"[Elena] has a musically dramatic entrance, percussive and thrusting, preparing the way for the alpha sibling. Madrona makes a strong Charlotte, immersed in the character [...] It is a demanding role vocally, [...] which she expounds with a tireless expressive vigour." "Charlotte’s own creation, Jane Eyre, is seen as her alter ego, skilfully differentiated by Madrona."
Garrido stands out for her clarity of diction, well showed in Mélodies hébraïques in the second part - mesmerizing and profound - as well as her vocal quality where the low register gives support and builds up a high register that avoids artifice, focusing on expression and emotion. The soprano from Málaga has the qualities (phrasing, support, emision...) to say a lot with the stunning simplicity she shows on the stage."
"[Elena] has a musically dramatic entrance, percussive and thrusting, preparing the way for the alpha sibling. Madrona makes a strong Charlotte, immersed in the character [...] It is a demanding role vocally, [...] which she expounds with a tireless expressive vigour." "Charlotte’s own creation, Jane Eyre, is seen as her alter ego, skilfully differentiated by Madrona."
Those fortunate enough to be in the few distanced audience seats for one of the four performances of Stephen Lawless’s captivating production of Humperdinck’s dark Yuletide confection can count themselves very lucky indeed. German mezzo Ascelina Klee has a huge voice which sometimes disturbed the balance on stage, but she and Spanish soprano Elena Garrido Madrona are a winning partnership as Hansel and Gretel in performances full of compatible physicality. The role of Father is also double-cast and Jonathan Forbes Kennedy brought a nice bonhomie to counterpoint the grim reality elsewhere.
The most successful element of this production was musical. The reduced orchestration by Derek Clark, prepared some years ago for Scottish Opera, was used, though there were plenty of players in the pit. The sounds produced by young conductor Adam Hickox were still thoroughly Wagnerian. The two title roles are awkward to cast as the performers need to be believable as teenagers while needing powerful voices. This pairing was highly successful, with Ascelina Klee a near ideal Hansel in stroppy teenager mode. Elena Garrido Madrona was equally fine as Gretel, no doubt assisted by the reduced orchestration.