If she has the voice of an angel, and the face of an angel, she must be an Angel.
Angel Blue, that is.
The American soprano, one of the most admired singers of her generation, is headlining the first new production of Verdi鈥檚 鈥淎ida鈥� in 36 years. Blue, now 40, debuted at the Met in 2017 as Mimi in Puccini鈥檚 鈥淟a Boheme鈥� and has become a fixture at the house, starring in two opening nights and this fall portraying the lead character in Osvaldo Golijov鈥檚 鈥淎inadamar.鈥�
But 鈥淎ida鈥� is something else. The title role of the enslaved Ethiopian princess torn between love for an Egyptian warrior and loyalty to her country represents the pinnacle of Verdi鈥檚 mature vocal style. It demands power, flexibility and the ability to spin out long phrases, while conveying the dramatic intensity of the character鈥檚 emotional turmoil.
It also comes weighted with history, especially for a Black soprano at the Met, where Leontyne Price embodied the role from her first performance in 1961 until her retirement in 1985.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檓 the next Leontyne Price, but I鈥檝e definitely looked at her my whole life as an example of someone to model myself after,鈥� Blue said in an interview after a day of rehearsal.
鈥淪ometimes in opera there鈥檚 an intimidation factor because of those who come before us,鈥� she added. 鈥淏ut when it鈥檚 somebody who I look up to, I feel like, OK it鈥檚 my turn. Thank you so much, it鈥檚 because of you I鈥檓 here.鈥�
Blue鈥檚 turn comes on New Year鈥檚 Eve, when Michael Mayer鈥檚 production opens before a sold-out house with a cast that includes tenor Piotr Beczala as her lover, Radames, mezzo Judit Kutasi as her rival, Amneris, and baritone Quinn Kelsey as her father, Amonasro. Met music director conducts. The Jan. 25 matinee will be broadcast live in HD to movie theaters worldwide.
Blue was less than a year old when Price made her Met farewell, so she never got to hear her live in opera. But her father, a classically trained gospel singer and pastor, loved her recordings and 鈥� according to family lore 鈥� pronounced shortly after Blue was born that she would be 鈥渢he next Leontyne Price.鈥�
鈥淢y beautiful dad, he was just enamored of her,鈥� Blue said. 鈥淚t was like a thought that came into his heart when I took my first breath.鈥�
Growing up as one of five children in Southern California, Blue sang in church, studied voice and piano in high school, then entered several beauty pageants and used her prize money to help pay for her musical studies. She had been bitten by the opera bug at age 4 when her father took her to see a concert performance of Puccini鈥檚 鈥淭urandot鈥� while the family was visiting relatives in Cleveland.
Though she had sung 鈥淎ida鈥� once in concert in Detroit, her only previous staged performances came last year at London鈥檚 Royal Opera House. The critics were impressed, though some felt she was still mastering the role.
鈥淪ometimes Blue鈥檚 tone frays under pressure,鈥� wrote Neil Fisher in The Times. But he added that she is 鈥渁 heartfelt, affecting Aida 鈥� riding high in ensembles. This gutsy Aida will grow in authority.鈥�
Mark Elder, who conducted Blue in London, recalled that 鈥渨hen she came to me, she wasn鈥檛 very experienced in the part, and I was incredibly impressed with how she would quietly go on with studying it and thinking about it and taking on board some of the ideas that I gave her.
鈥淭o express everything the music demands of her is by far the hardest thing that she鈥檚 probably ever had to do,鈥� Elder said. 鈥淏y the time she did the first performance with me it was clear she was very suited to the role. She will sing it for years to come.鈥�
Mayer said that during the Met rehearsals he was struck by how naturally Blue was able to capture the character鈥檚 inner conflicts as she is torn between love for her Egyptian captor and duty to her homeland and her father.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 remarkable about working with Angel is that she is utterly sympathetic,鈥� Mayer said. 鈥淪he does the thing that great actors do: She has the thought, and we see it. She鈥檚 not doing any histrionic indicating of feelings, she鈥檚 trusting that Verdi knew what he was doing in terms of how the music is telling its own story.
鈥淪he鈥檚 a gentle soul, but then she opens up and you hear this magnificent voice,鈥� Mayer said.
Opening night of the Met production will be a poignant occasion for Blue because New Year鈥檚 Eve marks the 18th anniversary of her father鈥檚 death. Her mother and brother will be in the audience cheering her on, and the rest of her family will come to a later performance. She鈥檚 determined not to disappoint them.
鈥淚 feel like a boxer at the side of the ring, and I have these gloves on that say 鈥楢IDA,鈥欌�� Blue said. 鈥淧eople are giving me water, patting me down and saying, 鈥楢ngel, you鈥檝e got this. You can do it!鈥欌�欌��
Mike Silverman, The Associated Press
