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Press Room 2004
Verdi’s Messa da Requiem Piacenza - Teatro Municipale 10-11-13 January 2004 “Libertà” – 11-12 January 2004 A requiem of image and substance Even Minister Lunardi applauds Rostropovich; Barcellona outstanding - the audience enthralled “… The choir and soloists won general acclaim: a triumph for the show’s star, Daniela Barcellona …” Oliviero Marchesi “Opera Click” 11 January 2004 “… Daniela Barcellona stood out among the soloists, perfectly at ease with a vocal style which is quite different from her usual pure bel canto roles. Thanks to the volume of her voice, she stood out in both choral and solo passages…” Vittorio Zambon “Libertà” – 12 January 2004 After the debut: chatting with the stars “Mezzosoprano Daniela Barcellona had some “unfinished business” with the Municipal Theatre. “I was supposed to sing Tancredi – she recalls – but then was unable to do so. For me, coming back to where I debuted as a very young singer in Stabat Mater is a dream come true. Singing in the Requiem is always very special. Even after working with maestros like Muti, Abbado, Giacometti [Gelmetti], it’s like speaking directly with God. It requires an inner self. After the first aria, so rich in nuances, I have to confess that “Lacrymosa” moves me to tears.” Giancarlo Andreaoli From the book Opera Stars, by E. Stinchelli The younger generation has produced three important Rossinian voices: Sonia Ganassi, Gloria Scalchi and Daniela Barcellona… Barcellona, who is as tall as a grenadier, made her reputation as a formidable singer of bel canto, especially in Rossini, but the power and range of her voice leads us to predict a possible future in Verdi. I Capuleti e i Montecchi Paris - Teatro dell’Opera - February 2004 “L’Opera” n. 181 - March 2004 O, HOW MANY MORE TIMES…? A triumph for Daniela Barcellona in her Paris debut “A full house greatly enjoyed the performance and triumphantly acclaimed the two leads, Daniela Barcellona and Ruth Ann Swenson. And they were both fully deserving of such acclaim. The former has now become the ideal choice for travesti roles and her Romeo was overwhelming for its insolence (in theatrical terms, as well) and skill. She was magnificent in the recitatives and in the grand duet in Act I. She was vocally superb – though somewhat restrained – in her opening aria (“Se Romeo ti uccise un figlio”) and in the following caballetta (the stunning “la tremenda ultrice spada”). The supremely inspired moment came with the burial vault scene, before the recitatives and in the duet with Tebaldo, but especially in the finale and the anguished lullaby (“Vincenzino” had the secret) “Deh tu bell’anima”, which was not only superbly sung, but with such feeling that it brought tears to your eyes…” Jorge Binaghi Semiramide - Madrid - Teatro Real Petite Messe Solennelle - Pesaro Teatro Rossini - 9 August 2004 “Il Piccolo” 12 August 2004 An outstanding Daniela Barcellona in Petite Messe Solennelle “… At the Rossini Opera House, an extraordinary performance of the chamber version (two pianos, harmonium, soloists and small choir) of the Petite Messe Solennelle, the final masterpiece by the composer from Pesaro. This bizarre religious work looks to the future as few others do, and Michele Campanella, who micro-directs the other musicians from his piano, permits us to savour its many delights. The soloists were excellent, especially Daniela Barcellona who sang the most moving piece in the work, the final “Agnus Dei”. The Prague Chamber Choir, conducted by Lubomir Matl, was also noteworthy…” Rino Alessi “Corriere Adriatico” 11 August 2004 Petite Messe Solennelle A Masterly Performance Cries of enthusiasm at the end of the performance “A great little gem made even more precious by performances from major interpreters. The final masterpiece of the “swan” of Pesaro was presented Monday afternoon to a standing room only audience at the Rossini Opera House. Onstage: some major names, and not just from the ROF, with Michele Campanella conducting and first piano, soprano Darina Takova, the acclaimed Semiramide in the 2003 edition, and mezzosoprano Daniela Barcellona who received ovations as Arsace in the same opera. The tenor was Antonino Siragusa, whom we recall from an acclaimed concert in the 2002 edition and the baritone Marco Vinco, much appreciated in last year’s Adina. … For ninety minutes the elegant Rossini Opera House was filled with the strains of this very evocative work, with the perfect balance of instruments and voices revealing all its intimacy and beauty. The arias, duets and quartets, while intense, were never overly theatrical, permitting the audience to fully appreciate the wonderful voices of the four soloists… A long and well-deserved final applause and even some enthusiastic shouting: a brief throwback to opera of the past.” Laura Guidelli “Il Resto del Carlino” 11 August 2004 A packed house and breathless applause for Petite Messe “… the soloists, all superb, were soprano Darina Takova, mezzosoprano Daniela Barcellona, tenor Antonino Siragusa and baritone Marco Vinco… In a sold-out Rossini Opera House, the notes of the Petite Messe communicated a sense of the sacred which was restrained but utterly overwhelming in its intimacy, leaving the audience deeply moved. The long, resounding and heartfelt applause at the end once again confirmed the modernism of Rossini’s musical language, which is still able to captivate and hold audiences in thrall!” Ivana Baldassarri From Musica n. 160 - October 2004 In any case, those present will preserve an indelible memory of the final “Agnus Dei”, sung by Daniela Barcellona’s sumptuous and authentically Rossinian voice with its amber-veined timbre, which moved the audience quite literally to tears. The mezzosoprano was back to the amazing form of her first Tancredi in Pesaro. A resounding success. The Petite Messe will be available on CD in the coming year. Giovanni Vitali Tancredi – Rome Teatro dell’Opera – 2-4-6-9 November 2004 “Corriere della Sera” 5 November 2004 Tancredi’s miracle “… The star was Daniela Barcellona, the most sensational contralto voice in recent years. She debuts on stage with a messa di voce, a perfect introduction. Already prepared by the Maestro in Pesaro, she is unsurpassed in her phrasing of the beautiful recitatives, which is both masterful and intense. Even the dry recitatives, accompanied by a “mealy” continuo, had all the right pauses and accents…” Paolo Isotta “Il Tempo” 4 November 2004 An admirable and romantic Tancredi “… Gianluigi Gelmetti offered a fascinating and anti-historic interpretation of Rossini’s Tancredi… like a savant he elucidated subtleties of the Rossinian universe while the instruments followed his lead with naturalness… but his demanding lexical soufflé would have surely collapsed without the aid of an excellent vocal cast… As epitomised in the whirling vortex of bel canto and virtuoso singing in which those vocal dervishes, Mariella Devia and Daniela Barcellona, particularly excel…” Enrico Cavallotti “Il Messaggero” 4 November 2004 Pizzi’s Tancredi blossoms again with Gelmetti “… last night the elegant Tancredi with direction, scenery and costumes by Pier Luigi Pizzi, bloomed again. The interpretative key chosen by Pizzi and Gianluigi Gelmetti for their production is a sense of sorrow and loss, as if to foreshadow the alternate tragic finale (which replaces the more customary “happy ending”) of Tancredi’s death… The veracity with which Daniela Barcellona intones Tancredi’s farewell to love and life, together with Gemetti’s desolate instrumental sonority, justifies the choice of this moving epilogue …” Alfredo Gasponi “Operaclick “ – November 2004 “… Very effective in her rendition of the celebrated “Di tanti palpiti”, and in her other vocal moments, in command both in terms of stage presence (her Tancredi is very young and strong-willed) and dramatically, Barcellona showed good colouring and good range in the highs. In the duet of Act I, there was a remarkable affinity of voices and interpretations with Devia. We should also mention the mournful soliloquy “Dove son io” (Act II, sc. XVI) and the sad and moving finale. In terms of interpretation, her Tancredi was a good mix of the bellicose and the introspective. She visualises for us a young Latin warrior (and thus courageous), but in a phase of second thoughts and reflections which are almost adolescent in nature. Barcellona clearly highlights the existential situation of Rossini’s hero, but without overdoing things and “padding out” her role (an expedient which even the great Horne resorted to)…” Luca Di Girolamo |