CARLOS ARCHULETA sang Escamillo with Phoenix Opera and
received the following review:
The Arizona Republic: ...all of the principal singers were very good.
...Carlos Archuleta as Escamillo characterized his lines and didn't just sing
them.
BONAVENTURA BOTTONE sang the role of Torquemade in the
Royal Opera’s revival of Richard Jone’s production of Ravel’s L’Heure
Espagnole and received the following reviews:
Seen and Heard International: Yann Beuron, Bonaventura Bottone,
and Andrew Shore all made a great deal of their supporting roles,
dependent upon single characteristics, as such comic parts tend to be,
without betraying the Gallic sophistication of Ravel’s comedy.
ConcertoNet.com: Bottone was droll as the clinically dull clockmaker, an
astute businessman and pragmatic husband, allowing the Ramiro the
muler to visit his wife with the time.
The Financial Times: Bonaventura Bottone sings the role of
Torquemada the clockmaker with exemplary finesse.
Seen and Heard International: Back again are Bonaventura Bottone as
the convincingly mousey, grey, little clockmaker Torquemada, and Yann
Beuron is the scarlet-clad geeky poet suitor, Gonzalve.
Classical Source: It’s all nicely worked out with delightful performances
by all concerned. Bottone as the unsuspecting husband, Donose as the
wayward wife, Yann Beuron as the poet (a Jarvis Cocker lookalike), and
Andrew Shore as the ghastly old banker.
theoperacritic.com: Bonaventura Bottone was in good voice as the
bumbling Torquemada who spends more time looking after his precious
clocks than his wife.
MISA DIDYK made his Wiener Staatsoper debut in the role of Sergei
(Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk) and received the following reviews:
Nachtrichten.at: Misha Didyk was physically and vocally fully acceptable
as Sergei.
Welt Online: Misha Didyk, sweating testosterone...
DrehPuntKulture.at: House debutant Misha Didyk performed her lover
Sergei with punch.
Der Standard: Misha Didyk (as Sergei) delivers a flawless performance.
Wiener Zeitung: Misha Didyk vocally was a solid, smooth, realistic
Sergei.
Neuer Zurcher Zeitung: Misha Didyk, who employs a radiant tenor...
SARAH FOX sang her first Mimi with Opera Sor in Norway and
received the following review:
Faedrelandsvennen: The performance's vocal highpoint was, however,
Sarah Fox in the role of Mimi. She is, deservedly, a rising star in the
international opera firmament. Grippingly she communicated Mimi's joy,
grief and desperation from the first sweet meeting with Rodolfo towards
tuberculosis' grim death. Fox possesses a warm and flexible soprano with
a large register and a wide emotional span. Voice control is exemplary and
even the thinnest and quietest pianissimi carried to the back of the hall.
REINALDO MACIAS sang the role of Eronne in the Opernhaus
Zurich production of Mose in Egitto and received the following reviews:
DrehPuntKultur.at: Reinaldo Macias sang Eronne with power and
elegant phrasing.
Neue Zurcher Zeitung: The resonant tenor Reinaldo Macias.
Bazonline.ch: Moreover, even the small roles are well occupied, with
Reinaldo Macias as Aronne, Peter Sonn as Mamre and Anja Schlosser as
Amenofi.
JONATHAN MAY sang the role of Eugenio in Music Theatre Wales’
production of Letters of a Love Betrayed and received the following
reviews:
The Times: Fine performances also come from Christopher Steele as the
dreadful cousin, Jonathan May as his father, Paul Keohone as a boozy
redneck, and Richard Edgar-Wilson.
The Guardian: However, there are strong performances from Christopher
Steele's bullying Luis and Jonathan May as his materialistic father,
Eugenio.
www.citylife.co.uk: The other singers (Paul Keohone, Jonathan May,
Christopher Steele, and Richard Edgar-Wilson) do a first-rate job.
The Financial Times: There are fine performances from Jonathan May,
who plays the girl’s uncle, Eugenio, and Christopher Steele as the loutish
Luis.
MARIAN POP sang a very successful Figaro in Palma de Mallorca. A
video of Mr Pop singing Largo al Factotum can be viewed by clicking on
the picture below:
TOBY STAFFORD-ALLEN sang his first Escamillo at the
National Concert Hall in Dublin with Vivan Coates’ Lyric Opera, and
received the following reviews:
The Irish Times: And for the part of Escamillo, Toby Stafford Allen has
just the right credentials.
The Post: Toby Stafford Allen as the toreador Escamillo sang and moved
well.
ELIZABETH STANNARD made a stunning return to Sydney
Opera House in August 2009, singing Leonore in Beethoven Fidelio at 48
hours notice and receiving the following reviews:
The Opera Critic.com: The greatest triumph of opening night belonged,
however, to our Fidelio. Nicole Youl, Gasteen's replacement in the role,
having succumbed to a malady of her own, we heard instead rising
Australian-Canadian dramatic soprano Elizabeth Stannard. Not only was
Stannard making a début in a massively difficult role, she was doing so at
extraordinarily short notice, a prior commitment having meant she was
unable to join the cast until just the previous day. If she felt herself thrown
in at the deep end, it didn't show. Stannard's attentive, if slightly (and
understandably) awkward stage presence was impressive given her lack
of rehearsal, and she sang with confident, expressive artistry, her facility
with the role's challenging runs and wide tessitura easily compensating for
a slight lack of heft. It was a significant success by any standards:
Stannard's performance would have done her credit even had she been
cast in the show from start.
NEWS
REVIEWS AND RECENT ENGAGEMENTS
REVIEWS AND RECENT ENGAGEMENTS (cont)
The Daily Telegraph: Stannard is excellent as Leonore and impressively stepped
into the role on opening night only 24 hours after arriving in Sydney.
Central Magazine: Her rich [soprano] was admirable for its warmth and passion
throughout. Her intensity crystallized during the great second-act duet that sees
Leonore finally reunited with her beloved Florestan.
To hear Elizabeth Stannard sing 'Abscheulicher! wo eilst du hin?', please click the
image below:
Just a few days earlier Ms Stannard had finished a highly successful run, in the title
role, of Ariadne auf Naxos, for which she received the following reviews:
The Opera Critic.com: In the opera proper, Elizabeth Stannard's expansive
soprano lends real dignity to the abandoned Ariadne. She easily encompasses the
extremes of Strauss's music and sensitively depicts the character's progress from
resignation to divine bliss.
The Australian: There were extraordinary performances: Jacqueline Dark's
Composer and Canadian tenor John Mac Master's Tenor/Bacchus were magnificently
realised roles; their singing was fearless and beautiful. Elizabeth Stannard's Prima
Donna/Ariadne was hardly less impressive.
The Age: Elizabeth Stannard made just as fine work of Ariadne, managing the
difficult task of playing an actor up to the final transforming duet sequence. Her
soprano projected clearly, carrying across an active, no-holds-barred orchestral fabric
in the work's more hectic pages.
Australian Stage Review: As Ariadne, Elizabeth Stannard’s performance was
simple and understated, providing a much-needed respite from the over dramatic
caricatures of the prologue. Stannard caressed her phrases and her character with a
beautiful lyrical legato.
Prima La Musica: Elizabeth Stannard was a glorious Ariadne, with all the dignity,
expansive sound and Straussian style you could hope for, not to mention an excellent
sense of pacing, which allowed her to start strong and finish even stronger: a
convincing journey to divine bliss.
CHRISTIAN TSCHELEBIEW sang his first Re Filippo in the Theater
Augsburg production of Verdi Don Carlo and received the following reviews:
klassik.de: The King’s great aria, in which he complains that his wife never loved
him, was sung and played brillantly by Christian Tschelebiew.
Donau Kurier: Impressively human, Christian Tschelebiew’s Phillip II was darkly
radiant.
LIPING ZHANG sang the role of Micaela in the Royal Opera’s revival of
Francesca Zambello’s production of Bizet Carmen, receiving the following reviews:
Musical Criticism: As Micaëla, Liping Zhang gave a touching portrayal and sang
with great tonal beauty.
The Times: But there’s a lovely, silver-toned Micaëla from Liping Zhang.
PLANNED ENGAGEMENTS
CARLOS ARCHULETA
GRAEME DANBY will return to the Royal Opera Covent Garden in the role of
Casino Manager in Prokofiev The Gambler with performances on the following dates:
11, 15, 18, 20, 25, 27 Feb 2010 .
MISHA DIDYK will continue at the Wiener Staatsoper as Sergei in Shostakovich
Lady Macbeth von Mzensk, with performances on the following dates: 09, 12, 15 Nov
2009. Mr Didyk’s next engagement will be in the role of Pinkerton at the Palau Reina
Sofia in Valencia.
SARAH FOX will sing her first Musetta with Opera North on the following dates:
15, 23, 29 Jan 2010; 06, 10, 14m, 16, 18 Feb 2010 (Leeds); 23, 26 Feb 2010 (The
Lowry, Salford); 02, 05 Mar 2010 (Newcastle upon Tyne, Theatre Royal); and 09, 12
Mar 2010 (Nottingham, Theatre Royal).
Ms Fox will then sing the role of Mimi in the same production, with performances on
the following dates: 04, 08, 15 May 2010; 03, 08 Jun 2010 (Leeds); 16, 18 Jun 2010
(The Lowry, Salford); 22, 24 Jun 2010 (Newcastle upon Tyne, Theatre Royal); 29 Jun
2010; 01 Jul 2010 (Nottingham, Theatre Royal).
KARINA LUCAS will sing the role of Flora in Jonathan Dove’s The Enchanted
Pig at the Linbury Studio at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. The production
will then move to the Victory Theater of Broadway, before touring the United Kingdom.
JONATHAN MAY will continue to tour as part of Music Theatre Wales’
production of Letters of a Love Betrayed. The production tours the United Kingdom
until December.
CRISTINA NASSIF will sing the role of Donna Elvira in Mozart Don Giovanni
with Virginia Opera on the following dates: 13, 17, 19, 21 February (Norfolk, VA); 26,
28 February (Fairfax, VA); 05, 07 March (Richmond, VA).
MARIAN POP will sing a special gala performance of Verdi’s Il Trovatore at the
Opera Cluj-Naponica on 28 November 2009. You can watch a video of Mr Pop
singing Il balen by clicking the picture below:
GAVIN TAYLOR will sing the role of Renato in Verdi Un ballo in maschera in
Nordhausen on the follwing dates 15 Nov 2009; and 12, 26 Dec 2009. He will also
sing the role of Don Giovanni in Nordhausen on 07, 13, 29 Nov 2009; 05, 18 Dec
2009.
CHRISTIAN TSCHELEBIEW will sing further performances as Filippo in the
Theater Augsburg production of Verdi Don Carlo on the following dates: 13, 20, 22
Nov 2009; 10, 16 Dec 2009; 10 Jan 2010; 28 Feb 2010. You can watch a video of Mr
Tschelebiew singing Ella gaimmai m’amo by clicking the picture below:
EVA URBANOVA will sing her first Salome in concert on 12 & 16 November.
DAVID WALKER will sing the title role in Cavalli L’Ormindo with Pinchgut Opera
Australia on 2, 5, 6 and 7 December 2009
