Jamie Barton Interviews Frederica von Stade
The legendary mezzo-soprano opens up about storytelling, breaking through standard fach boundaries, and the magic of Julie Andrews.
January 31, 2016
Jamie Barton talked to Frederica von Stade, the legendary mezzo-soprano, about storytelling, breaking through standard fach boundaries, and Julie Andrews.
February is the month of the mezzo-soprano here at Lincoln Center. Jamie Barton takes center stage February 5 as this year’s Richard Tucker Award winner in From Bocelli to Barton: The Richard Tucker Opera Gala on Live From Lincoln Center, and Frederica von Stade returns February 18 in Ricky Ian Gordon’s opera-in-concert A Coffin in Egypt at American Songbook. Between performances, Barton interviewed von Stade — one of her idols — about music and her multifaceted career.
Jamie Barton Featured in Live from Lincoln Center Promo
"Classical music should not just be for the people who can pay the most." Ahead of their telecast of the 2015 Richard Tucker Opera Gala, Live from Lincoln Center has released "Bringing Music to the People," a video showcasing Jamie Barton's work with Sing for Hope.
January 26, 2016
Ahead of their telecast of the 2015 Richard Tucker Opera Gala, Live from Lincoln Center has released a video showcasing Jamie Barton's work with Sing for Hope, an organization devoted to ensuring that the arts are available to everyone.
A long-time volunteer for Sing for Hope, Barton's recent collaborations include an outreach concert at United Cerebral Palsy New York City and the "An Aids Quilt Songbook" album, which also featured Joyce DiDonato and Yo-Yo Ma.
Tucson Desert Song Festival Makes Cover of Caliente
Caliente explores how TDSF lures top singers, the collaboration with the Ravinia Festival's Steans Institute to honor Robert Shaw, and guitarist Adam del Monte's musical upbringing in the caves of Spain.
January 21, 2016
Artwork by Tammie Graves for Arizona Daily Star
The Tucson Desert Song Festival is featured as the Arizona Daily Star Caliente cover story, including breakouts on TDSF's collaboration with the Ravinia Festival's Steans Institute to honor Robert Shaw, guitarist Adam del Monte's musical upbringing in the caves of Spain, and a "TDSF by the Numbers" breakdown.
Tucson Desert Song Festival and Jamie Barton on KGUN-9's Morning Blend
"For 18 days this winter, the world’s most exciting vocal stars will descend on Southern Arizona, enriching the seasons of eight local performing arts organizations." Jamie Barton and TDSF Director George Hanson made a joint television appearance, featuring an interview and two performance segments.
January 20, 2016
Jamie Barton and TDSF Director George Hanson joined the Morning Blend for an interview and performance television appearance.
Jamie Barton to Appear on Television's "Live from Lincoln Center" across U.S.
"From Bocelli to Barton: The Richard Tucker Opera Gala” will air on PBS Stations this February, hosted by Audra McDonald.
January 14, 2016
Photo by Dario Acosta
Jamie Barton, winner of the 2015 Richard Tucker Award, will star in "From Bocelli to Barton: The Richard Tucker Opera Gala” on PBS Stations this February. Audio excerpts, hosted by Deborah Voigt, will air on WQXR on February 1 before the "Live from Lincoln Center" telecast, which will be hosted by Audra McDonald on February 5. Check your local listings to confirm air date and time.
The star-studded gala features past Tucker Award-winners Renée Fleming, Christine Goerke, Isabel Leonard, Lawrence Brownlee, and Stephen Costello; soprano Nadine Sierra, and tenors Piotr Beczala and Andrea Bocelli, in works by Berlioz, Donizetti, Gounod, Puccini, Rossini, Verdi, and others.
Tucson Desert Song Festival Featured in Zocalo Magazine
Zocalo writes about the power of the human voice, the popularity of song, and how TDSF is bringing the world's best to Tucson.
January 5, 2016
Photo by Dario Acosta
““The power of voice in music is indisputable. The popularity of song is undeniable, from classical circles to pop music and even popular culture, thanks to such shows as “The Voice.” But living in Southern Arizona, we don’t often experience some of the world’s best classical vocal talents live, and in person. This dilemma was addressed in 2010 with the founding of Tucson Desert Song Festival...” ZOCALO MAGAZINE”
Corinne Winters to Debut at Seattle Opera in 2016/17
Corinne Winters will appear as Violetta in the Peter Konwitschny La traviata – the same production that launched her international career and landed her on the cover of Opera magazine in the UK – as well as the title role in Katya Kabanova.
January 4, 2016
Corinne Winters will make her Seattle Opera debut in the 2016/17 season as Violetta in the Peter Konwitschny La traviata – the same production that launched her international career and landed her on the cover of Opera magazine in the UK.
Of that performance, The Spectator wrote, "Corinne Winters gives a performance of genius, with a wonderfully supple voice...Her ‘Amami Alfredo’ was the most heart-rending since Renata Scotto. This Violetta is perfectly poised between Lulu and Mimì." The London Times raved, "Winters is the best ENO Violetta in decades" and BBC Music Magazine wrote, "Corinne Winters delivered a performance of white-hot intensity and consummate control."
Winters will sing opposite Stefano Secco's Alfredo under the baton of Stefano Ranzani, a regular at La Scala, the Vienna Staatsoper, and the Metropolitan Opera.
Also next season at Seattle Opera, Winters will sing her first performances of the title role in Katya Kabanova. Oliver von Dahnányi will conduct a new production by Australian director Patrick Nolan.
Tucson Desert Song Festival Featured in Tucson Lifestyle Magazine
The magazine previews TDSF16 and talks to mezzo Daniela Mack about Carmen with Arizona Opera, one of the highlights of this year's festival.
January 1, 2016
Photo by Simon Pauly
““Whether you’re an opera fan, a devotee of early music, or you enjoy everything symphonic, this annual event will give you plenty of reasons to stand and applaud.” TUCSON LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE”
Verismo Clients Featured in "Best of 2015" Round-Ups
Jamie Barton, Corinne Winters, and Amanda Majeski have made round-ups in New York, St. Louis, and Chicago.
December 31, 2015
Verismo clients are popping up in several "Best of 2015" Year in Review lists:
BroadwayWorld.com Best of New York Opera in 2015
Jamie Barton
"Jamie Barton in EVERYTHING and ANYTHING. I was taken with mezzo Barton's velvety, cavernous voice the first time I heard it and it has only become more appealing with every performance, particularly as Anna Bolena's rival Giovanna Seymour."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch Year in Review for Classical Music
Corinne Winters
"Canción Amorosa: Songs of Spain. Corinne Winters began her career as a Gerdine Young Artist at OTSL and has built it internationally with the company’s support. This recording is a beautiful selection of miniatures in characteristically Spanish styles."
Chicago Tribune's Best of 2015 in Chicago Classical Music
Amanda Majeski
"Crime and punishment on the operatic stage: Mieczyslaw Weinberg's powerful, Holocaust-themed "The Passenger," [starring Amanda Majeski] in its Midwest premiere at Lyric Opera."
Jamie Barton Makes San Francisco Recital Debut
"Is there anything this artist can't sing?" Jamie Barton debuts with San Francisco Performances and presents the West Coast premiere of Jake Heggie's The Work at Hand.
December 17, 2015
Jamie Barton with the San Francisco Girls Chorus
““Hearing American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton in her San Francisco Performances recital Wednesday evening, at least one listener had to ask: Is there anything this artist can’t sing?” SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS”
Jamie Barton has made her San Francisco recital debut alongside pianist Robert Mollicone with San Francisco Performances. The pair were joined by cellist Emil Miland for the West Coast premiere of Jake Heggie's The Work at Hand, written for Barton and originally premiered at Carnegie Hall.
Special guests at the performance were members of the San Francisco Girls Chorus, who met with Barton backstage after the show.
Read reviews below:
"Hearing American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton in her San Francisco Performances recital Wednesday evening, at least one listener had to ask: Is there anything this artist can't sing?
Music lovers who have witnessed the Georgia-born singer's mercurial rise to opera stardom -- marked by prizes at the 2013 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition and, earlier this year, the prestigious Richard Tucker Award -- could hardly have been surprised. Barton first wowed Bay Area audiences in 2014, stepping into the role of Adalgisa as a last-minute replacement in San Francisco Opera's production of "Norma." Her richly colored, voluptuous voice made an indelible impression in Bellini's opera. But that was just one role.
Wednesday's magnificent program, a local debut recital presented at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, demonstrated an even wider range of Barton's artistry. Accompanied by pianist Robert Mollicone, she sang in Spanish, French, German, Czech and English, sounding fluent and completely assured in each selection.
The program's centerpiece was the West Coast premiere of "The Work at Hand," a three-song cycle by San Francisco composer Jake Heggie. Scored for voice, piano and cello, the work sets texts by poet Laura Morefield, who died of cancer in 2011. By turns somber, defiant and transcendent, this enveloping 20-minute cycle traces the narrator's journey from turmoil to acceptance, and Barton gave it a captivating, fully committed performance.
Heggie, as always, writes beautifully for the voice, and with the excellent cellist Emil Miland joining Barton and Mollicone, the first song, "Individual Origami," sounded vibrant; Barton's radiant singing floated attractively over Mollicone's finely etched playing and Miland's fiercely focused cello part. The central section, "Warrior 1" (named for the yoga pose), found Barton expressing the poet's will to live with an intensity that rose to a stunning cry of the heart. In the moving conclusion, titled "The Slow Seconds," the singer's luminous vocalism was gently underscored by Miland's arioso playing.
The program began with Joaquín Turina's "Homenaje a Lope de Vega" -- delivered by Barton with a mix of keen emphasis and sensual longing -- and ended with Dvorak's set of seven "Gypsy Songs." In Barton's performance, each of the Czech composer's miniature settings emerged a lustrous tableau; the fourth selection, best known in English as "Songs My Mother Taught Me," was especially lovely, with the singer evoking the music's heartfelt sentiment in ripe, glowing phrases.
In between, Barton sang three songs by French composer Ernest Chausson: "Le colibri" (The Hummingbird), "Hébé" and "Le temps des lilas" (The time of lilacs.) These fragrant works showed her shapely voice to pristine advantage, and she projected their qualities of drama and sensuality in equal measure.
Her readings of four Schubert songs, including the often-performed "Gretchen am Spinnrade" (Gretchen at the spinning wheel), also evoked an eloquent response. Once again, Barton's command of language and vocal dynamics were impressive. Still, what was most remarkable was her facility for communicating the dramatic essence of the texts. "Gretchen," "The King in Thule," Shepherd's lament," and "Restless love" -- each song invited comparisons with the great lieder singers of the past.
Barton and Mollicone returned for a single encore, Harry T. Burleigh's arrangement of "Swing low, sweet chariot," sung with a splendid mix of warmth and ease."
San Jose Mercury News
"The young American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton has been garnering extravagant praise on operatic stages for the past few years, for reasons that became clear to local audiences with her magnificent 2014 San Francisco Opera debut in Bellini’s “Norma.” She’s a remarkable artist, with great reservoirs of vocal power and agility wedded to an exquisite communicative gift.
Would anyone be surprised to learn that those qualities transfer splendidly to the recital stage as well? I didn’t think so.
The proof of that proposition was everywhere in evidence on Wednesday, when San Francisco Performances presented Barton’s local recital debut in the concert hall of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The same virtues that had so enlivened her appearance as Adalgisa — in particular her ability to channel a voluminous sound into detailed and richly expressive phrasing — shone through a program of varied and sometimes little-known repertoire.
And in perhaps the most exciting development of the evening, Barton — together with cellist Emil Miland and pianist Robert Mollicone, who provided stalwart accompaniment throughout the program — unveiled a truly magical new work by Jake Heggie, a 20-minute song cycle titled “The Work at Hand.”
Miland rose to the task admirably, with playing of sumptuous, lively elegance. Barton’s singing sounded both plush and keen, rising to two extended, climactic high notes that registered as a bold assertion of the primacy of life over death.
She and Mollicone followed that up with a vigorous and sensitively phrased account of Dvorák’s “Gypsy Songs” to close the program. She moved effortlessly among the shifting moods of this set, bringing rhythmic vitality to the group’s more extroverted songs and infusing the hushed lines of the third song (“All around me the forest is quiet”) with full-bodied warmth.
Barton opened her program with songs by Turina and Chausson, which called for — and mostly got — committed advocacy to make their mark. Among Barton’s most telling strokes were the quiet, almost disembodied intensity with which she delivered the second of the three songs from Turina’s “Homage to Lope de Vega,” and the unnerving luxuriance she lent to Chausson’s “Le colibri” ( “The Hummingbird”). A group of Schubert’s Goethe settings was notable for the pitiable fervor of “Gretchen am Spinnrade,” and the evening closed with a beautifully soulful encore, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” arranged by Harry T. Burleigh."
San Francisco Chronicle
"Jamie Barton introduced herself to San Francisco audiences last year as a last-minute substitute Adalgisa in Bellini’s opera Norma. It was an incendiary performance that displayed a rich voice and ability to plumb the depths of the mezzo soprano range with power, as might be expected from the top prize winner of the Cardiff Singer of the World. Her first recital here Tuesday underlined those attributes and displayed an impressive command of a wide range of musical styles, not to mention five different languages.
Songs in Spanish (by Turina), French (Chausson), German (Schubert), English (Heggie) and Czech (Dvořák) touched on lyrical issues of love and death. Those may been the connecting threads, but Barton’s magnificent voice provided the fundamental bond. With total command of her vocal resources, she delivered a steady diet of shapely phrases, shading one with darker tone, the next with something lighter, rising in a crescendo to a shattering climax in one song, or in the next, falling in a diminuendo to an evanescent filament of sound. She can marshal extraordinary sonic power. At times she could sound almost like a baritone and, moments later, spin out a delicate strand in one long breath that ventured into the soprano range.
All that was on display in Jake Heggie’s The Work At Hand, written for Barton, who debuted it at Carnegie Hall in February. For this emotionally gripping cycle, Heggie was inspired after reading Laura Morefield’s poems, which she wrote after being diagnosed with colon cancer, and traced the wrenching process of saying goodbye to all those one loves. It makes for a rich and rewarding 20 minutes of music.
Barton has remarkable ability to focus her powerful voice into service for the words, which are alternately aggressive and heartbreaking, and ultimate affirm the primacy of life to the end. Heggie’s music underlines those aspects, and shades each line with an appropriate tone. This is a composer who believes in real melody and seldom strays far from familiar harmonies, but always makes the music feel unconventional and fresh.
The recital started with Turina’s Homenaje a Lope de Vega, the Spanish composer’s take on three sultry poems about sexual desire. Barton wove her supple voice around exotic melodic turns and delicately sensual rhythms. Three songs by Chausson traced the course of love from youthful ardor to—in “Le temps de lilacs”—the realization that death is near and sweet memories are all that’s left. Barton sang with consummate grace and poignancy.
Four Schubert songs concluded the first half. What made Gretchen am Spinnrade, stand out as the best was Mollicone’s delicately insistent tracing of Schubert’s allusion to the spinning wheel and the way Barton captured Gretchen’s anxiety at losing her lover. She reached a searing vocal climax at the finish, describing an imagined final kiss.
Dvořák’s Gypsy Songs included a gorgeous treatment by both Barton and Mollicone of the familiar “Songs My Mother Taught Me,” and ended the recital with flair, and a lone encore, Harry Burleigh’s simple and soulful arrangement of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” brought out Barton’s earthy edge. I would plan to hear her any chance I got."
Seen and Heard International
Tucson Desert Song Festival Subject of 3-Piece Feature in Latin Post
"Few music festivals can claim the leadership position or forward thinking of the Tucson Desert Song Festival." The Latin Post features the TDSF's work, including upcoming appearances by Spanish guitarist Adam del Monte and Argentine-American mezzo Daniela Mack.
December 3, 2015
““Few music festivals can claim the leadership position or forward thinking of the Tucson Desert Song Festival. In a modern world in which classical music is facing a tough battle for continued funding, TDSF is giving smaller regional organizations an opportunity to thrive.” LATIN POST”
The Tucson Desert Song Festival's 2016 season is featured in a 3-part series in the Latin Post. The series discusses the festival funding model, as well as upcoming performances by Adam del Monte and Daniela Mack.
Part I: Tucson Desert Song Festival Paves the Way for Smaller Regional Organizations
Part II: Spanish Guitarist Adam del Monte Talks Tucson Desert Song Festival, Argentine Folk Music
Part III: Argentine-American Mezzo Soprano Daniela Mack Looks Ahead to Tuscon Desert Song Festival
Jamie Barton Makes LA Opera Debut to Rave Reviews
"An indelible demonstration of why the young mezzo-soprano has become the latest darling of the American opera scene." Jamie Barton sings Adalgisa alongside Angela Meade's Norma.
November 22, 2015
Photo by Ken Howard
““As Norma’s acolyte, Adalgisa, Jamie Barton made her L.A. Opera debut on Saturday night by providing an indelible demonstration of why the young mezzo-soprano has become the latest darling of the American opera scene. Her sound is the darkly creamy lager that poured forth from altos of yore. Yet she displays the craft of a superior modern singer, which includes accuracy of intonation, alertness to rhythm and fine articulation.” LOS ANGELES TIMES”
Jamie Barton has earned critical acclaim for her LA Opera debut as Adalgisa alongside Angela Meade's Norma, with critics praising her "luscious tone and caressing phrasing" (Orange County Register) and "vibrant, raw performance." (Bachtrack)
Conducted by James Conlon and directed by Anne Bogart, the cast also includes tenor Russell Thomas and bass Morris Robinson. Performances continue through December 13, with tickets available through the LA Opera website.
Read reviews:
"Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton brought a luscious tone and caressing phrasing to the part of Adalgisa, and in her several duets with Meade proved a perfect match."
Orange County Register
"The mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton sang the role of Adalgisa with elegant phrasing and a gleaming voice."
Opera World
"Last night in Los Angeles, Angela Meade, in the title role of the Druid high priestess, and Jamie Barton as Adalgisa sang Bellini’s bel canto masterpiece to sublime effect. Every Norma needs an Adalgisa who can match her vocal power and agility, and Meade was complemented superbly by Jamie Barton. Their Act II duet, “Mira, O Norma,” after Norma has pleaded with Adalgisa to flee to Rome with Pollione and become stepmother to her children, was the kind of music-making one dreams of. Elsewhere ̶ in her earlier solo of Act I, in her duet with Pollione, and in her Act I scene with Norma when she confesses her love for Pollione ̶ [Barton's] voice exuded a buttery warmth and sumptuous tone."
Seen and Heard International
"Norma requires three exceptional voices to make it sail, and L.A. Opera has gathered together a most impressive trio. Adalgisa is sung with dynamic strength by mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton."
Los Angeles Daily News
"The most beautiful voice in the performance belonged to debutante mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton who sang a creamy-smooth Adalgisa. It’s unfortunate that her character has no aria, but Barton showed her virtuosity in a most exquisite rendering of the duet 'Mira o Norma'."
Opera Today
"As Norma's acolyte, Adalgisa, Jamie Barton made her L.A. Opera debut on Saturday night by providing an indelible demonstration of why the young mezzo-soprano has become the latest darling of the American opera scene. Her sound is the darkly creamy lager that poured forth from altos of yore. Yet she displays the craft of a superior modern singer, which includes accuracy of intonation, alertness to rhythm and fine articulation. The greatest musical glory of "Norma" is found in the duets between Norma and Adalgisa, and the Meade-Barton amalgam is a sound so stunning that in the audience Saturday there were laughs of pure pleasure."
Los Angeles Times
“Adalgisa is played powerfully and wonderfully by Jamie Barton. When you see LA Opera’s Norma, you will hear Bellini’s music performed and interpreted in a most gorgeous and unforgettable way. Especially notable for their pure beauty are the soprano duets between Meade and Barton. Those performances alone are worth the price of admission.”
Splash LA
“Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton has been winning rave reviews across the country for her appearances. She was very impressive here, as well, with strong voice and great dynamic control, blending gorgeously with Meade in their duets.”
ArtsBeatLA
"Jamie Barton's extraordinary voice has a brilliant top and strength in the lower register. It is her voice’s lower range that often brings to mind a similar feature of the great mezzo voice of Marilyn Horne, one of the previous generation’s greatest Adalgisas. I have personally experienced such extraordinary Norma-Adalgisa pairs as Beverly Sills with Tatiana Troyanos (San Diego Opera) and Joan Sutherland with Marilyn Horne (San Francisco Opera) and believe that the Meade-Barton pairing appropriately belongs with this stellar list."
Opera Warhorses
"Adalgisa was Jamie Barton, a mezzo with a burnished sound that was an impressive fit with Meade’s... It is an exciting and singular sound, a future Amneris to be sure. Their musical sensitivies were especially impressive, highlighted in the duet "Mira, o Norma", the pair sang with outstanding balance, impressively in tune and in sync. Voices aside, these are two singers who have a distinct connection to the drama, diving in to their roles with determination, resulting in vibrant, raw performances on stage."
BachTrack
"Rome, Georgia, native Jamie Barton made quite the favorable impression as the young priestess, Adalgisa. This mezzo-soprano was well positioned in her lower tessitura, and her duet with Norma, “Oh! Rimembranza!”, sung in occasional thirds, was balanced, precise and heavenly."
ConcertoNet
"Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, as Adalgisa, is arguably the most exciting singer to emerge in recent years. Barton’s singing was characterized by its vocal allure, rich tonal production and sound vocal technique. Her round, ripe tone was a beautiful complement to Meade’s more brilliant delivery, and the jaw-dropping displays of virtuosity in the duets between the two made me wonder whether Barton-Meade may be the new go-to pairing for opera connoisseurs."
CNY Café Momus
"Angela Meade and Jamie Barton, are leading an excellent cast in Norma at LA Opera. The rich emotional content of the principal characters' relations with each other is fully conveyed by the extraordinary vocal performances. Meade as Norma and Barton as her unintentional romantic rival Adalgisa are wondrous to hear in the sublime second act duet of attempted reconciliation ("Mira, O Norma"). Though Norma is not an ideal "starter" opera for the uninitiated and this production is only serviceable, Meade and Barton really are singing like legends in it. That's never something to miss."
LAist
Jamie Barton Honored at 2015 Richard Tucker Opera Gala
"A worthy winner of this prize...rich and luscious." Jamie Barton appears in the annual star-studded gala at Lincoln Center.
November 2, 2015
Photo by Dario Acosta
““Barton is a worthy winner of this prize—her mezzo soprano is rich and luscious. It definitely stands out among the hordes of slender lyric mezzos that populate the opera scene.” PARTERRE”
Jamie Barton, winner of the 2015 Richard Tucker Award, has joined past Tucker Award-winners Renée Fleming, Christine Goerke, Isabel Leonard, Lawrence Brownlee, and Stephen Costello; soprano Nadine Sierra, and tenors Piotr Beczala and Andrea Bocelli, in a star-studded gala at Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall.
Critics have praised her "glorious interpretation" (Latin Post) and "fiery and velvety range." (Broadway World Opera) The concert will be telecast on PBS in 2016.
Read reviews:
"This year's recipient of the award was mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton who recently wowed audiences in "Anna Bolena" as Giovana Seymour. Barton got four opportunities to showcase her brilliant talent and certainly was up to the task in every selection. For her opening, Barton impressed with her weight low range in "Acerba volutta" from Cilea's "Adriana Lecouvreur."
Her second selection was a soprano-mezzo duet from Ponchielli's "La Gioconda." Sung alongside the powerhouse soprano Christine Goerke (more on her later), this was the most potent duet on the evening with the two women trading guttural blows, their voices at their most violently powerful until they came together at the very end, closing as equals.
Barton came back late in the program with a glorious interpretation of Dido's final scene in "Les Troyens," her voice here a more mellow color. The heft and emphatic qualities of the early selections gave way to a more poignant lyricism, one that drew the audience in from one phrase to the next.
To close the night, Barton joined in on the heavily truncated "Triumphal Scene" from Verdi's "Aida," her voice ringing through the massive orchestra and New York Choral Society."
Latin Post
"This year's gala, at the newly rechristened David Geffen Hall, fulfilled the first object delectably, as it celebrated mezzo Jamie Barton. Barton performed splendidly. Her first aria, "Acerba volutta" from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, showed off her range, from fiery to velvety. Later in the program, she paired with soprano Christine Goerke (who won the Tucker in 2001), in "E un anathema" from Ponchielli's La Gioconda and the duo gave a good reason to revive this opera, which has fallen off the Met's radar for some time. It's a tough task keeping up with Goerke, who is a fireball these days, and this duet was no exception. She jumped into it, practically setting the stage on fire, but Barton gave her a run for her money."
Broadway World Opera
"The ostensible occasion for the gala was to celebrate the 2015 winner, mezzo soprano Jamie Barton. She is a worthy winner of this prize—her mezzo soprano is rich and luscious. It definitely stands out among the hordes of slender lyric mezzos that populate the opera scene. Barton had three selections—”Acerba voluttá,” a duet from La Gioconda, with 2001 winner Christine Goerke and “Je vais mourir” from Les Troyens. The duet with Goerke made me long for a Gioconda revival with these two ladies, and Didon showed off an artist ready for the greatest mezzo roles."
Parterre
Jamie Barton Featured on New Holiday Album
"Fresh snow covered in dark honey." Jamie Barton joins Essential Voices USA for their Holiday Harmonies release.
October 31, 2015
Jamie Barton is featured on Holiday Harmonies, a disc of holiday music by Judith Clurman's Essential Voices USA that combines new arrangements of holiday favorites with original compositions by Jennifer Higdon and Nico Muhly.
The album can be sampled on YouTube and purchased via Amazon and iTunes.
Read reviews:
“Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, who rocked the house portraying Jane Seymour in Donizetti's Anna Bolena at the Metropolitan Opera, interprets Silent Night with touching sensitivity and fullness of voice. Likewise, in Reger's The Virgin's Slumber Song, Barton soothes the soul with her fluid, gently rocking quality.”
Broadway World Classical
"Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton’s voice soars with beautiful sincerity over a chorus of angels in 'Silent Night,' and she sways just as gracefully over a muted piano accompaniment in the lesser-known lullaby, 'The Virgin’s Slumber Song.'"
Second Inversion
“Tedd Firth and Judith Clurman’s arrangement of “Silent Night,” featuring the Metropolitan Opera’s Jamie Barton, starts out with a post-modern open feel that makes each note new as fresh snow covered in dark honey. Barton’s rubato feels graceful and grateful at once.”
[Q]onStage
Corinne Winters Returns to English National Opera
"Winters just belongs on a stage." Corinne Winters returns to the London Coliseum in a controversial new Benedict Andrews production of La bohème.
October 17, 2015
Photo by Jane Hobson
““Musically the show is dominated by Winters, whose sound is far bigger and more burnished than her waif-like frame might suggest.” THE LONDON TIMES”
In her first appearance as a Londoner, Corinne Winters is earning critical acclaim for her return to English National Opera as Mimì in a controversial new Benedict Andrews production of La bohème. Critics are praising her performance as "pure, clean, shimmering with delicate control" (Gscene) and "the undisputed bright spot." (Bachtrack)
The show, which also stars Zach Borichevsky, Rhian Lois, and Duncan Rock, runs through November 26, with tickets available through the ENO website.
Read reviews:
"Corinne Winters just belongs on a stage. The sound of that big voice shaking her tiny frame was as exciting as it was upsetting in the last two acts. For sure the piece usually gets to you – but it’s less often that you care about the people you meet in it."
Edward Seckerson
"Happily for ENO, Corinne Winters is an assured heroine who produces a pure, limpid tone even when her upper frame is contorted. Her vocal colour, darker than we often hear in the role, is a delight."
What's On Stage
"Corinne Winters’ Mimì was the evening’s heroine, the undisputed bright spot. The burnished warmth in her soprano as she declares that “Gently the April sunlight will kiss me” was lovely, gorgeously phrased. I long to hear her sing the role in Italian. She nailed the top C at the end of “O soave fanciulla”, sung not off-stage, as Rodolfo and Mimì head off into moonlit Paris, but collapsed on a mattress. Winters sang her heart out in her Act III farewell."
BachTrack
"As Mimì, Corinne Winters has a splendid voice whose assertiveness is offset by great smoothness and evenness of tone."
musicOMH
"The singing in general was excellent with a stand out performance from US soprano Corinne Winters whom I last saw in an ENO production of La Traviata. She is an extraordinary singer whose small frame belies a powerful well controlled voice, rich in tone."
Limelight Magazine
"Even in a "verismo" opera, with the naturalistic acting and behaviour of the characters skilfully maintained in a modern setting, we can surely allow the metaphor of this theatrical invention. Rodolfo and Mimi are literally infected with love and complete their erotic duet while embracing each other on the floor. There was a time when singers in opera never sang in such extreme physical circumstances, or at least moaned about being asked to do so. Now it happens in almost every opera you see. And the new American stars Zach Borichevsky and Corinne Winters pull this scene off brilliantly."
What's On Stage
"The vocal honours go to Corinne Winters for a characterisation of gathering intensity and pathos as Mimì."
Plays to See
"The youthful cast of principals are a hard-working crew, headed by the passionately sung Mimi of Corinne Winters."
The Sunday Times
"For all its consumptive trajectory, La bohème is about grabbing at life, not lamenting it. Most Mimis might as well trail a shroud for all the vitality they exhibit – delicate is the default setting – but Corinne Winters gave her a welcome sense of agency. She knows her mind – she even makes jokes, almost unheard of in the soulful seamstress."
ArtsJournal
"Rodolfo and Mimi spend the rest of Act I lolling around the floor, though Corinne Winters somehow manages to project delectable sounds while hunched up with her back to the audience. Musically the show is dominated by Winters, whose sound is far bigger and more burnished than her waif-like frame might suggest."
The London Times
"Corinne Winters is a slight Mimì, who nevertheless summons warm tone to fill out Puccini’s romantic vocal lines."
Financial Times
"Corinne Winters shone as Mimì. Pure, clean, shimmering with delicate control when needed and with serious passion in her voice, I was enthralled. It’s always hard to get the acting right for Mimì, but this knowing, exhausted but still flickering with hope and grasping at raw straws of feeling was spot on. I’ve watched Mimì die many times, often wishing she’d get on with it, but this time I was genuinely moved, her death, off to one side, abandoned, ignored, drugged and wretched saddened me and I left sobered by this waste of life."
Gscene
"Corinne Winters made an excellent Mimi, with a voice full of emotion and vulnerability."
Daily Express
"Corinne Winters began promisingly as Mimì and, as the evening proceeded, rose to the role's vocal and dramatic challenges; her clean, appealing lyric soprano is turning into an instrument to watch."
Opera News
"Corinne Winters as Mimi offered bright, pure, unshakeable singing and a touchingly genuine character."
The Independent
“The muddle is relieved by Corinne Winters’ performance as Mimì. She’s a fine actor, who can convey as much with a wry smile or a quick turn of the head, as with her rich dark soprano voice. She’s touching and vulnerable, and makes the most of a botched staging.”
Blouin ArtInfo
“Winters and Borichevsky are formidable actors, good-looking and terrific to watch. She sings with gorgeous tone throughout…”
The Guardian
Corinne Winters Featured in The Independent
"She has everything: the voice, the charisma, the looks, the intensity, the acting...touching, vulnerable and vocally flexible, melting or brilliantly edgy as necessary." Corinne Winters speaks with The Independent about marketing opera to young people and her new life as a Londoner.
October 13, 2015
Photo by Becca Fay
Corinne Winters speaks with The Independent about marketing opera to young people and her new life as a Londoner.
Corinne Winters, the young American soprano, meets me at the London Coliseum. It has effectively been her artistic home since her breakthrough appearance as Violetta in Verdi’s La traviata in 2013. Her megawatt personality and quick, strong thinking remain undimmed after a full-on morning rehearsal for English National Opera’s new production of La bohème, in which she sings Mimi, perhaps Puccini’s best-loved heroine. At 32, she has everything: the voice, the charisma, the looks, the intensity, the acting. Her Violetta – touching, vulnerable and vocally flexible, melting or brilliantly edgy as necessary – apparently won her several years’ worth of further engagements.
Jamie Barton Returns to Metropolitan Opera in Anna Bolena
"At 33, she seems poised for greatness." Jamie Barton brings her celebrated Jane Seymour to the Met stage alongside Sondra Radvanovsky as Anne Boleyn and Ildar Abdrazakov as King Henry VIII.
September 27, 2015
Photo by Ken Howard
““Ms. Barton’s sumptuous voice has utterly unforced carrying power. In head-to-head exchanges with Anna, Ms. Barton’s Giovanna held her own, trading fiery phrases and bursts of skittish passagework. Yet she was even more affecting during tender moments. In such passages Ms. Barton demonstrated how to send a long-lined Donizetti phrase wafting through the house. At 33, she seems poised for greatness.” THE NEW YORK TIMES”
Jamie Barton returns to the Metropolitan Opera, bringing her celebrated Giovanna Seymour in Anna Bolena to the Met stage, alongside American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky as Anne Boleyn and Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov as King Henry VIII. Barton is earning raves for her "glorious, plush, soaring voice" (Broadway World Opera) and "luminous tone." (The New Yorker)
Performances continue through January 9, 2016; tickets can be purchased through the Met website.
Read reviews:
"The superb mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton sings Giovanna (Jane), Anna’s disloyal lady-in-waiting, who has succumbed to the desires of the king. Ms. Barton’s sumptuous voice has utterly unforced carrying power. In head-to-head exchanges with Anna, Ms. Barton’s Giovanna held her own, trading fiery phrases and bursts of skittish passagework. Yet she was even more affecting during tender moments, when Giovanna despairs for having betrayed Anna and become the king’s mistress. In such passages Ms. Barton demonstrated how to send a long-lined Donizetti phrase wafting through the house. At 33, she seems poised for greatness."
The New York Times
"Radvanovsky had a splendid foil and partner in the voluptuous-voiced mezzo Jamie Barton as Giovanna Seymour, her rival for the king’s affections: Their revelation scene in Act II was a thrilling high point of the evening."
The Wall Street Journal
"Jamie Barton hit her stride in the crucial Act II duet with Boleyn, raising the emotional stakes for her and her counterpart to dizzying heights. There was urgent passion in her singing, and blooming sighs in her pleas for forgiveness, making this duet the electric highlight that it should be in every performance of this piece."
The Classical Review
"Singing the role of Anna’s rival is mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton. Barton not only applies a rhythmic mastery to her vocally arduous passages, she also intertwines them with a pathos this production does not often yield. Her dark, cavernous gravity across the low notes serves her well as Jane expresses the full horror of her actions. She replenishes her short contralto passages, such as ‘la mia sorta è fissa’, with both black guilt and resignation to destiny."
musicOMH
"Jamie Barton is another of the day’s career-defining performances. In another production delight, the vocally beautiful young American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton brings her own impressive set of acting chops to Jane Seymour. Barton won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2007, and at 33 brings a youthful abandon to her dark, rich, sonorous sound. Barton’s first act 'Ella di me solicit' is sung with superb bel canto technique, a pleasure that both sopranos offer in abundance. Fantastic singing throughout, absolutely. At times sublime. But it is the rich character work by each of the actors at the center of the love triangle, the strong dramatic choices and the clarity of scene that they bring to their performance that takes this production from very good to absolutely thrilling."
ZEALnyc
"Mezzo Jamie Barton has been accorded deserved praise as Adalgisa and now as Giovanna Seymour in Anna Bolena. Barton is the 2015 Richard Tucker Award winner and will be heard at the Nov.1 gala. Only in her mid-30s, Barton’s the real deal, potentially a singer for the ages."
WQXR Operavore
"Barton's sympathetic portrayal of Seymour shows her to be as much of a victim of Henry's quest for power as Anna and she had the audience from the moment she opened her mouth. She shows no signs of effort, with her glorious, soaring, plush voice, as she showed in 'Ah! pensate che rivolti'."
Broadway World Opera
"Abdrazakov sings the king with thuggish authority, and Jamie Barton is in sumptuous voice as his new paramour, Giovanna (Jane) Seymour."
The New Yorker
"Mezzo Jamie Barton, in the role of Henry’s scheming third wife-to-be Jane (Giovanna) Seymour, undertook her schemes with a purring mezzo that drew out all the part’s ruthless drive."
ConcertoNet
"Jamie Barton introduced a big, lush mezzo soprano and easy temperament as Giovanna Seymour."
Financial Times
"Jamie Barton was Giovanna Seymour, singing with a well-placed, resonant mezzo of notable beauty."
Opera Magazine
"In a house as big as the Met, 'Anna Bolena' is often cast with heavier, less idiomatic voices; plush lyric lines fare better than florid runs. Radvanovsky and Barton both sang with stamina, intelligence, and style. Barton, who played Jane Seymour, is a once in a generation talent who can sing Purcell and Wagner with equal authority. But agile music shortchanges her: you want to hear that luminous tone extend through the bar."
The New Yorker
"As her rival Jane Seymour, mezzo Jamie Barton revealed superb bel canto style, her singing ideally balanced between pinpoint control and runaway passion."
New York Observer
"The rest of the cast provided bel canto singing of the highest level. Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton’s voice—an instrument of singular beauty and amplitude—transcends an amiable stage persona that is at odds with suffering or tormented characters (as 2013’s Adalgisa, for example). In Donizetti’s opera, Giovanna (Queen Anne’s lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour) is the reluctant focus of the king’s attention. In the great Act II confrontation in which Anna figures this out, Barton conveyed Giovanna’s guilt and anguish with touching sincerity and glorious sound."
Opera News
"With the splendid mezzo Jamie Barton singing the role of Jane (or Giovanna) Seymour, this is an Anna Bolena that captures all the passion of one of history's most momentous love triangles. Ravanovsky's and Barton's thrilling second act duet, which begins with Anna's prayer and in which Anna learns that Giovanna is the king's new love interest, is of such raw emotional power and so magnificently sung, one is willing to forgive any historical liberties. Barton, singing only her third role at the Met has a soaring voice of crystal clarity and one hopes to hear more from her."
Huffington Post
Amanda Majeski Stars in Season Opener at Lyric Opera of Chicago
"Her tender and delicate singing approaches the transcendent." Amanda Majeski stars as the Countess in a new Barbara Gaines production of Le nozze di Figaro.
September 26, 2015
Photo by Todd Rosenberg
““Amanda Majeski’s Countess Almaviva proved the high point of the evening. She inhabited her role in such a way that its essence was illuminated, transcending the ludicrous stage business thrust upon her. Majeski exuded a radiant humanity that strongly recalled the late Elisabeth Soederstroem – and what a Jenufa or Katya Kabanova Majeski may prove to be! Her account of the fiendishly difficult “Dove sono” was notable for poise and polish, luminously sung and launched with a grandly phrased, deeply felt recitative. In a still young career, Majeski has moved from strength to strength.” GB OPERA MAGAZINE”
Amanda Majeski returns to her home company, Lyric Opera of Chicago, as the Countess in their season-opening production of Le nozze di Figaro, a role that also served as her Met debut last season. Critics have praised her Countess as "transcendent," (Stage and Cinema) responsible for "some of the opera’s most moving moments and most exquisite singing." (Chicago Sun-Times)
The cast includes Luca Pisaroni as the Count, Adam Plachetka as Figaro, Rachel Frenkel as Cherubino, and Christiane Karg as Susanna. Conducted by Henrik Nánási, performances run through October 24, with tickets available on the Lyric's site.
Read reviews:
"Luca Pisaroni and Amanda Majeski are both fine Mozarteans... Majeski sings with her customary poise, her creamy soprano blending beautifully with that of German soprano Christiane Karg."
Chicago Tribune
"His adoring, long-suffering, elegant wife, Countess Almaviva is Illinois-born soprano Amanda Majeski. The Countess’ pain is dealt with comically early on as she gorges sweets on the gargantuan bed she once shared with her husband. But some of the opera’s most moving moments (and most exquisite singing) come when she recalls the joys of her earlier days of passion with the Count, and then, in a duet with Susanna, she dictates a love letter suggesting an assignation between Susanna and the Count."
Chicago Sun-Times
"Amanda Majeski sang “Porgi amor” with delicate but resonant pathos and fluid evenness across registers."
Chicago Classical Review
"Majeski’s soprano is both luminous and ringing, and in the heart-breaking aria “Dove sono,” she moved convincingly from aching despair to a firm resolve to recapture the Count’s affection."
Musical America
"From one of the evening’s first gestures – Amanda Majeski, stately as the Countess, pulling the curtain down instead of letting it rise – one knew that this production would play up the opera’s mischievousness no less than its spectacle. But the Versailles bordello aesthetic that runs through much of this production’s visual style didn’t come close to overshadowing the vocal talent, which is very strong. Majeski’s trilling vibrato is most distinctive..."
Bachtrack
"Pisaroni is well-matched by Amanda Majeski, whose noble heart redeems her wayward husband. Her tender and delicate singing approaches the transcendent, from the poignant solo aria “Porgi amor” to the breathtaking duet “Sull’aria” (with Christiane Karg)."
Stage and Cinema
"Amanda Majeski’s Countess Almaviva proved the high point of the evening. She inhabited her role in such a way that its essence was illuminated, transcending the ludicrous stage business thrust upon her. Majeski exuded a radiant humanity that strongly recalled the late Elisabeth Soederstroem (and what a Jenufa or Katya Kabanova Majeski may prove to be!). Her account of the fiendishly difficult “Dove sono” was notable for poise and polish, luminously sung and launched with a grandly phrased, deeply felt recitative. In a still young career, Majeski has moved from strength to strength, justifying Lyric Opera’s confidence in its former Ryan Opera Center member."
GB Opera Magazine
Jamie Barton Subject of New York Times Feature
"A leader of a new generation of opera stars." Classical Music Editor Zachary Woolfe joined Jamie Barton as she recorded her first solo album, rehearsed a new role at the Metropolitan Opera, and performed at the Greene Space.
September 25, 2015
Photo by Stephanie Diani
The New York Times Classical Music Editor Zachary Woolfe joined Jamie Barton as she recorded her first solo album, rehearsed a new role at the Metropolitan Opera, and performed at the Greene Space. Woolfe calls Jamie "a leader of a new generation of opera stars" and Metropolitan Opera General Manager Peter Gelb says, "Hopefully, there won't be a season she won't sing at the Met."
Jamie Barton Featured in Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"It’s not often that the words 'down-to-earth' and 'opera star' are spoken in the same breath, but both terms fit mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton perfectly." Jamie Barton talks to the AJC about staying grounded and juggling stage time between the Metropolitan Opera and the DeSoto Theatre in Rome, Georgia.
September 16, 2015
Photo by Brian Tarr
Jamie Barton talked with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about staying grounded and juggling stage time between the Metropolitan Opera and the DeSoto Theatre in Rome, Georgia, this month.
It’s not often that the words “down-to-earth” and “opera star” are spoken in the same breath, but both terms fit mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton perfectly. The Rome native and Atlanta resident has kept her winningly level-headed and humble outlook, even as the past few years have brought her dazzling success.
“I feel like the same person, but I feel like the same person operating in a new set of circumstances,” said Barton in a phone call from Houston, where she was preparing for a recital with the renowned Ars Lyrica ensemble.
“I have my family and friends in Georgia as well as around the world who really help me stay grounded in terms of keeping calm and making good decisions. This career can be overwhelming in so many ways, and in the past year or two, it’s certainly had its overwhelming moments.”
That’s putting it mildly.