Magdalena Anna Hofmann / Reviews

“And the voices! … ravishing, the exultant Carlotta (Magdalena Anna Hofmann), who gladly dies a swift Liebestod.” Eleonore Büning, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung “[Charles] Workman and Magdalena Anna Hofmann (Carlotta) made the highpoint of the entire work out of their Tristan-esque duet of the second act. Here Schreker’s so characteristic alternative world of a beauty that perfects itself in intoxication and music blossomed with irresistible radiance. Christian Wildhagen, Neue Zürcher Zeitung “Magdalena Anna Hofmann's Carlotta … is made transcendent by the radiant musicality of the German singer.” Marie-Aude Roux, Le Monde “Magdalena Anna Hofmann makes a congenial Carlotta to Charles Workman's Alviano: one senses her contempt for society's conventions just as much as her inner urge to paint. Hofmann's ease in managing both the length and the manifold vocal demands of the role was apparent; it was beautifully crafted, sung with aplomb, and in perfect harmony with her supple, never clichéd acting.” Robert Quitta, Opera Lounge “...we applaud the superb performance of the highly musical Magdalena Anna Hofmann as Carlotta....” Bergrand Bolognesi, Anaclase “...this musician trims her singing with a thousand nuances, giving all of herself, and triumphs in this role of an artist with a wounded heart who prefers to depict the beauty of souls rather than that of bodies.” Emmanuel Dupuy, Diapason “Magdalena Anna Hofmann was hardly a step behind him [Charles Hofmann] as the rebellious painter Carlotta, flying in the face of bourgeois conventions....” Robert Quitta, Der Neue Merker “Carlotta found in Magdalena Anna Hofmann a formidably invested interpreter, physically seductive and of particularly expressive accent.” Richard Martet, Opéra “Soprano Magdalena Anna Hofmann … was a Carlotta who delineated all the nuances of her complicated character.” Rosa Massagué, El Periódico “Magdalena-Anna Hofmann (Carlotta) portrayed her role in all its facets, sincerity and duplicity inextricably mixed together....” Frank Langlois, Resmusica.com “...a regular on the stage of the Opéra de Lyon, Magdalena Anna Hofmann lent Carlotta a beautiful mixture of vigor and fragility....” Nicolas Blanmont, La libre belgique “Magdalena Anna Hofmann's Carlotta was nervy, committed, strong and fragile at the same time: she embodied the character incontestably, wearing her passion on her sleeve, yet revealing herself at times to be reserved, tender. The singer managed to propose very different facets of the character, thanks as well to the precision of David Bösch's stage direction.” Blog du Wanderer “The soprano Magdalena Anna Hofmann was a Carlotta worthy of [Charles Workman's Alviano], ...of a depth and emotional sensitivity of remarkable immediacy.” Bruno Serrou, Classique d’ajourd’hui "Magdalena Anna Hofmann was appealing as Carlotta... ." Robert Jungwirth, Klassikinfo.de “Magdalena Anna Hofmann impressed as Carlotta, a difficult role that has to reach some nearimpossible heights, and ... she brought a degree of personality to the work's complex artistic female character.” OperaJournal Magdalena Anna Hofmann succeeds in convincingly personifying a young artist who brings by turns the greatest joy and the worst of misfortune to him who sincerely loves her.” Elodie Martinez, toutelaculture.com “Astounding for her expressive intensity and concentration, Magdalena Anna Hofmann reproduced the most minute inflections of the heart and voice of Carlotta in all her complexity.” Philippe Venturini, LesEchos.fr The stage presence of all the singers should be pointed out, as well, at the forefront of whom were the Carlotta of Magdalena Anna Hofmann and the Tamare of Simon Neal – who interpreted Senta and the Hollander in Lyon's production of the Flying Dutchman last autumn. Magdalena Anna Hofmann gave an intense dramatic dimension to her character of an artist confronted first with her alter-ego (Alviano), then with absolute otherness (Tamare). In the scene in her studio, in which she explains in detail her vision of the strange hands that she paints, there was relevance to her choice of an interpretation more Expressionistic than lyrical, even if this central scene might also have been approached as a moment of pure poetry. Fabrice Malkani, Forumopera.com The subtle changes that take place within the psyche of the artist often go by unnoticed. Magdalena Anna Hofmann, a fabulous actress who one regrets had never crossed paths with Patrice Chéreau, reveals their most intimate variations. Unavoidably transformed into an independent artist with a hint of punk about her, she left in the cupboard the disguise with which David Bösch decked her out: it was her gestures, her glances, and her inflections which embodied all the complexity of the character. Jean-Charles Hoffelé, Concertclassic.com “Magdalena Anna Hofmann, Senta in the Flying Dutchman in the season's opening, guaranteed the demanding role of Carlotta....” Gilles Charlassier, Concertonet “Onstage, the irreproachable theatrical direction echoed the vocal engagement of the interpreters in the midst of so challenging a test as this score presents. Particularly of note in this regard were Charles Workman, Magdalena Anna Hofmann, Simon Neal, and Markus Marquardt, who formed the work's winning quartet.” Antonio Mafra, Le Progrès “The total success of the performance owed much to a first-class cast, with the power trio of Charles Workman (Alviano), Magdalena Anna Hofmann (Carlotta), and Simon Neal (Tamare) as convincing vocally as theatrically.” Jean Reverdy, Le Dauphiné

“It was in the monodrama “Erwartung” (in Faradsch Karaew's version) that the tension ultimately reached its highest point. The soprano Magdalena Anna Hofmann managed to carry the last third of the evening almost entirely by herself through her stage presence and superb handling of the text.” Marion Eigl, Kurier “The monodrama revolving around the nocturnal wanderings of the Woman found its brightly shining voice in Magdalena Anna Hofmann...” Wiener Zeitung “Magdalena Anna Hofmann with her deliciously pleasing soprano voice...” Tiroler Tageszeitung “According to stage director Elisabeth Gabriel’s concept, the protagonist – represented by two performers at times appearing simultaneously on stage – experiences, as the very good mezzo-soprano Verena Gunz, her sexual awakening and its (real or unreal) consequences in the Book of the Hanging Gardens; in Erwartung soprano Magdalena Anna Hofmann represents the now mature protagonist re-visiting her past. Within the admittedly rarely enthralling theatrical staging Hofmann emerges as the genuine trump card of the production, thanks to her stage presence and her glowing dramatic voice, which she employs with nuance and always comprehensible diction: a believable [Getriebene] with a heroine’s aplomb.” Walter Weidringer, Die Presse “... Magdalena Anna Hofmann as The Woman with her sensual, majestic soprano voice, able to transmit every imaginable emotional impulse or outburst. Quite simply an experience!” Harald Lacina, Der Neue Merker