, legendary love, but also give the scene interesting touches of the recognizably human, as Senta takes the daring step of falling in love with a stranger and the isolated Dutchman exposes his vulnerability.”
– myAJC
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For the American soprano, the important thing is to always keep the character relevant and realistic. “I love our director because Jose Maria Condemi is a thinking director, he actually thinks how much time has passed between this event and that event and what would have happened in that time. Often you would see Tosca come up to Act three with her full regalia dress, a crown and some big cloak made of velvet. And it’s not realistic because she just got off a safe passage to get out of the city and she’s been told at what time this fake execution is going to happen. So she would have had time to go and make herself a bit more discreet to be running to the streets and save Cavaradossi. You don’t do that in a full gown and a crown! You just don’t! Andrew is a real persons’ director. He wants the action to be realistic, so there is not a lot of parking and barking.” [Referring to the tendency of some singers and productions to stand up and sing without much acting].
Visit My Scena to read the rest of the article and listen to an excerpt from Vissi d’arte.
“… Tosca responds, of course, with Vissi d’arte, a famous showstopper, but also a heartfelt testimonial threaded seamlessly into the drama as rendered in rich voice by the American soprano Melody Moore-Wagner.”
“But it is Melody Moore-Wagner, at once sparkling and mischievous in her jealousy, sensitive and overwhelming in her tragedy, which captivates us from the beginning to the end. One feels she is at ease in this role that is so demanding, totally possessed by its tortured character who plunges into the drama out of love for her lover. Melody Moore-Wagner sings her role with great ease, she enjoys and takes possession of the stage.”
{Mais c’est surtout Melody Moore-Wagner, à la fois pétillante et espiègle dans sa jalousie, sensible et bouleversante dans sa tragédie, qui nous captive d’un bout à l’autre. On la sent à l’aise dans ce rôle pourtant si exigeant, totalement possédée par son personnage torturé qui plonge dans le drame par amour pour son amant. Melody Moore-Wagner chante avec une grande facilité sa partition, s’amuse et prend possession de la scène.}
“Moore delivers a brilliant: Vissi d’Arte that is very sensual, captivating and descriptive of the inner tumult that the Diva Floria has to face with the unwanted advances of Scarpia.”
American soprano Melody Moore has appeared on many of the leading opera stages of the world, including as Mimi in La Bohème at the English National Opera, and as Regine St. Laurent in Rufus Wainwright’s Prima Donna at the New York City Opera.
One of the finest opera singers of her generation, Moore is probably best-known for her signature role, as Floria Tosca in Puccini’s masterpiece Tosca, a role she will reprise to open the 2017-2018 season of L’Opéra de Montréal.
Katya Kabanova - Seattle Opera