San Francisco Ring Cycle

“David Cangelosi – recently a star-turn on the Naxos Hong Kong Ring – creates a nicely fleshed-out character as Mime, singing with power and a more attractive tone than many in this role. His return in Siegfried will be keenly anticipated.”

“Cangelosi is among the most attractive-toned singers to make a signature role out of Mime and he’s a fine actor to boot. With fluttering hands and shifty feet, his attempts to charm the young Siegfried are dangerously convincing, and he frequently avoids the obvious nastiness to build a character that is both harried parent, delusional schemer and pathetic loser, all in one. His voice carries cleanly over the orchestra …thanks to admirable diction and musical intelligence.”

“David Cangelosi makes of Mime a masterpiece. Moving continuously, he not only sings the role but dances it. Rarely is a villainous character played with such zest! At one point, Cangelosi actually turns cartwheels and somersaults. In the hands of most opera singers, this would be a gimmick. But Cangelosi makes all of his moments fully motivated by character and never seems to be showing off.”

“The second longest role in the opera, after the title character, is the dwarf Mime. David Cangelosi, has made the role a specialty (and) separates himself from other Mimes by his extraordinary athleticism, doing multiple cartwheels and somersaults, including gymnastic feats on top of the trailer in which he and Siegfried reside.”

“David Cangelosi has appeared as Mime in all the 2008 and 2011 performances of the Zambello “Rheingold” as well as being cast in the three 2018 “Rings”. Cangelosi performs the role of Mime, brilliantly (and) provides a rich mine of emotions and behaviors…

“Cangelosi’s Mime was something of a tour de force. His diction was impeccable, his characterful tenor bright and forward, creating a highly believable character.”

“The Mime of American tenor David Cangelosi is slinking, garrulous and bubbling over with deceit — just perfect.”

“David Cangelosi’s Mime was pathetic and despicable, a cringing coward who hid, trembling, behind his own apron when he discovered Wotan’s identity. Cangelosi threw himself into the part with infectious glee, dancing and turning cartwheels when he thought his schemes were succeeding. Conversational delivery of his text and bone-dry low notes made for an unusual, expressive sound.”

“Tenor David Cangelosi (as Mime)…sang with more suppleness and precision than many have done in this role.”

“David Cangelosi fashioned an animated and conniving Mime who was strangely likeable. Mime certainly got some sympathy when Siegfried waterboarded him to force him to reveal something about Siegfried’s parentage, and that didn’t stop Cangelosi’s Mime from executing joyful cartwheels in expectation of getting the ring.”

“The re-telling of past events takes up a lot of time in (Siegfried) and can often seem to drag along, but in this performance the combination of engaging and lively singers…kept one’s attention throughout the evening. There were many extended one-to-one interactions, each one captivating: Siegfried with Mime (played with great physical dexterity by tenor David Cangelosi).”

“The best scene in this opera, possibly the best scene from the Cycle, happens just after Siegfried has defeated Fafner. David Cangelosi, as Mime, is fantastic in this scene. Every time he says something that comes out in words that reveal his true thoughts, his reaction is fabulous. It made me sad to see the character go.”

“The Mime of David Cangelosi, who really sings the part without a hint of caricature or whining.”

“David Cangelosi’s ‘Mime’ continues to be a centerpiece to the whole evening.”

“Tenor David Cangelosi (as Mime), in a performance of brilliance and integrity.”

“Tenor David Cangelosi was a lively Mime. His exuberant physical performance included dances & cartwheels, & his singing was expressive & fluent.”

“The superb character tenor David Cangelosi: Mime’s comic antics came naturally to Cangelosi, but he also showed more complicated shadings, as in his touching narrative of Sieglinde’s death, or his desperate desire to avenge himself in his confrontation with Alberich. Zambello showed him brewing the potion downstage, on the same level as Siegfried’s forging work, and the pair came off as more equally matched than usual in the first act.”

“David Cangelosi …an energetic Mime.”

“What could have been and has often in earlier productions been a very slow first act, starting with Mime and Siegfried… was not the usual boring blah blah blah. Instead director Francesca Zambello has made even this act filled with action. David Cangelosi’s Mime is wonderful, especially as he dances and does cartwheels while deriding the others.”

“Tenor David Cangelosi was a lively Mime, vocally and dramatically, proving an entertaining irritant to the growing, impatient Siegfried.”

“Every bit Brenna’s (Siegfried’s) equal as an actor and slightly more penetrating as a singer was David Cangelosi in the role of Mime, Siegfried’s selfish caretaker. Residing in a trailer park, Cangelosi embraced his character with enthusiasm and good humor. Wagner frequently dramatizes Mime’s wretchedness by accompanying him discreetly, and Cangelosi took full advantage, providing an intense but soft sound, which made the dramatic irony of his whispered confessions to the audience fully believable. He even showed a sensitive, lyrical side in the few moments Wagner allowed it.”

“American tenor David Cangelosi reprised his performance from the SFO 2011 “Ring” as the avaricious Mime in “Siegfried” and “Das Rheingold.” Mime has become a signature role for Cangelosi, distinguished by his remarkably subtle nastiness.”

“Mime’s role during the first two acts is also gigantic, and David Cangelosi is superb. This is also a three-dimensional portrait that avoids caricature and presents the dwarf as something more than pitch black and evil. In many ways Mime is a more complicated, more human character than Siegfried and Cangelosi manages to make him believable – even without the visual impact that in the theatre can strengthen the impression.”

“The San Francisco “Ring”…several outstanding cast members…included tenor Stefan Margita, an incisive and dynamic Loge, and tenor David Cangelosi, whose Mime was a splendid amalgam of creepiness and acrobatic grace.”

“American tenor David Cangelosi, as Zambello’s creepy hobo Mime, succeeded in making the first two acts of Siegfried high points of the entire cycle.”

“Throughout the Ring David Cangelosi’s Mime was particularly creepy and unctuous, but in Siegfried, he almost managed to make Mime convincingly pathetic. He has a great character tenor sound and acts well.”

“The remarkable David Cangelosi dominates the show to such an extent that the opera should be renamed Mime. Dressed in shabby outfit and knit cap, Cangelosi inhabits the role completely, singing robustly, creepy and wheedling in his faux solicitousness for Siegfried and joyfully doing cartwheels in anticipation of his gaining the gold and world dominion.”

“In Siegfried, David Cangelosi as Mime became the second character tenor in this cycle to emerge as the dominant voice in one of the segments. (The other was Stefan Margita as Loge in Rheingold.) Cangelosi’s knack for finding the right tone for every phrase in every scene paid dividends – whether he was wheedling Siegfried into doing his bidding or jousting with Wotan. In sound and balance he was perfect, and his nervous energy made the character palpable.”

“The dwarf Mime (brilliantly sung and acted by David Cangelosi, possibly the greatest Mime ever) is living with his ‘adopted son’, Siegfried, in the shell of a small trailer.”…”Nobody has ever been more effective or as amusing than David Cangelosi as Mime; he made every minute of this often annoying role a total pleasure.”

“San Francisco supplies potent dramatic and vocal performances by Stefan Margita (Loge),…and David Cangelosi (Mime).”

“The strongest voices were often the villains and schemers, rather than the gods and heroes… As Mime, the wheedling dwarf with futile dreams of capturing the ring, tenor David Cangelosi dominated the first act of ‘Siegfried’.”

“In fact, the strongest male singer over the weekend was David Cangelosi, an athletic and funny Mime.”