Idomeneo at the Lyric Opera of Chicago
“Angela Brower made a most impressive Lyric debut as Idamante. The statuesque mezzo is a superb actor—she proved an earnest, forthright hero in this trousers role, conveying hurt and confusion at the king’s rejection and heroic strength when she finally confronts Idomeneo. Brower sang sensitively and with striking agility throughout, throwing off a terrific “Non ho culpa,” capped by a nifty, high-flying cadenza.
The only complaint about Brower’s performance was that there was not more of it. One felt the loss of Idamante’s music most acutely, especially with “No, la morte ” cut from Act 3. Granted, that aria lies treacherously high for a mezzo, but there is little doubt that Brower could have handled it.”
“Once again, high-flown melody conquers all, with mezzo-soprano Angela Brower making her Lyric debut as a remarkably intense Idamente (in Mozart’s time, a castrato played this part). Brower elegantly finessed the virtuoso vocal lines for which castrati were celebrated, but she also shaped them to compelling effect. Better still, the romantic charge between Ilia and Idamente was unmistakable from the start, not only because of the way they regarded each other physically but because of the very quality of their instruments, Brugger’s rounded, dusky timbre answered by Brower’s bright and radiant tone.”
“One admired the deliberate tempo and hushed intimacy that music director Andrew Davis established for the second act trio, “Pria di partir, oh Dio!” To hear Polenzani, Wall and Brower sustain seemingly endless lyric lines at a relatively hushed dynamic level in this enormous house was to experience one of the most sublime moments of the evening. Another came with the third act quartet, “Andro ramingo e solo,” the three aforementioned singers plus Brugger intertwining their phrases while emphasizing music, not pyrotechnics.”
“Equally impressive is Lyric debutante Angela Brower in the “pants role” of Idamante, her bright timbre and physical dexterity illuminating the role, and she has excellent chemistry with the Ilia of Janai Brugger.”
“In her Lyric debut, Angela Brower is stellar as Idamante. With a fresh, agile sound and beautiful dramatic instincts, Brower is a fantastic Mozartian singer, imbuing every moment with emotion. When Idamante sings to his beloved Ilia, there was aching tenderness in Brower’s voice, (especially in the duet “S’io non moro a questi accenti,” the musical highpoint of the evening), but elsewhere, there was youthful bravado, acute desperation, and yet another radically different vocal color when Idamante nobly accepts his fate. I’m unabashed to say that Brower was my favorite part of this immensely talented cast of singers.”
“Another role that is very important in this opera is the role of Idamante performed by a rapidly rising star, American mezzo-soprano Angela Brower. It is her role and company debuts as Idamante, the noble-hearted son of the title character in Mozart’s Idomeneo. During the age of opera seria there was “a rise to prominence of the castrati, often prodigiously gifted male singers who had undergone castration before puberty in order to retain a high, powerful soprano or alto.” Our days, female singers perform these roles and Brower became the best fit for the role of Idamante. The arias “Non ho colpa” (I am not guilty), “Il padre adorato” (My beloved father), and “No, la morte io non pavento” (No, I am not afraid of dying) present Brower’s unique vocal mastery and superb acting skills.”
“With striking stage presence and a voice with the palette of a Monet painting, Angela Brower, reminiscent of the incomparable Frederica Von Stade, is a tremendous artist. In the role of Idamante, created for a castrato, re-worked for a tenor, but now most successfully performed by a mezzo-soprano, she gave us several of the evening’s most memorable vocal moments. Even when not uttering a sound she was riveting: Idamante’s shock and horrific pain at being rejected by his father was heartbreaking and later, during Ilia’s aria “Zeffiretti lusinghieri”, a scene that could be corny if not played just right, Idamante is visible at extreme upstage center receiving the unseen caresses carried from afar by the breezes. It took the breath away from even the most jaded of opera goers. His acceptance of his fate, and his willingness to give his life for the well-being of the community made a profound impact. For that reason alone, go!”
“Another role that is very important in this opera is the role of Idamante performed by a rapidly rising star, American mezzo-soprano Angela Brower. It is her role and company debuts as Idamante, the noble-hearted son of the title character in Mozart’s Idomeneo. During the age of opera seria there was “a rise to prominence of the castrati, often prodigiously gifted male singers who had undergone castration before puberty in order to retain a high, powerful soprano or alto.” Our days, female singers perform these roles and Brower became the best fit for the role of Idamante. The arias “Non ho colpa” (I am not guilty), “Il padre adorato” (My beloved father), and “No, la morte io non pavento” (No, I am not afraid of dying) present Brower’s unique vocal mastery and superb acting skills.”