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| Reviews... |
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on any photograph below for a larger view. |
| Desdemona's
prayer was exquisite.
(English Opera) |
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| Otello |
| Rebecca
Copley |
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| Copley
sang the entire opera (Otello)
as to the manner born.
Her singing of Acts III and IV were as fine as any interpretation
to be heard today.
The voice is big and glowing.
It is produced with ease and intelligence, the pianissimi are so
gorgeous they can bring tears to the eyes, and the high notes seem to come
from nowhere.
(The Star-Ledger) |
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| Otello |
| Rebecca
Copley, James McCracken |
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| What I hadn't foreseen was how often the mighty Met baritone (Mark Delavan) would be upstaged. Rebecca Copley sizzled as the jealous, bloodthirsty Abigaille (Nabucco). (Creative Loafing-Charlotte) |
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| Quite matching him in breadth of characterization was the dramatic soprano Rebecca Copley as his bastard daughter Abigaille (Nabucco). This is a killer role for a singer without a firm technical foundation. One minute she is soaring at the top of her range only to instantly plummet to her solid chest voice. The jagged pattern of high and low singing is astounding. Copley fulfilled these parameters in both performances. (Classical Voice North Carolina) |
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| Rebecca Copley (Abigaille)... secure, vibrant and fiery. She sang Verdi's pyrotechnic music with gusto. (Charlotte Observer) |
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| Rebecca Copley is a superb Abigaille, her celebrated soprano with its wide range of tonal colour being heard to advantage. ... in 'Anch'io dischiuso un giorno', her voice is breathtakingly beautiful. (Pretoria South Africa) |
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| Rebecca
Copley was in spectacular voice as Aida.
"O patria mia" emerged radiant.
(Opera News) |
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| The
title character (Aida) is a
powerful and taxing role, but it didn't daunt Rebecca Copley, whose
beautiful dramatic soprano and prodigious technique were gripping from
beginning to end.
Her high notes floated to the top of the Civic Auditorium with
remarkable control and finesse, and her refined artistry turned every note
through the whole of her wide range into glowing sound.
(The Oak Ridger) |
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| Aida |
| Rebecca
Copley |
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| Macbeth |
| Rebecca
Copley |
|
Rebecca
Copley brought vocal and dramatic poise to the role of Lady Macbeth.
(LA Times) |
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| On
imagine parfaitement Rebecca Copley en Desdemone, la role qui vient de la
voir debuter.
La voix est d'une merveilleuse purete qui apporte a ce Requiem
(Verdi) la note angelique necessaire.
(One imagines perfectly Rebecca Copley as Desdemona, the role which
was her debut.
The voice is of a marvelous purity which brings the necessary
angelic tone to this Requiem.)
(Le Figaro) |
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| It
was, however, the singing of soprano Rebecca Copley which gave the
listener moments of spell-binding intensity.
Verdi (Requiem) has given
the singer phrase after phrase of pianissimo singing in the upper voice,
and Miss Copley never failed to deliver tones of unforced beauty in a
seemingly effortless fashion.
(The Island Packet) |
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| The
purity in soprano Rebecca Copley's singing (Brahms-Requiem),
together with the unerring power in the voice, made her ideal for
her single aria.
(Rocky Mountain News) |
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| Rebecca
Copley's clear, richly modulated Desdemona...
her "Ave Maria" sung in tones of melting beauty.
(Opera News) |
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| The
title role (Tosca) was sung by
Rebecca Copley, a marvelous soprano from Kansas.
She handled the tortuous difficulties of her virtuoso parts with
technical aplomb.
Intonation was precise, high notes sparkled with firm assurance and
legato phrases connected with seamless style.
Copley's performance was impressive as she conveyed the blazing
emotions, stabbing suspicions and shattering grief of her tempestuous
character.
(Fort Wayne News-Sentinel) |
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| Turandot |
| Rebecca
Copley |
| Photograph courtesy of the Minnesota Opera and Gary
Mortenson. |
|
Rebecca
Copley proved why she's considered a major talent, and then some.
The title role here (Turandot) is more about revenge than victimization, and there was
clearly nothing frail about her singing.
Yet there was finesse that you don't often hear from dramatic
sopranos who belt out the savagery in this dark drama set in China. |
| As the bitter and frigid Princess of China, Ms. Copley's icy
gestures were timed as perfectly as her voice was placed.
There was elegance in her low notes and crystal beauty in her high
notes. Never
forcing, she projected beautifully.
Each successive aria was more impressive for the virtuosity
displayed.
(The Oak Ridger) |
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| Rebecca
Copley and Matthew Kirchner (Act III-Turandot)
came as close as is humanly possible to making this scene work.
Theirs were triumphant performances.
(St. Paul Pioneer Press) |
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| As
Turandot, Rebecca Copley had the steely voice of an arrogant ruler.
Keep an eye on her, the size of her voice and her presence suggest
a Brunnhilde in the making.
(Online Charlotte) |
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| Il
Trovatore |
| Rebecca
Copley, Frederic Kalt |
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Rebecca
Copley made a compelling Leonora (Il
Trovatore).
Her coloratura was clear and unstrained, her styling refined.
She offered an exquisite "D'amor sull'ali rosee," with
gorgeous high notes (including the written D-flat) and passionate phrases.
(Sun-Sentinel) |
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| Rebecca
Copley...who sang the finest Norma
this reviewer has yet to hear from a living throat.
Without the least exaggeration, Copley has it all - the dramatic
power, the range (up to and including E-flat above high C), the
coloratura, the stamina, even the commanding presence.
She sang it with what can be described as something like ease,
leaving one with the impression that with a 15-minute rest, she just might
be ready to sing it all over again.
(The Star-Ledger) |
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| In
the "Immolation Scene" (Gotterdammerung),
Copley not only cut through the orchestra with ease, but her voice took on
a richness.
She gave a particular breadth and glow to the meditative section
midway through.
She showed that singing Wagner music is about more than slicing
through an orchestral din.
(The Orlando Sentinel) |
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| Soprano
Rebecca Copley lived up to the daunting demands of the Wagner heroine
roles in "Brunnhilde's Immolation" from Gotterdammerung
and "Dich, teure Halle" from Tannhauser.
Copley has impressive power and control but impressed more with her
directness and clarity that avoided the Wagnerian cliches.
In Isolde's "Liebestod" from Tristan
und Isolde, she brought an earthy sensuousness and ethereal longing to
this musical telling of the ancient allegory of never-ending love.
(The Austin American Statesman) |
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| But
the real treat of the evening was Desdemona, Rebecca Copley.
Her "Hail Mary" in Act IV was exactly the sort of moment
that one realizes exactly where all the fuss about opera comes from.
("That's Entertainment"-New Orleans) |
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| Soprano
Rebecca Copley (Donna Anna-Don
Giovanni) settled into some impressive singing.
Her voice is quite large, vibrant and has a pleasant tone.
"Non mi dir" was truly impressive.
(The Advocate) |
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| Soprano
Rebecca Copley gave fervent expression and golden-toned lyricism to "Ihr
habt nun Traurigkeit" (Brahms-Requiem).
(News-Press) |
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| The
audience favorite was Copley (Aida),
who has many fine arias, the best being the poignant "O patria mia,"
where she sings of her sadness of never seeing her homeland again, that
brought a hush to the audience.
(The Phoenix Gazette) |
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| My
highest praise in the high range is reserved for Rebecca Copley, the
American who bravely appeared first in the ferociously difficult "In
questa reggia" from Puccini's Turandot.
(Montreal Gazette) |
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| Copley
combined power, clarity and subtlety of expression in a voice that
captivated with its beauty.
From Tannhauser
came a nicely controlled "Dich, teure Halle," from Turandot
an agile yet powerful "In questa reggia" and from Ernani some brilliant vocal displays in "Ernani! Ernani,
involami!"
(The Daily Oklahoman) |
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| Ms.
Copley revealed the rapture and passion of Isolde (Tristan und Isolde) as she is spiritually transformed beside the
mortally wounded Tristan.
She performed "In questa reggia"(Turandot),
an ode of fiery revenge and hatred that brought the audience to a standing
ovation.
(The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus) |
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| Turandot |
| Matthew Kirchner,
Rebecca Copley |
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| The
most interesting of the newcomers was Rebecca Copley, who sang the title
role. Her
soprano is clear and strong, yet smaller and more lyrical than one expects
in a Turandot. But
Miss Copley used her resources cleverly.
She offered a believable sense of her character's iciness at the
start of the work and her thaw in the third act.
(New York Times) |
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| In
a word, magnificent.
Copley sounded strong and plush and lustrous, but always feminine;
this is the only soprano I've ever heard, including Birgit Nilsson, who
reminds me forcibly of the glories of Flagstad.
With time, this could become Copley's high destiny.
(The Star-Ledger) |
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| From
Ms. Copley's mellow, floating "Dich, teure Halle" from Tannhauser
through her "Liebestod" from
Tristan und Isolde and "Brunnhilde's Immolation" from Gotterdammerung, Ms. Copley took the audience from the great ranges
of pitch and emotion - from floating, mellow, flowing sounds to those of
desperation and resignation.
Contrary to the Brunnhilde caricatures about, Ms. Copley never
seemed to push, belt or bellow.
(The Westlake Picayune) |
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| By
far the most thrilling offering of the concert came with the aria "In
questa reggia" from Turandot.
Here, Copley displayed an enormous instrument with her high notes
of remarkable luster and force that had no trouble soaring over the
orchestra.
(Quad-City Times) |
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| Nabucco |
| Rebecca
Copley |
|
There
is only one word to describe the performance given by soprano Rebecca
Copley (Britten-War Requiem).
The word is splendor.
This is a voice that can rise like the sun right through chorus and
orchestra, dead on pitch, and hang there gleaming.
(The Star-Ledger) |
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| ...honey-toned
soprano Rebecca Copley.
Copley's voice, a covered-sounding and mellow soprano, matched the
somber mood of the composition (Gorecki-Symphony
No. 3).
(The San Diego Union-Tribune) |
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| As
Donna Anna,
Rebecca Copley's big voice had a steely edge to it that matched the
emotions of the moment.
(The Times-Picayune) |
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| The
impressive cast featured the sensational voice of soprano Rebecca Copley (Aida),
whose spinning high notes electrified the theater.
Copley's third act "O patria mia" (was) filled with
subtle expression and beauty.
(The Knoxville News-Sentinel) |
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| Ms.
Copley's touching third act "Ave Maria" (Otello) was particularly poignant.
(New Orleans WLAE-TV) |
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| American
Soprano Rebecca Copley captured the audience with her winsome,
sympathetically vulnerable portrayal and able singing.
Her sad "Willow Song" (Otello)
was touching.
(Clarion Herald) |
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| Otello |
| Rebecca
Copley, James McCracken |
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| Cutting
a fine figure onstage, Copley (Desdemona) acted impressively and deserved
the great acclaim that she received from the audience.
Her kind of talent is sorely needed.
(Echoes-Sentinel) |
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| The
most incredible moment (Verdi-Requiem)
came in tandem with the chorus, all those voices going, the orchestra
popping, and Copley's voice rising up, through, and over the massed sound
like the sun rising over a mountain range.
Un-be-liev-able.
(The Star-Ledger) |
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| Soprano
Rebecca Copley provided a resonant Donna Anna.
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram) |
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| Rebecca
Copley as Desdemona, sang the "Willow Song" and "Ave
Maria" most affectingly.
(The Times-Picayune) |
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| Soprano
Rebecca Copley made a wonderful Aida.
Hers is a voice of power and effortless beauty, never faltering at
either extreme of the range and always producing a pure, luscious tone.
Copley's acting was likewise impressive, rendering the Ethiopian
slave girl's love and torment compellingly.
(Tucson Citizen) |
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| Listen
to Rebecca Copley here. |
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