Recenze profilu
5"The action unfolds in mostly cold and distant, pseudo-mechanical movements. Offred appears the exception, a character that American mezzo-soprano Sarah Heltzel depicted with achingly dark tones, strength and resilience. Unsurprisingly, Offred not only carries the bulk of the vocal output but almost always on stage and Heltzel never let down her guard in giving the best of both. Heltzel interpreted Offred’s lines like they were hers and one especially stands out. At a doctor’s visit for a gynaecological examination, she sings “It used to be my instrument to do my will” and in that she summed up hers and many women’s complete loss and violation."
Few performances of Don Carlo can boast of an Eboli who can manage both of her solo scenes with comparable excellence, but Wichita Grand Opera defied the trend by casting mezzo-soprano Sarah Heltzel as the vengeful but ultimately repentant Princess. Whether toying with Rodrigo, luring Carlo into an assignation, or confessing her treachery to Elisabetta, Heltzel's Eboli maintained a fiery presence that placed her at the center of the drama. WGO's production downplayed Eboli's rôle as the king's mistress, but Heltzel's alert acting made the character's hypocrisy unmistakable... Heltzel depicted an Eboli who was dramatically present even when physically absent… Heltzel unleashed the potent fury of a spurned woman in the heart-stopping trio with Carlo and Rodrigo, her ‘Al mio furor sfuggite invano’ flowing over the stage like lava. The depth of emotion that Heltzel conveyed when Eboli discovered that her jealousy has exacted such a cruel toll on Elisabetta gave unusual credence to the high-strung Princess's remorse. Heltzel's singing of 'O don fatale, o don crudel,' the climactic top C♭ and B♭ produced with unperturbed élan, was justifiably acclaimed by the audience. Portraying Eboli's hauteur is not difficult, but doing so whilst singing some of the most challenging music that Verdi composed for the mezzo-soprano voice is anything but easy. Heltzel managed to both sing and act Eboli brilliantly. For that alone, WGO's Don Carlo was memorable.
Předchozí recenze výroby
1"The action unfolds in mostly cold and distant, pseudo-mechanical movements. Offred appears the exception, a character that American mezzo-soprano Sarah Heltzel depicted with achingly dark tones, strength and resilience. Unsurprisingly, Offred not only carries the bulk of the vocal output but almost always on stage and Heltzel never let down her guard in giving the best of both. Heltzel interpreted Offred’s lines like they were hers and one especially stands out. At a doctor’s visit for a gynaecological examination, she sings “It used to be my instrument to do my will” and in that she summed up hers and many women’s complete loss and violation."
