Grace Bumbry & Christa Ludwig
Grace Bumbry & Christa Ludwig Grace Bumbry Wikipedia mentions in passing that Grace Bumbry is comparable to Shirley Verrett in her transition from mezzo-soprano to soprano repertoire. While I was approaching Verrett from the assumption that she was a soprano, I approached Bumbry from the perspective that she was a mezzo-soprano. Incidentally, my conclusion for both singers was that though they were successful in both voice types, they were both definitely sopranos. My two full-length selections for Bumbry were a 1967 Amneris in Verdi’s Aïda and a 1974 Salome in the title role. My findings reflected even more extremely my insights on both Verrett and Ponselle. What I noticed almost immediately in Bumbry’s portrayal of Amneris was the extensive use of chest voice. The rich, throaty sound seemed quite natural and was thrilling as ...