Fidelio is approaching quickly, and I would like to express my excitement in hosting Adrianne Pieczonka’s role debut as Leonore. Leonore is such a challenging role, and an incredibly difficult one to cast as the voice needs to encompass so many colours, from light lyric passages to strong dramatic phrases.
In the soprano’s first act aria, Beethoven makes huge demands on the singer’s stamina to sustain her voice in the top part of her range for a long time before finishing with a concluding quick section which requires wide-ranging agility. There is no mercy for this role, especially in the final scene where she sings top note after top note against a very full orchestra.
It is important for me to see Canadian singers debuting roles in our house. It is our goal for the COC to be a home company for Canadian singers, and for them to feel comfortable and supported singing this challenging and exciting repertoire.
(Clifton Forbis and Adrianne Pieczonka in the COC’s Die Walküre. Photo: Michael Cooper)
Posted by Alexander Neef / in Casting / comments (0) / permalink
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