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Ms. Copley's International Reviews
~ Celebrating Them ~
~ The Lindsborg Swedes, Their Neighbors & Friends ~
<> Their Legacy "Messiah" Performances <>
Ms. Copley's International Reviews
As an international concert and opera soprano, here are some of Ms. Copley's reviews of her major roles in operas and symphonic works she performed during her national and international career from 1986 to 2009. The source for this list, without the specific season, was from Ms. Copley's website section titled "Reviews."
~ Operas and Symphonic Works ~
Opera: Otello
Role: Desdemona
Composer: Italian Giuseppe Verdi
(First performed in Milan in 1887)
"Copley sang the entire opera (Ottelo) 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 pianissimo are so gorgeous they can bring tears to the eyes, and the high notes seem to come from nowhere."
-- The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ
"Desdemona's prayer was exquisite." -- English Opera, London, England
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, Hanover, NJ
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, New Orleans, LA
Ms. Copley's touching third act "Ave Maria" (Otello) was particularly poignant. -- WLAE-TV, New Orleans, LA
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, LA
Rebecca Copley's clear, richly modulated Desdemona... her "Ave Maria" sung in tones of melting beauty.
-- Opera News, New York, NY
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, Paris, France
Rebecca Copley as Desdemona, sang the "Willow Song" and "Ave Maria" most affectingly.
-- The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA
*******
Opera: Nabucco
(In Italian is Nabucodonosor)
Role: Abigaille
Composer: Italian Giuseppe Verdi
(First performed in Milan in 1842)
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. -- Creative Loafing - Charlotte, NC
Quite matching him [“Met” Mark Delavan] in breadth of characterization was the dramatic soprano Rebecca Copley as his bastard daughter Abigaille. 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, Raleigh, N.C.
Rebecca Copley (Abigaille)... secure, vibrant and fiery. She sang Verdi's pyrotechnic music with gusto.
-- Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, N.C.
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', ("I too opened one day") her voice is breathtakingly beautiful.
-- South Africa News, Pretoria, South Africa
*******
Opera: Turandot
Role: Turandot
Composer: Italian Giacomo Puccini
(First performed in Milan in 1926)
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, Oak Ridge, TN
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, Saint Paul, MN
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, Charlotte, NC
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, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
By far the most thrilling offering of the concert came with the aria "In questa reggia" ("in this palace") 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, Davenport, IA
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, NY
*******
Opera: Macbeth
Role: Lady Macbeth
Composer: Italian Giuseppe Verdi
(First performed in Milan in 1847)
Rebecca Copley brought vocal and dramatic poise to the role of Lady Macbeth. -- Los Angeles Times, CA
*******
Opera: Gotterdammerung
Role: Brunnhilde
Composer: German Richard Wagner
(First performed near Bayreuth, Germany in 1876)
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, FL
*******
Opera: Don Giovanni
Role: Donna Anna
Composer: Austrian Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(First performed in Prague, in 1787)
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" ("Don't tell me") was truly impressive.
-- The Advocate, Baton Rouge, LA
As Donna Anna, Rebecca Copley's big voice had a steely edge to it that matched the emotions of the moment.
-- The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA
Soprano Rebecca Copley provided a resonant Donna Anna. -- Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, TX
*******
Opera: Norma
Role: Norma
Composer: Sicilian Italian Vincenzo Bellini
(First performed in Milan, in 1831)
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, Newark, NJ
*******
Opera: Il Trovatore (The Troubadour)
Role: Leonora
Composer: Italian Giuseppe Verdi
(First performed in Rome in 1853)
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," ("Love on rosy wings") with gorgeous high notes (including the written D-flat) and passionate phrases. -- Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL
*******
Opera: Tristan und Isolde
Role: Isolde
Composer: German Richard Wagner
(First performed in Munich in 1865)
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" "In this palace" (Turandot), an ode of fiery revenge and hatred that brought the audience to a standing ovation. -- The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus, East Moline, IL
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 I was impressed more with her directness and clarity that avoided the Wagnerian clichés. 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, Austin, TX
*******
Opera: Aida
Role: Aida
Composer: Italian Giuseppe Verdi
(First performed in Cario, 1871)
"Rebecca Copley was in spectacular voice as Aida." "O patria mia" emerged radiant. -- Opera News, New York, NY
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, Oak Ridge, TN
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, Knoxville, TN
*******
Opera: Tosca
Role: Tosca
Composer: Italian Giacomo Puccini
(First performed in Rome, 1900)
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, Fort Wayne, IN
Role: Desdemona
Composer: Italian Giuseppe Verdi
(First performed in Milan in 1887)
"Copley sang the entire opera (Ottelo) 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 pianissimo are so gorgeous they can bring tears to the eyes, and the high notes seem to come from nowhere."
-- The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ
"Desdemona's prayer was exquisite." -- English Opera, London, England
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, Hanover, NJ
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, New Orleans, LA
Ms. Copley's touching third act "Ave Maria" (Otello) was particularly poignant. -- WLAE-TV, New Orleans, LA
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, LA
Rebecca Copley's clear, richly modulated Desdemona... her "Ave Maria" sung in tones of melting beauty.
-- Opera News, New York, NY
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, Paris, France
Rebecca Copley as Desdemona, sang the "Willow Song" and "Ave Maria" most affectingly.
-- The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA
*******
Opera: Nabucco
(In Italian is Nabucodonosor)
Role: Abigaille
Composer: Italian Giuseppe Verdi
(First performed in Milan in 1842)
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. -- Creative Loafing - Charlotte, NC
Quite matching him [“Met” Mark Delavan] in breadth of characterization was the dramatic soprano Rebecca Copley as his bastard daughter Abigaille. 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, Raleigh, N.C.
Rebecca Copley (Abigaille)... secure, vibrant and fiery. She sang Verdi's pyrotechnic music with gusto.
-- Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, N.C.
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', ("I too opened one day") her voice is breathtakingly beautiful.
-- South Africa News, Pretoria, South Africa
*******
Opera: Turandot
Role: Turandot
Composer: Italian Giacomo Puccini
(First performed in Milan in 1926)
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, Oak Ridge, TN
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, Saint Paul, MN
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, Charlotte, NC
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, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
By far the most thrilling offering of the concert came with the aria "In questa reggia" ("in this palace") 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, Davenport, IA
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, NY
*******
Opera: Macbeth
Role: Lady Macbeth
Composer: Italian Giuseppe Verdi
(First performed in Milan in 1847)
Rebecca Copley brought vocal and dramatic poise to the role of Lady Macbeth. -- Los Angeles Times, CA
*******
Opera: Gotterdammerung
Role: Brunnhilde
Composer: German Richard Wagner
(First performed near Bayreuth, Germany in 1876)
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, FL
*******
Opera: Don Giovanni
Role: Donna Anna
Composer: Austrian Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(First performed in Prague, in 1787)
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" ("Don't tell me") was truly impressive.
-- The Advocate, Baton Rouge, LA
As Donna Anna, Rebecca Copley's big voice had a steely edge to it that matched the emotions of the moment.
-- The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA
Soprano Rebecca Copley provided a resonant Donna Anna. -- Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, TX
*******
Opera: Norma
Role: Norma
Composer: Sicilian Italian Vincenzo Bellini
(First performed in Milan, in 1831)
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, Newark, NJ
*******
Opera: Il Trovatore (The Troubadour)
Role: Leonora
Composer: Italian Giuseppe Verdi
(First performed in Rome in 1853)
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," ("Love on rosy wings") with gorgeous high notes (including the written D-flat) and passionate phrases. -- Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL
*******
Opera: Tristan und Isolde
Role: Isolde
Composer: German Richard Wagner
(First performed in Munich in 1865)
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" "In this palace" (Turandot), an ode of fiery revenge and hatred that brought the audience to a standing ovation. -- The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus, East Moline, IL
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 I was impressed more with her directness and clarity that avoided the Wagnerian clichés. 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, Austin, TX
*******
Opera: Aida
Role: Aida
Composer: Italian Giuseppe Verdi
(First performed in Cario, 1871)
"Rebecca Copley was in spectacular voice as Aida." "O patria mia" emerged radiant. -- Opera News, New York, NY
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, Oak Ridge, TN
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, Knoxville, TN
*******
Opera: Tosca
Role: Tosca
Composer: Italian Giacomo Puccini
(First performed in Rome, 1900)
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, Fort Wayne, IN
*******
Opera: Requiem
Role: Soprano
Composer: German Johannes Brahms
(First performed with 6 movements in Zurich in 1868)
Soprano Rebecca Copley gave fervent expression and golden-toned lyricism to "Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit" (Brahms-Requiem). -- News-Press, Fort Myers, FL
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, Denver, CO
*******
Opera: Requiem
Role: Soprano
Composer: Italian Giuseppe Verdi
(First performed in Milan 1874)
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, Newark, NJ
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, Bluffton, SC
*******
Opera: Britten-War Requiem
Role: Soprano
Composer: English Benjamin Britten
(First performed in Coventry in 1962)
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, Newark, NJ
Opera: Requiem
Role: Soprano
Composer: German Johannes Brahms
(First performed with 6 movements in Zurich in 1868)
Soprano Rebecca Copley gave fervent expression and golden-toned lyricism to "Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit" (Brahms-Requiem). -- News-Press, Fort Myers, FL
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, Denver, CO
*******
Opera: Requiem
Role: Soprano
Composer: Italian Giuseppe Verdi
(First performed in Milan 1874)
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, Newark, NJ
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, Bluffton, SC
*******
Opera: Britten-War Requiem
Role: Soprano
Composer: English Benjamin Britten
(First performed in Coventry in 1962)
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, Newark, NJ
Ms. Copley as Desdemona in Giuseppe Verdi's Otello singing Desdemona's prayer
"Desdemona's prayer was exquisite." -- English Opera, London, England
"Desdemona's prayer was exquisite." -- English Opera, London, England
Source: Ms. Copley's website reviews
SOURCES: Ms. Rebecca Copley and her website
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