| Meredith Hall |
Introduction "In the daunting role of Semele, Meredith Hall spun her sweet, full soprano in phrases that opened out gratifyingly on top and slalomed fearlessly through the endless coloratura. This bravura musical performance was matched by a riveting dramatic one-sultry, funny and then tragic." Boston Globe, Susan Larson BiographyCanadian Soprano Meredith Hall delights audiences internationally with her "lustrous sound and fluent legato" (San Francisco Chronicle) and "bravura musical performance matched by a riveting (sense of the) dramatic" (Boston Globe). Equally at home in Opera and Oratorio, she is especially in demand for Baroque and Classical works, particularly those of Mozart and Handel. During the 2010-2011 season Ms. Hall will be heard at the Göttingen Handel Festival in Germany, and in MESSIAH with both Apollo’s Fire of Cleveland and the Grand Philharmonic Choir of Kitchener Waterloo. Also on her schedule are performances with the Tucson Festival in Arizona and the Hot Earth Ensemble of Newfoundland. Highlights for 2009-2010 included MESSIAHs for the Newfoundland Symphony and the Elmer Iseler Singers of Toronto, LES ILLUMINATIONS with the Talisker Players of Toronto and Vivaldi’s GLORIA for the Elgin Symphony of Illinois. The 2008 – 2009 season began with a return to San Francisco for Rameau’s PYGMALION and Arne’s COMUS with Philharmonia Baroque and a tour of Canada’s west coast with La Nef. Also on her schedule were performances in DIDO and AENEAS (title role) for Apollo’s Fire and her debut with Boston Baroque in their presentation of Rameau’s PYGMALION. In 2007-2008, Ms. Hall was heard in MESSIAH for the Victoria Symphony, in Purcell’s THE INDIAN QUEEN for the Toronto Masque Theatre and was a guest artist at the Montreal Baroque Festival. Her 2006-2007 season was notable for concerts in Halle, Germany at the Handel Festival, MESSIAH with the Toronto Symphony as well as concerts and recording projects with La Nef for CBC Radio Canada and with Toronto Masque Theatre for CBC Radio Two. Ms. Hall debuted at the Shannon International Music Festival in a programme of Beethoven’s Irish and Scottish songs with Nicholas McGegan at the piano and she was heard at the Montreal Baroque Festival and at Domaine Forget in a programme with the Toronto Consort. Other engagements in her 2005-2006 season included MESSIAHs with the Portland Baroque Orchestra, the Amadeus Choir of Toronto, the Newfoundland Symphony and the Iseler Singers of Toronto. Also in 2006, she was in Göttingen at the Handel Festival for an all Mozart programme, Memphis for Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Tucson for the Arizona Chamber Music Festival and Toronto with Pax Christi Chorale for Mendelssohn’s ST. PAUL. Of particular note was her recital debut in Toronto for the Women’s Musical Club with guitarist Bernard Farley. Ms. Hall’s 2004-2005 season included the title role in Rameau’s ZEPHYR for McGegan’s Philharmonia Baroque, concerts with La Nef ensemble of Montreal, a Baroque evening for the Windsor Symphony, Bach’s JOHANNES PASSION for Orchestra London and the Toronto Operetta Theatre production of the zarzuela EL BARBERILLO DE LAVAPIES. She was also heard as Aristeo in Rossi’s ORFEO for the Toronto Consort and finished the season on a high note as featured soloist in a Handel programme for I Musici de Montreal. Ms. Hall’s opera appearances include the title roles of Monteverdi’s L’INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA (Houston Grand Opera and Opera Atelier, Toronto) and Handel’s PARTENOPE (Göttingen Handel Festival, Germany) as well as Pamina in Mozart’s DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE (Opera Atelier, Toronto) and Phébé in Rameau’s CASTOR ET POLLUX (Opera in Concert, Toronto). Other Handel roles include: SEMELE (Handel & Haydn Society, Boston); Pleasure in THE CHOICE OF HERCULES (Philharmonia Baroque, San Francisco) and Mary Magdelene in RESURREZIONE (Opera Atelier). In Mozart roles, Ms. Hall has appeared as Zerlina in DON GIOVANNI at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Bastienne in BASTIEN UND BASTIENNE with Tafelmusik in Toronto and as Elvira in DON GIOVANNI for Opera Atelier’s tour of Japan. Her performances as Susanna in THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO with the same company were received with great acclaim in Toronto and Tokyo. Previous operatic engagements have included Giunone in Cavalli’s ERCOLE AMANTE in Utrecht, Tanglewood and Boston; Eurydice in Gluck’s ORFEO for Cleveland Opera; Galatea in Handel’s ACIS AND GALATEA for Opera Atelier; Dido in DIDO AND AENEAS for Apollo’s Fire (Cleveland); Messagiera in Monteverdi’s ORFEO for Vancouver Early Music; and Altisidore in Boismortier’s DON QUICHOTTE for Paris’ Opera Comique. Ms. Hall debuted with the Toronto Symphony in Handel’s MESSIAH, a work which she has also performed with the Memphis Symphony and with Apollo’s Fire in Severance Hall, Cleveland. Other concert appearances include Mozart’s MASS IN C MINOR with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the Arcadia Chamber Orchestra in Osaka, Japan; Handel’s GLORIA with Pittsburgh’s Chatham Baroque; Pergolesi’s STABAT MATER and Handel’s DIXIT DOMINUS with Le grand Choeur de Montreal; Bach’s MASS IN B MINOR for the St. Lawrence Choir of Montreal and his MISSA BREVIS for the Vancouver Chamber Choir. Ms. Hall toured Japan appearing in a series of song recitals in Osaka and Tokyo with her husband, guitarist Bernard Farley. She sang Aaron Copland’s POEMS OF EMILY DICKINSON and Handel arias with the Memphis Symphony; Vivaldi arias with Cleveland’s Apollo’s Fire and Handel’s MESSIAH with the Victoria Symphony. For Toronto Operetta Theatre she performed the role of Nanine in the Canadian premiere of THE WIDOW by Calixa Lavallee, and recorded songs by Robbie Burns with La Nef for the ATMA label. Ms. Hall has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon Archiv, Philips, Naxos, Dorian, NPR Records and CBC Records with such groups as Les Musiciens du Louvre, Le Concert Spirituel, The Musicians of the Globe, The Toronto Consort and Tafelmusik. August 2010 Full RepertoireOPERA
CONCERT
SELECTED RECITAL REPERTOIRE
Lieder by: Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, Mendelssohn, Mozart Schubert, Schumann, Wolf English continuo songs by: Brewer, Johnson, Lanier, Lawes English lutesongs by: Campian, Danyel, Dowland, Ford, Morley Chansons by: Fauré, Debussy, Poulenc, Ravel, Roussel Early Italian cantatas and arias by: Fontei, Frescobaldi, d’Indy, Monteverdi, Strozzi Spanish songs by: Granados, Montsalvatge, Nin, Obradors, Turina Songs with Guitar by: Sor, Giuliani, Schubert, Beethoven, Berlioz and Farley
DISCOGRAPHY Rameau:
Purcell:
Boismortier:
Elizabethan Lute Songs
Purcell’s Shakespeare Music
The Masque of Oberon
As a member of The Toronto Consort The More than Divine Orlando
Full Well She Sang
Nowell Sing We
O Lusty May
Engaged By
Reviews“Soprano Meredith Hall sang with commendable musicality and purity of sound, ideal in the lyrical arias.”(MESSIAH) Globe and Mail – Ken Winters“Merdith Hall, a picture-pretty Canadian soprano with a wonderful voice and extraordinary stage presence.” (Göttingen, PARTENOPE) Online Muzik Magazin – Gerhard Menzel“Young Canadian soprano Meredith Hall’s captivating performance in the title role…every aria is an unalloyed masterpiece and Hall made each one a special moment. Furthermore she was also ideal visually, bringing to the role a playfully regal grandeur and much sensual allure.” Opera News – George Loomis“The very impressive Meredith Hall, with her wonderous coloratura, reveled in the challenges to range and dexterity posed by the composer.” (Mozart, MASS IN C minor) Toronto Star – Geoff Chapman“Meredith Hall sang with clear, articulate phrasing and enough vocal power to fill every corner of the hall.” Contra Costa Times (San Francisco) – Georgia Rowe“Meredith Hall played the travesty role of Zéphyreto the hilt, cutting a dashing figure in a sparkling trouser ensemble fit for a god. The purity of her tone, together with her utter control of expression was a joy to hear…Hall’s gorgeous voice and excellent acting skills were convincing.” San Francisco Classical Voice – Rebekah Ahrendt“…soprano Meredith Hall who brought singing of enormous lusciousness and sweep to the trouser role of Zéphyre.” San Francisco Chronicle – Joshua Kosman“The shiniest star of the evening was Canadian soprano Meredith Hall who sang with such drama and exquisite ornamentation that it simply took one’s breath away.” Toronto Star – John Terauds“As Poppea, Canadian soprano Meredith Hall unveiled new colours and strength in her voice alongside her usual magnetic stage presence.” The National Post – Tamara Bernstein“Meredith Hall literally shone on the stage…her charisma was equaled by her interpretive ability…a clear voice that could be powerful or light as required by the emotions.” (Robert Burns with La Nef) La Presse (Montreal) – Guy Marceau
“The classiest singing of Frank Nelson’s simple libretto came from soprano Meredith Hall…her two big arias with eloquent, silky declamations and coquettish characterization were excellent… trills well established.” (Toronto Operetta Theatre, THE WIDOW)Toronto Star – Geoff Chapman Prévert |