[The great triumph was mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato’s Irene, who shone brightly in the opening of Act III with Lord, to thee.]

El País

“De los solistas, Joyce DiDonato (Irene), esa mujer que llena la escena con su sola presencia, fue la más destacada. Cuenta, como he señalado, con una música excepcional y la cantó con una fuerza, una elegancia y una convicción extraordinarias. “Bane of Virtue“, “As with rosy steps the morn”, “Defend her, Heav’n”… Otros tantos momentos inolvidables, pero quizá fue la última la más exquisita.”

[Of the soloists, Joyce DiDonato (Irene), a woman who fills the stage with her presence alone, was the most outstanding. She has, as I have noted, exceptional music and sang it with extraordinary strength, elegance and conviction. “Bane of Virtue”, “As with rosy steps the morn”, “Defend her, Heav’n”… So many other unforgettable moments, but perhaps it was the last one that was the most exquisite.]

Scherzo

“Y el magma sonoro mece y estimula la inspiración de los cantantes, particularmente Joyce DiDonato, cuya musicalidad, afinidad estilística y belleza tímbrica incorporan al personaje de Irene los pasajes más deslumbrantes del espectáculo madrileño.”

[And the magma of sound rocks and stimulates the inspiration of the singers, particularly Joyce DiDonato, whose musicality, stylistic affinity and timbral beauty incorporate the character of Irene into the most dazzling passages of the Madrid show.]

El Confidencial

“En un reparto muy equilibrado, es de justicia destacar la Irene de Joyce DiDonato, por su expansiva delicadeza en el fraseo y catarsis vocal. Tanto en la icónica As with rosy steps the morn, como en Defend her, estuvo magnífica. Técnica y expresión en su medida exacta.”

[In a very balanced cast, Joyce DiDonato’s Irene is justly noteworthy for her expansive delicacy of phrasing and vocal catharsis. In both the iconic As with rosy steps the morn and Defend her, she was magnificent. Technique and expression in exact measure.]

La Vanguardia

“DiDonato es el gran reclamo… Impecable su Irene y la más ovacionada.”

[DiDonato is the greatest draw… Her Irene was impeccable and the most acclaimed.]

Beckmesser

The New York Times

Operawire

“In a performance that conveys both unshakable conviction and intense fear, DiDonato proves to be the ideal Sister Helen. Her top notes waft over the audience, lighter than air and more delicate than gossamer — yet like Sister Helen’s faith, they never break.”

Theater Mania

“This is, to be sure, DiDonato’s show: She barely ever leaves the stage, the action never escapes her purview, and she’s as bound to her sense of divine duty to De Rocher as De Rocher is to the consequences of his crime.

Her embodiment of Prejean (who made a surprise appearance onstage to close the curtain call) was exquisitely sensitive and impressively sturdy. A lesser actress could flatten Prejean’s devotion into a one-note performance, but DiDonato’s was richly nuanced, the contours of her voice frayed by doubt, her expressions of faith clear and convincing — especially in her recurring hymn (“He Will Gather Us Around”), invoked at the opera’s beginning and (stirringly) at its end. Truly some of the finest and most engaged work I’ve ever seen or heard from DiDonato, a singer with little left to prove.”

The Washington Post

“DiDonato, the highlight of “The Hours” at the Met last season as a solemnly mellow-toned Virginia Woolf, manages the same magnetic self-possession here… Her diction is pristine…”

The New York Times

The New Yorker

“…the mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, sounding as confident and fresh, as sonorous and subtle, as she ever has in this theater.

[…]
But it is hard to focus on anyone else when DiDonato is onstage, often standing magnetically still. Her voice is clear in fast conversation, as she darkly relishes the words. Then, as the lines slow and expand, her tone grows smoky yet grounded, mellow yet potent. She plays Virginia as solemn and severe, but with a dry wit… she gives a generous, noble portrayal, at its peak in her crushing delivery of lines from Woolf’s suicide note.”

The New York Times

“DiDonato, an exceptional talent both as singer and actor, has the difficult tasks, first, of rendering the process of thinking through writing and, then, of conveying the psyche of a woman who cannot trust her thoughts when not writing. DiDonato grabs onto the part with both hands, conveying Woolf’s frustrations at being interrupted in her work as the anger of a woman who risks getting the bends every time she returns to reality.”

Variety

“And that brings us to Joyce DiDonato, who was the undisputed star of the night, as Virginia Woolf… From her opening and highly exposed monologue, accompanied only by piano, DiDonato’s voice had a roundness that I hadn’t heard before, a freedom that allowed her to sculpt long lines with unparalleled warmth and elegance… That opening monologue might have been the first instance in the opera where I felt that Puts’ vocal writing had taken flight. Virtually every scene with Virginia features this kind of beautiful vocal writing, allowing DiDonato’s rich mezzo to take flight.

But Virginia wasn’t just about soaring vocal lines. In between, DiDonato delivered some incredible comic and dramatic moments. When asked to have breakfast by her husband and put something in her stomach, few people could respond with the intensity and sarcasm that DiDonato managed as she noted that she had some coffee and almonds in her stomach. Or when Nelly offers to serve her more food later in the work, she was menacing as she shut her down and demanded that they stop trying to force-feed her. Even in more contentious encounters where her husband Leonard, DiDonato’s mezzo shifted from more aggressive and leaner to slenderer and more tender. Another standout interaction was with her niece and nephews as she cuddles them, her singing sprightly before her mind and singing shifted into a darker mode as she pronounced the death of Septimus, all while menacingly pointing at her nephew.

And in the final trio, where the three artists managed some beautiful lyrical moments together, it was DiDonato’s grounded sound that gave the passage its depth and warmth.”

Operawire

“DiDonato had the evening’s triumph, as Woolf, capturing the audience from the moment she came on stage, struggling with the creation of her novel, “Mrs. Dalloway,” which ties the three leads together. Whether dealing with her own shifting moods and relationships… she was engulfed by the character but never feeling less than natural in it.”

Broadway World

“DiDonato gave Woolf a sharp sense of authority-meets-otherness.”

The Daily Beast

“The strongest of the three star singers here, DiDonato achieves the greatest poignancy in Woolf’s descent into despair.”

The Wrap

“DiDonato was just as fine, and again her part seemed to sit in the most comfortable range for her. The role called for a grounded, forceful sense of emotional gravity and turmoil, and she delivered the feeling that every word had weight and meaning. ”

New York Classical Review

“DiDonato sang like DiDonato—solid, grounded.”

New Criterion

“Joyce DiDonato is outstanding as Virginia Woolf”

Financial Times

Operawire

“One of the finest casts ever assembled for the work… musically this is breathtaking… [Orliński] sings ravishingly throughout, as does DiDonato: As With Rosy Steps the Morn is a thing of rapt, introverted pianissimos, exquisitely done.”

The Guardian

“The most multi-faceted singing of all is DiDonato’s: she can be vehement and quiet at the same time, both deeply compassionate and raptly inspired.”

Financial Times

“DiDonato’s understanding of how to construct a Handelian aria, together with complete mastery of timbre, accenting and phrasing, allows her to extract the maximum out of every note she sings. The prayer “Lord, to thee each night and day” was one highlight out of many.”

Bachtrack

“Haendel a manifestement écrit différemment pour Caterina Galli (son Irene) que pour le rôle-titre. Pour celle-là, une grande partie du registre inférieur est protégé d’un groupe de continuo trop ambitieux, et Joyce DiDonato en joue pleinement, tenant et retenant incontestablement le public en haleine. Un exemple marquant parmi bien d’autres, “New scenes of joy come crowding” avec sa ligne arpégée d’ouverture bénéficie d’un contour finement formé et haletant (de caractère, nullement de voix) dans la cadence finale. DiDonato est en outre la seule interprète à s’investir pleinement dans les ornements marquant les reprises des arias da capo, offrant des envols étonnants de fantaisie musicale et d’improvisation. Pourtant, l’effet le plus puissant est provoqué par ses sections chantées pianissimo.”

Ôlyrix

“In all of Irene’s arias, Joyce DiDonato brings both humanity and musical sincerity to the foreground, through her varied tone colour, sensitive ornamentation and because her musical authority is such that we are drawn, no compelled, to listen to the music.  ‘Lord, to thee each day and night’ made time – and everything else – stand still.”

Opera Today

“The spiritual side of Christianity, by contrast, is entrusted to her friend Irene, played by Joyce DiDonato. When she sings (which she does with beguiling gentleness and beauty) it’s as if the plot freezes and we are transported into timeless rituals of baptism and celebration.

The Times

“…the matchless DiDonato, decorating her fabulous arias with ornament reminiscent of gospel music, delivers showstopper after showstopper with grace.”

Culture Whisper

“All-star casting starts with Joyce DiDonato’s Irene – staunch, unyielding, pausing time and (mercifully) movement in cadenzas where everything falls away and finally music does what it should”

iNews

“The cast is exceptional… Joyce DiDonato’s grave, compassionate Irene stood out… DiDonato’s voice is darker and more wide-grained than I remember it; she’s at that point in a great singer’s career where even the voice’s acquired patina can be made to illuminate character.”

The Spectator

“Joyce DiDonato’s performance of heartfelt clarity likewise challenged one to imagine it sung otherwise.”

Seen and Heard International

“The outstanding cast, especially Joyce DiDonato… sang with controlled beauty and their commitment to every dramatic intention was absolute.”

The Stage

“Joyce DiDonato sings all Irene’s arias with superb control of line and tone colour. Deeply moving she is too”

Evening Standard

“Bullock and DiDonato sang with passion and intensity, a superb pairing of two fine artists. The soprano’s mournful, floated account of ‘With darkness deep’ wrenched the heart; her mezzo-soprano colleague invested Irene’s ‘As with rosy steps the mon0, an aria that in simpler hands can easily chug along, with rhapsodic emotion and a hushed legato of immense beauty.”

Opera Magazine

Vulture

“DiDonato’s Agrippina is a true villain, but in her hands, it is impossible not to feel compelled and even drawn to her. She seduced, manipulated, terrorized, belittled, flattered, and cajoled every character on stage in order to win and moved about the stage with agility and a fierce nature.

The mezzo displayed a complete sense of control not only with her sense of freedom about the stage, but also in her vocality, particularly whenever tasked to throw around an insane amount of rapid-fire coloratura. Nowhere was this more present than in “L’alma mia fra le tempeste.” If you have heard her recently released recording of the opera, you already know how fluid she is with the coloratura in this particular aria. But the tempo during the live performance seemed almost almost twice as fast with DiDonato taking even greater liberties during the Da Capo; her repetitions of “spera” seemed to offer her some space to prepare for the final flurry that eventually led to an extensive cadenza to cap off a true sign of virtuosity. If you wanted any proof that Agrippina was in charge, this was it.”

OperaWire

“…her tone is vibrant and articulate, with a steely core. And she offers tantalizing glimpses of Agrippina’s doubts. Her posture is ever so slightly stricken after she’s misled Claudius into decrying the faithful Otho as a traitor. Her aria “Pensieri, voi mi tormentate” is a commanding combination of lines dripping fire with floated high wires of sound. Her final moment in the staging, wondering where her venality has finally brought her, shows her hilariously and poignantly unwilling to return to the annals of history — that is, to die.”

The New York Times

“[DiDonato] wheedled, seduced, cajoled, inveigled with a pro’s effortless flair. A practiced Handelian, her command of the florid writing impressed as much as her pungent delivery of yards and yards of recitative.”

Parterre

Photo credit: Marty Sohl / Met Opera

The Times

“Despite the gorgeous aria “D’amour l’ardente flamme”, beautifully duetted with Jean-Michel Crétet’s cor anglais obbligato, Marguerite doesn’t have an especially large role in proceedings. But that didn’t stop Joyce DiDonato getting star billing here. Her Marguerite was mellifluously sung, cooing in the love duet, her mezzo fluttering softly at the top.”

Bachtrack

“And then there’s Joyce DiDonato’s Marguerite – exquisitely sung with just the right plaintive tremor to hint at her prescient awareness of her tragic fate. D’amour l’ardente flamme melts the heart but remains firmly in character rather than a plushy indulgence.”

Limelight Magazine

“Marguerite is a relatively small role, but her two arias are corkers. I have to confess that my ideal in the role is a dramatic singer like Regine Crespin, Joyce DiDonato brought a different approach, more intimate, more delicate. This was an intimate characterful performance, sung with plangent tone, which brought out Marguerite’s naivety and youthfulness. The converse was that there were moments in ‘D’amour l’ardente flamme’ that I wanted to sear but didn’t, DiDonato has a way of shading off high notes which gave the music a lovely shape.”

Planet Hugill

“Joyce DiDonato a abordé le rôle de Marguerite de La Damnation au Festival de Pâques de Baden-Baden sous la direction de Sir Simon Rattle il y a 4 ans. Son chant sensuel et solide sur toute la tessiture, d’une clarté affirmée, apparaît constamment expressif… Elle brille de façon irrésistible dans la ballade du Roi de Thulé (avec l’accompagnement d’un altiste hors pair, Benjamin Boura) et plus encore dans son deuxième air D’amour l’ardente flamme… la cantatrice force le respect et exerce même une certaine fascination.”

Ôlyrix

“Comme à Baden-Baden en 2015, Joyce DiDonato incarne une somptueuse Marguerite, plus intérieure peut-être, plus rêveuse, plus mélancolique (« La Ballade du Roi de Thulé ») mais toujours aussi incandescente et engagée (le duo avec Faust ou « D’amour, l’ardente flamme »). Le fin vibratello confère à ses aigus un supplément d’âme et de ferveur.”

Res Music

The Observer

“In the dazzling aria “Parto, parto,” Ms. DiDonato vividly rendered the moment at which her character, buffeted by hope and despair, snaps into action and commits to the conspiracy plan. The subtle electric charge that went through the house at that moment was yet another reminder that she is one the great singer‑actors of our time.”

The New York Times

“Foremost among the singers, perhaps, was Joyce DiDonato, the American mezzo, who sang the part of Sesto. Though the cast was well balanced, Tito threatened to become The Joyce DiDonato Show. She was in top form, with a beautiful voice, secure technique, and dramatic flair.”

The New Criterion

“In the trouser-role of his friend Sesto, Joyce DiDonato displays brightness and sureness of technique and gives a thoroughly gripping portrayal – highly composed in Act One, then fraught with emotion. Their scenes together are convincing and moving.”

Classical Source

“Polenzani’s singing was balanced with that of mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, who sang Sesto. Like the tenor, she used a widely varied range of dynamics and articulation to shape her phrases. DiDonato is relatively small in stature, and her counterparts Annio (mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo) and Vitellia (soprano Elza van den Heever) towered over her physically, while her voice still dominated the space around her.”

New York Classical Review

“While the cast for the season’s revival of Mozart’s LA CLEMENZA DI TITO looked good on paper, it didn’t even hint at how good the singing was going to be at the Met this week. From top–tenor Matthew Polenzani, elegant and vibrant in the title role (“Se all’impero”), and the great mezzo Joyce DiDonato as Sesto (who delivers the opera’s “hit” aria, “Parto, parto,” and more in opulent style)…”

Broadway World

“Joyce DiDonato’s Sesto moved from youthful exuberance to guilt so crushing he could barely stand. Small nuances – like Sesto’s stumble out of sight and then rigidly erect public posture on his march to execution – heightened the emotion. DiDonato’s singing astounded, too, from the speed and ease of the triplets in “Parto, parto” to the beautiful and thoughtful ornamentation of “Deh, per questo istante solo.””

Classical Voice America

“Joyce DiDonato was singing the central role of Sesto, Tito’s close friend who betrays him for his love of Vitellia… her musicality, style and commitment was on abundant display, and her two arias, “Parto, parto” and “Deh per questo istante solo”, both sung with Sesto’s heartfelt sincerity and devotion. As her voice soared in desperation and sadness, DiDonato brought down the house.”

Bachtrack

“Joyce DiDonato sang elegantly and touchingly as Sesto”

Opera Magazine

Nachrichten

„Starsängerin DiDonato bringt Leben in Berlioz’ Oper“

Der Standard

„Jede Menge Jubel, vor allem für die fabelhafte Joyce DiDonato.“

Vienna Online

„Davor steht Joyce DiDonato und verfällt mit einer Inbrunst und unmittelbaren Sangeskunst dem Wahnsinn, dass, zumindest einige Minuten lang, auch etwas für jene Besucher dabei ist, die sich Oper eben genau so vorstellen: Als verdichteter Inbegriff emotionaler Wahrhaftigkeit, für den es außer einer tollen Sängerin eigentlich gar nichts braucht.“

Tiroler Tageszeitung

„Joyce DiDonato und Alain Altinoglu sorgten am Wochenende an der Wiener Staatsoper für einen solchen atemberaubend wahrhaftigen Augenblick, in dem all das zusammenfällt, was Oper ausmacht, was längst vergangene Geschichten an das Hier und Jetzt anknüpft: Wenn das Destillat menschlichen Dramas in einer einzelnen Figur erfahrbar wird; wenn eine Seelenlandschaft sich – in Wort, Klang und Szene gesetzt – als intime Innenschau eines Archetypus erweist. Dann ist das Genre Oper seinem zeitlosen Geheimnis dicht auf der Spur.“

Wiener Zeitung

„Die andere Köngin, die in dieser Rolle an diesem Abend debütierte, übertraf alle Erwartungen, so hoch man sie angesichts des Weltruhms von Joyce DiDonato auch angesetzt hat. Ihre Karthager-Königin Didon war ein Erlebnis, von Liebe bis Hass, von Verzweiflung bis Raserei spielte und sang sie eine Gefühlsskala, die das Publikum atemlos machte. Und obwohl sie in Brandon Jovanovich einen sehr überzeugenden Aeneas hatte, stellte sie triumphierend alles in den Schatten.“

Volksblatt

„Vor allem aber ist Joyce DiDonato eine sensationelle Königin Dido (bei Berlioz: Didon). Die amerikanische Mezzosopranistin ist es auch, die in ihrer finalen Furor- und Sterbeszene vokal wie auch emotional zeigt, dass uns dieses Werk auch heute noch etwas angehen könnte, dass hier Menschen aus Fleisch und Blut um ihre Existenz ringen. Das ist Musikdrama in Vollendung.“

Kurier

“Joyce DiDonato est saisissante dès les premières mesures. Déguisée en Liz Taylor de Mankiewicz, elle promène sa gracieuse silhouette sur l’immense maquette de Carthage où son peuple – danseurs et acrobates – lui rend un juste hommage. On sait comme son français est admirable, on connaît les qualités de ce médium chaleureux, corsé et formidablement projeté ; on connaît aussi ses affinités avec la scène. Comment se fait-il dès lors qu’on soit encore pris de court par tant de talent ? Si la voix perd de ses harmoniques et de son corps dans l’aigu, elle semble surnager – comme une plume sur un océan de marbre – dans tous les ensembles, flottant sans effort sur l’horizon harmonique. Elle se fait d’une ductilité souveraine dans les moments d’intériorité, parvient à moduler jusque dans le piano le plus imperceptible et ouvre grandes les vannes sonores quand son personnage rugit. Si Didon abandonnée finit par se percer le sein sur le bûcher, il y a également quelque chose de l’ordre de la consomption dans l’art de Joyce DiDonato, qui ne semble jamais ménager ni son corps ni sa voix dans ce rôle écrasant. Le grand one-woman show du dernier acte parvient à toucher à la fois à l’exploit dramatique et à la plus bouleversante acuité psychologique. Chapeau bas.”

Forum Opera

Joyce DiDonato shines as the French Cinderella … Jules Massenet’s 1899 fairy tale opera “Cendrillon” (Cinderella) finally arrived at the Metropolitan Opera. It was clearly ladies’ night on stage with the glorious mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato in the title role and mostly other divas, including another mezzo, Alice Coote, as Prince Charming.

Joyce DiDonato looks and sounds perfect for the role, which she has been playing around the world since 2006. She first sang it in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in a production directed by Laurent Pelly and that is the enchanting production at the Met. Pelly is also the costume designer.