Calleja makes the show, and would make it a must-see even if Sher's staging were leaden. When he sings -- which is much of the long night, and he makes it through without issue, even sounding strongest and most free at the end -- the show is about little else but sitting there and taking in his implausibly spacious golden-age sound."An Unamplified Voice
REVIEWS: LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN
Calleja's debut in the role of Hoffmann in Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann at the Met, December 2009 to January 2010.
An Unamplified Voice
"Calleja first. I've had huge expectations of him since his 2006 debut, and while his bit in the 125th Anniversary Gala created yet more believers, he's still only 31 and had never sung a role of nearly Hoffmann's weight or length before anywhere, much less at the Met. And yet, while I agree with Maury that he -- particularly at the beginning of the night -- was a touch cautious and didn't show quite the freedom and rhythmic/expressive mastery one has heard from him in Italian pieces and from others here, Calleja makes the show, and would make it a must-see even if Sher's staging were leaden. When he sings -- which is much of the long night, and he makes it through without issue, even sounding strongest and most free at the end -- the show is about little else but sitting there and taking in his implausibly spacious golden-age sound. It's the sort of experience that justifies the otherwise-laughable tenor cult and all its otherwise-inexplicable trappings, the sort that makes me regret not having been able to take an opera novice or two to this performance.
Calleja, as in his Elisir , also does well conveying the straightforward, earnest love and desire of his character. (It is the addition of this true-feeling central character that transforms the hijinks around him -- much of which might otherwise fit in the frothy operettas that long made Offenbach famous -- into serious and even sinister stuff.)"
An Unamplified Voice
Theatre Review New York
"The main character in this fascinating opera by Offenbach is Hoffmann himself, gloriously sung here by Joseph Calleja."
Theatre Review New York
Parterre
"Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja , who pulled out of the dress during Act One due to a cold, astounded last night’s audience as Hoffmann, betraying no signs of infirmity. The role is fatiguing and high, and somewhat unusual in the repertoire, having been sung through the years by a wide variety of very different tenors. Calleja brings a unique vocal color to the part, in addition to a rather serious demeanor that befits Hoffmann the idealistic writer."
Parterre
Idaho Statesman
"Tenor Joseph Calleja, in his debut in the role, gave a dominating performance in a demanding lyric role."
Idaho Statesman
newyork.com
"Singing the demanding role for the first time, Joseph Calleja showed great promise and impressive stamina with a robust, open, fast-vibrating tenor and poignantly impulsive character."
newyork.com
Lower Case letter
"[...] and Joseph Calleja broke my heart with his incredibly gorgeous singing. I felt I finally understood the magic of hearing a great singer at the met. I melted every time he sang. The Met would be wise to employ him more. He is probably one of the better tenors out there now [...]"
Lower Case Letter
Opera Brittania
"Joseph Calleja’s Hoffmann didn’t come across as psychologically detailed as the rest of the production, but he endowed the role with a full throated broad sound, at times thrilling and at times somewhat less exciting. The “Kleinzach” aria was executed with its musical integrity intact, so that the charm of the staccato section really contrasted with the more lyric departure of the aria. Apart from the exposed sections, his ensemble singing was not that impressive, especially during the duets in the Antonia and Giulietta scenes, when Calleja was audibly holding back. The overall arc of the character didn’t fully get off the ground. It felt as though Hoffmann carried the same gloominess from the prologue right into the three consequent scenes, which didn’t create the dramatic payoff during the epilogue. Calleja possesses an important and special voice. He looks good on stage and has a keen appreciation for the music and the idiom, but a little bit of spice wouldn’t go amiss."
Opera Brittania
newstimes.com
"Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja is simply breathtaking in the title role. The sound of late great Swedish tenor Jussi Bjoerling comes to mind listening to Calleja's timbre, though Calleja's voice has an attractive Mediterranean warmth, unlike Bjoerling's cool Nordic chill. Calleja's Hoffmann is a handsome character, taut, suave, and dramatically focused. He is, as the story goes, frustrated by his amorous failures, but also by his creative stumbling blocks, evidenced by lots of papers cast on the floor around his writing desk."
newstimes.com
The New York Times
"When Mr. Villazón, in the midst of a vocal crisis, pulled out last spring, the young Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja, who had never sung this daunting role, accepted the assignment. On Thursday he gave his all, singing with ardor, stamina and poignant vocal colorings and winning a rousing ovation. There were technically shaky elements to his performance, and his focused, quick vibrato revealed every slight inaccuracy of pitch. Still, the insecurity actually befitted Mr. Calleja’s take on the character, laid bare emotionally."
The New York Times
Associated Press
"Right from the Kleinzach aria in the prologue, Joseph Calleja showed off a tenor with distinctive coloring and pretty close to a full range. While there was some slight strain at the top in the final act, that could be attributed to the cold he has been combating."
Associated Press
The L Magazine
"The standout star here,of course , was Joseph Calleja in the title role. I have a major star crush on the Maltese tenor, who sings with such stirring clarity and feeling. (He was better at Monday night's performance than on opening night.) Just the way he rolls his r’s in the phrase “frick frack” is music in itself—even his speaking voice must be lovely. (Someone should give him a shot at Shakespeare—no, not this.) His talent was no clearer than in Act I’s “Chanson de Kleinzach,” which has been stuck in my head for days. (Listen here.) This is Calleja’s only appearance at the Met this season, so see him now or you’ll be kicking yourself until next fall at the earliest (if you’re lucky!)."
The L Magazine
The Washington Post
"The high point, for me, wholly unexpectedly, was Joseph Calleja as Hoffmann. I’d been underwhelmed by this rising-star tenor when I’d heard himbefore (including in WNO’s “Rigoletto”), finding him lacking in nuance and power; on Wednesday, I was simply struck by the consistent beauty and ardor of the sound in a long, long night of singing, and I appreciated the softer grain of the voice in a role that often prompts bellowing."
The Washington Post
Variety
"So what kind of poet is he? On opening night, Calleja essayed his very first Hoffmann. Right now, his is a rather blunt interpretation but one that will no doubt grow in subsequent performances. What he has going for him is a bright lyric tenor with an extremely attractive rapid vibrato, ideal for the French repertory, and Calleja uses his mezzo-voce to ravishing, vulnerable effect. He rushes some of the phrasing, and a bit more shape of the vocal line is needed; if ever music required shape and personality it's Offenbach's."
Variety
newstimes.com
"Calleja has a striking lyric tenor, and he and Lindsey, whose warm mezzo was phenomenal, anchored the evening with sustained brilliance."
newstimes.com
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THE METROPOLITAN OPERA, Les Contes d'Hoffmann
3, 7, 11, 16, 19, 23, 26 & 30 December; 2 January 2010
| Hoffmann | Joseph Calleja |
| Antonia | Anna Netrebko |
| Giulietta | Ekaterina Gubanova |
| Olympia | Kathleen Kim |
| Nicklausse | Kate Lindsey |
| Conductor | James Levine |
| Orchestra/choir | The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus |