Profile reviews
5“As José and making his Scottish Opera debut, Indian-American tenor Alok Kumar is a knockout. Though always technically assured, his singing resonates with the raw pathos of a man on the edge – and his acting in the spoken dialogue sections is equally compelling.”
“As Don José, tenor Alok Kumar...was a commanding presence with a depth and resounding resonance, exhilarating as he faced up Carmen at the end.”
Past Production Reviews
5“Throughout the opera (Kumar) is a towering presence, troubled but insistent, rising to raging vocal heights as the tragic denouement approaches.”
“José (portrayed by the excellent tenor Alok Kumar) remains a figure almost predestined to destructive and self-immolating desperation...and Kumar (is) superb throughout.”
Simon Stone delivers a visually stunning and conceptually arresting production of Donizetti’s enduring 1835 opera." Tthe singing across the cast was stellar. Camarena lent Edgardo a sweetness and softness that only made his heartache sting more sharply in his showstopping final aria. The Polish baritone Artur Ruciński made a delightfully detestable Enrico, his wood-paneled office littered with overdue bills a perfect cage for the wounded animal of his voice and bass Matthew Rose embodied one of the finest Raimondos I’ve heard, the authority of his voice routinely softened by a deep and conflicted compassion." "Sierra’s Lucia was fiery and finessed — and with the heavy reliance on close-ups and seemingly candid moments stolen through the camera, she proved herself an arresting actress, too. If the measure of any Lucia is truly the “mad scene,” Sierra truly rose to the occasion
