Profile reviews
2The exceptional technique of Nadine Koutcher, from Belarus, had created the strongest of impressions in her concert round, so it mattered less that her fine, stratospheric soprano betrayed the strain in this final. To borrow diving terms, her arias had carried the highest possible tariff in difficulty and, appropriately, it was for her precision in Olympia’s aria from The Tales of Hoffman by Offenbach that she will be remembered. Her instinctive musicality, meanwhile, shone in the more lyrical context of Marfa’s aria from The Tsar’s Bride by Rimsky-Korsakov. The emotion of winning broke through her steely calm.
As Gilda, 2015 Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 Nadine Koutcher captured the virginal naivety of her character with childlike-innocence. Throughout her performance she was technically perfect, top notes were executed with complete precision. The chemistry between her and Catana was engaging and intense, which made one feel as if one was intruding on that special relationship between father and daughter. By the final scene this had grown to such a depth, one felt the virtual hammer blows of the curse as she died in his arms.
Past Production Reviews
3È la solita storia del soprano e del tenore il cui amore è contrastato dal baritono, ma qui c’è un terzo pretendente in lizza: lo zar stesso, quell’Ivan IV Groznyj (il Terribile) la cui proposta non si può rifiutare.
The exceptional technique of Nadine Koutcher, from Belarus, had created the strongest of impressions in her concert round, so it mattered less that her fine, stratospheric soprano betrayed the strain in this final. To borrow diving terms, her arias had carried the highest possible tariff in difficulty and, appropriately, it was for her precision in Olympia’s aria from The Tales of Hoffman by Offenbach that she will be remembered. Her instinctive musicality, meanwhile, shone in the more lyrical context of Marfa’s aria from The Tsar’s Bride by Rimsky-Korsakov. The emotion of winning broke through her steely calm.
As Gilda, 2015 Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 Nadine Koutcher captured the virginal naivety of her character with childlike-innocence. Throughout her performance she was technically perfect, top notes were executed with complete precision. The chemistry between her and Catana was engaging and intense, which made one feel as if one was intruding on that special relationship between father and daughter. By the final scene this had grown to such a depth, one felt the virtual hammer blows of the curse as she died in his arms.
