“If another singer were to insert sobs into Richard Strauss’s “Befreit,” as Melody Moore did at her New York recital debut on May 25, it might well seem vulgar. The song’s text and melody alone offer so complete a portrayal of grieving devotion that no such extramusical gesture is necessary. But Moore had already proved herself to be a performer of such honesty that could you not only forgive her the effect, but understand its naked emotionality as a manifestation of her open, uninhibited stage persona. This was in fact as moving a “Befreit” as I’ve ever heard: sobs and all, Moore delivered its pathos exactly.
A “powerful” performance from ‘Manon Lescaut’ at the Bard Music Festival
“The emotional transparency that set Puccini apart from his contemporaries was demonstrated again and again … The first program contrasted the “Lescaut” duet, sung with throbbing power by the soprano Melody Moore and the tenor Russell Thomas, with excerpts from Catalani’s “Loreley” and Arrigo Boito’s “Nerone.”
James Jorden – The New York Times
‘Macbeth in Attica’
Opera News | by Alan Pendergast
Francesca Zambello, artistic and general director of the nearby Glimmerglass Festival, is passionate about bringing opera to nontraditional audiences—even if the effort sometimes takes her well out of her comfort zone. But in decades of opera and theater work, she had never undertaken anything quite as challenging as last summer’s journey, with several Glimmerglass cast members, to Attica, to perform selections from Verdi’s Macbeth for inmates. A documentary about the prison got her thinking about extending the nonprofit’s community outreach to new realms. “It’s not that far from us,” she says. “I wondered what it would be like if we brought opera to the biggest maximum-security prison in the state.”
“Impressive debut” in Carnegie Hall recital
“Ms. Moore has been making quite a name for herself with her highly dramatic interpretations and warm stage presence. The list of roles she has tackled and those upcoming give one the impression of astonishing versatility–Mozart, Wagner, Puccini, Verdi, Bizet, and Jerome Kern are all represented. With collaborative pianist Robert Mollicone, she held the Weill Recital Hall audience in rapt attention.
NY Recital debut at Carnegie Hall
Melody Moore makes her highly anticipated recital debut in New York this week, on May 25 at Carnegie Hall. She is accompanied by pianist Robert Mollicone on a program that highlights works by Donaudy, Respighi, Puccini, Debussy, and more. This performance is featured as part of the ‘Great Singers: Evenings of Song’ series, and takes place in Weill Recital Hall.
Talking with Singers: Melody Moore (Schmopera interview)
Soprano Melody Moore is currently between shows at Washington National Opera, singing Freia in Das Rheingold and Ortlinde in Die Walküre until May 18th. After that, she hits the recital stage in Chicago with pianist Shannon McGinnis (May 20) and at New York’s Carnegie Hall with Robert Mollicone (May 25). Moore took the time to talk about some of the enviable roles she’s had the chance to perform, what’s left on her singing bucket list, and her “incredibly strong connection” with Puccini’s Tosca.
