REVIEWS: RIGOLETTO

Die Welt

"So far, the revivals of “Rigoletto” and “Macbeth” have been outstanding. The fans were eagerly awaiting the State Opera début of Joseph Calleja, one of the most frequently mentioned names in the tenor generation after Domingo and Pavarotti, a singer who ranks among Anna Netrebko’s most preferred partners. As Duke of Mantua, the Maltese artist was able to pull out all the stops of his velvety lyrical voice. He sings Verdi’s shameless roué with youthful, masculine charm and a beguiling bel canto glow.

            By Calleja’s side, Eglise Gutierrez made her acclaimed Hamburg début. The young Cuban soprano with her ethereally sensitive, yet substantial soprano voice, delivered a thrilling performance as a stylistically flawless Gilda with a shimmering pianissimo. Beyond this, the soprano and tenor blended with magnificent harmoniousness in the duets.

            Spot-on operatic casting doesn’t just happen by going shopping for expensive singers from Mafioso agencies. It comes about successfully as a result of good taste and skill on the part of the artistic management, bringing very good and concurrently perfectly matched voices together in a sensitive combination."

Die Welt