DON GIOVANNI
Royal Opera House — Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, 2003
"Anna Netrebko took over as Donna Anna at short notice, and was sensational, commanding both the steely steadiness for 'Or sai chi l'onore' and the technical ease for 'Non mi dir.' She looks gorgeous and is a real creature of the stage."
Opera, November, 2003
"The star of the show is Anna Netrebko's Donna Anna ... She's a riveting actress with a powerful voice."
The Spectator, September 20, 2003
"The Russian soprano Anna Netrebko sings Donna Anna with impeccable musicality and vocal command."
The Stage, September 18, 2003
Salzburg Festival — Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, 2003
"Anna Netrebko, the Russian wonder, is a woman, a voice, and an actress. What's so impressive about her, besides the ease with which she sings, is called interpretation—her imagination. That isn't only her bewitching pianissimo or her heartbreakingly faltering delivery of lines like 'Mio padre' and 'Quel sangue,' but also how she can transform the expression in the repeat of the melody in her first aria."
Der Tagesspiegel (Berlin), August 17, 2003
"Anna Netrebko has become an outstanding Donna Anna."
Die Presse (Vienna), August 16, 2003
"Anna Netrebko is one of those artists behind whom is a huge publicity machine, with DG displaying her lovely countenance all over the city, but as is too rarely the case, she actually does live up to the hype. Here is a young lady who sings like Rita Hunter and looks like Rachel Weisz—truly, and what more do you want? Both 'Or sai' chi l'onore' and 'Non Mì Dir' were sung with gleaming tone and eloquent phrasing, and the 'Forse un giorno' cabaletta was beautifully articulated, each note placed with stunning accuracy. [S]he looks eye-wateringly beautiful in her costumes, especially that fabulous suit with the ruched hem, [and] the voice has it all—buoyantly floated high notes, warm, steady middle register, exquisitely shaped phrasing: this choosy audience gave her a huge ovation after 'Non mì dir,' which would have been deserved for the cabaletta alone. Brava."
Melanie Eskenazi, MusicWeb's Seen & Heard, August 23, 2003
"Anna Netrebko is a great talent. An uncommon stage presence and an equally uncommon theatrical and vocal energy make her a conspicuous phenomenon of the moment. Her vocal technique gives the impression of maturity, her timbre has that certain something that goes with great careers."
Süddeutsche Zeitung, June 27, 2003
Salzburg Festival — Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, 2002
"Such passionate yet focussed tones, entwined with precisely spun-out garlands of ornamentation, rich in the lower register, soaring freely in the heights, all overlaid with sparkling light and shadows—it's been a long time since we've heard this in Salzburg. A star was born."
Die Welt (Berlin), July 11, 2003
"Anna Netrebko's Donna Anna was an arresting debut. Waif-like and vulnerable on stage, hers is quite a different take on the role from the matronly image we're accustomed to—a frightened girl, out of her depth with an unsuitable man. Add to that a clean, full, radiant voice and considerable charisma, and you have all the makings of a star."
Opera, November, 2002
"Anna Netrebko stole the show."
Paul Levy, The Wall Street Journal,
August 20, 2002
"Several critics pulled out the rare word 'sensational' to describe the Salzburg debut by the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, who with her pretty face and winning lack of diva pretence (e.g., tooling around Salzburg on her bicycle), swiftly established herself as this festival's unrivalled darling. ... Recording crisis or no, Deutsche Grammophon has snapped her up to record five CDs by 2007. If you don't know it already, note her name."
Paul Moor, MusicalAmerica.com, August 13, 2002
"DONNA ANNA — AN EVENT"
"The most celebrated vocal event of the evening was the young Russian soprano Anna Netrebko as Donna Anna. With her ravishing tone, exemplary phrasing and deeply felt expression, she is capable of every emotion. A great promise for the future."
Wiener Zeitung
"The young Russian soprano Anna Netrebko brought her luscious voice and winning stage presence to the role of Donna Anna. Hers is a big career in the making."
Anthony Tommasini, New York Times,
August 21, 2002
"Every warmly blooming note of the sensational Anna Netrebko is full of feeling and expression. The top of the voice rejoices with a happily full-bodied sound even in situations of dramatic sadness and loneliness."
Die Welt
"The young Russian Anna Netrebko as Donna Anna was the discovery of the evening. A shining lyric soprano, very trim and disciplined in her vocal production."
Der Tagesspiegel
"Anna Netrebko was vocally sensational."
Der Standard
"The young Russian Anna Netrebko introduced herself to Salzburg with a sensational debut. She has at her command a radiant, sonorous timbre."
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
"As Donna Anna, Anna Netrebko proved herself a major talent in the making."
Financial Times
"A real sensation. The graceful-figured Anna Netrebko as Donna Anna has a soprano voice that perfectly balances dramatic power and lyrical suppleness. There hasn't been a Donna Anna like this in years."
Salzburger Nachrichten
San Francisco Opera — Zerlina in Don Giovanni, 2000
"Completing this trio of Graces was Netrebko, with a gorgeous and fascinatingly dark-toned performance as the peasant girl Zerlina. Her pitch was as laser-perfect as ever, her phrasing if anything more fluid and evocative. The inclusion of Zerlina's duet with Leporello, 'Per queste tue manine,' usually omitted with good reason, was made more than bearable by Netrebko's spirited rendition."
Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, June 5, 2000
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I CAPULETI E I MONTECCHI
Opera Company of Philadelphia — I Capuleti e i Montecchi, 2002
"While Opera Company of Philadelphia has perceptibly improved its casting, its more discerning patrons have rarely felt the true delight that comes from feeling oneself in the absolutely right place at the right time. But when Anna Netrebko launched into a sublimely voiced 'Oh! Quante volte' in OCP's new production of I Capuleti e i Montecchi, the Academy of Music suddenly felt like the center of the operatic world.
"Netrebko's Giulietta, her first, is a major credit to the company and to the young Russian soprano. A vision of blonde loveliness, she sang and phrased Bellini's music with remarkable softness of tone (particularly in lavishly bestowed diminuendi), with flawless descending chromatic scales and a remarkable sense of play within a musical phrase: all hallmarks of a very great singer. ... For the moment, Netrebko's Giulietta merits preservation on CD and video."
David Shengold, ClassicsToday.com, April, 2002
"[Netrebko and Ruxandra Donose] have received much publicity, not least of all for their striking good looks. But their portrayal of the doomed lovers is vocally attractive as well, as they negotiate Bellini's treacherous bel canto parts with the unforced agility that marks the finest practitioners of the style. The Capulets and the Montagues contains some of the most seductive writing for harmonized female voices outside of Mozart and Strauss, and Netrebko and Donose deliver this material with ravishing allure."
Peter Burwasser, Philadelphia City Paper, April, 2002
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LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
The Washington Opera — Le nozze di Figaro, 2001
"The Washington Opera has scored big in casting (Susanna) by bringing back the enchanting Anna Netrebko who proves herself again to be a consummate singing actress.
"Blessed with a fluid grace, kittenish good looks and one of the sunniest smiles in the business, Netrebko practices the art that conceals art. Not one moment of her performance rings false ... acting this truthful, this lived-in, is almost never seen on the opera stage and should be cherished. ... And let's talk about her voice. Sweet and subtly tangy as dark honey, perfectly placed, evenly voiced across its registers, bell-like and shimmering in the highest notes, girlish at its core but mature in its rich tonal finish: Netrebko's is no less a Golden Age voice than Placido Domingo's."
Joe Banno, The Washington Post, March 12, 2001
"Anna Netrebko shines vocally as Susanna. Her 'Deh vieni, non tardar' in the last act is gorgeous."
S. and P. Trainor, The Montgomery Journal, March 16, 2001
San Francisco Opera — Le nozze di Figaro, 1998
"Anna Netrebko, in a magnificent performance as Susanna, started out strong and never let up. The 26-year-old Russian soprano, who made an astonishing U.S. debut here two seasons ago in Glinka's Ruslan and Lyudmila, demonstrated conclusively that her success was no fluke. With her distinctive vocal quality—a blend of sumptuous, throaty tone and elegant clarity—Netrebko lent sonic splendor to Susanna's every note. Her technical prowess revealed Mozart's lyrical melodies and glittery passagework superbly. And her captivating stage presence, marked by a sprightly demeanor and deft comic timing, made the picture complete. In every ensemble, in fact, it was Netrebko who caught the attention first—not in a scene-stealing way but with quiet, unobtrusive assurance. Her surprise emergence from the closet in the Act 2 finale capitalized brilliantly on what may be the funniest moment in all of opera; her appearance for the Act 3 sextet gave the scene a much-needed spark. The crowning glory of her performance, naturally, came in the last act, with a rendition of the Garden Aria that was both heartfelt and breathtakingly lovely."
Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, January 12, 1998
"Over the weekend, the San Francisco Opera opened a four-performance run of a uniquely youthful, nothing-short-of-sensational production of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, with a cast that's going right into the record books of the future. From the Merola program ... came a pair of [young artists] to sing a wonderful Susanna-Figaro duo, the music soaring on the silvery voice of Anna Netrebko."
Janos Gereben, Marin Independent Journal, January 12, 1998
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IDOMENEO
The Washington Opera — Idomeneo, 2002
"Soprano Anna Netrebko, who played Ilia, has become a house favorite. And with good reason, for she sings with a sweet, luscious purity that does not preclude startling intensity of feeling."
Tim Page, The Washington Post, November 4, 2002
"What a pleasure to see once again Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, in the role of Ilia. Miss Netrebko adds beauty, delicacy, and grace to every role she sings, and Ilia is no exception. You can listen to her creamy, lyric soprano for hours upon hours without any sense of fatigue. She is at once one of the most accomplished and one of the most enjoyable singers of her generation."
T. L. Ponick, The Washington Times, November 9, 2002
"Anna Netrebko, already a Washington favorite, made a superb appearance as Ilia. One hopes she keeps her lyric Mozart parts (this, Susanna and Zerlina) in her active repertory even as the reasons Salzburg presented her this summer as Donna Anna are audible in a darker, fuller tone throughout the range than one often encounters as Ilia these days: a welcome throwback to the glories of Sena Jurinac. The Russian soprano's ability to shape and color musical phrases and continual alertness to text (hers and others') were a constant pleasure. In a cast not notable for trills, hers came the closest to fruition, and she fielded stylish appoggiature. Her fresh, film-star beauty proved an asset too."
David Shengold, ClassicsToday.com, November 8, 2002
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LA CLEMENZA DI TITO
Royal Opera House — La clemenza di Tito
"Anna Netrebko delivered pristine tone and immaculately shaped phrases as Servilia."
Opera News
"It is understandable that the company should have wanted to retain a line-up like this—to have a soprano of Anna Netrebko's pedigree (Kirov-trained, and a huge hit as Donna Anna at Salzburg this summer) in the tiny part of Servilia is luxury casting indeed. Netrebko has just one aria, as well as the gorgeous first-act duet with Katarina Karneus's wonderfully articulate Annius, but there is plenty of evidence of her sovereign command and huge promise."
Andrew Clements, The Guardian
"Her unwitting rival, Servilia, is portrayed with doll-like beauty by Anna Netrebko, who brings her burnished soprano to a welcome Royal Opera debut."
John Allison, The Times of London
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FALSTAFF
San Francisco Opera — Falstaff, 2001
"The real stand-out of this merry band is not a 'Mrs.' but a 'Miss': soprano Anna Netrebko is stunning as the young Nannetta Ford, possessing a bell-like clarity at the high end of her register, a surprising richness in the lower range, and all the charm and grace that one could hope for."
Stacey Kors, Financial Times, November 14, 2001
"Anna Netrebko deployed her silvery, strong soprano to magnificent effect as Nannetta."
Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, November 3, 2001
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LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN
Mariinsky Theater — Les contes d'Hoffmann, 2000
"Anna Netrebko's captivating performance of Antonia was the genuine highlight of the production. Over the last few years Netrebko has evolved from a newcomer with impressive potential into a dazzling, versatile performer, not only showing technical excellence but also capable of offering original interpretations of the roles. On opening night Netrebko stunned and fascinated yet again. She was vocally overwhelming and technically adroit, a head above the rest of the cast."
Galina Stolyarova, The St. Petersburg Times, November 17, 2000
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BENVENUTO CELLINI
Festival Hall, London — Benvenuto Cellini, 1999
"Netrebko's Teresa was a marvel: pure, strong and even in tone, winning in looks and gesture, clearly a girl worth every attention of Cellini, master silversmith and rogue."
Geoff Brown, The Times (London), May 24, 1999
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THE TSAR'S BRIDE
San Francisco Opera — The Tsar's Bride, 2000
"Netrebko seems to have done the impossible by adding even more color, depth and range to an already prodigious vocal endowment ... with a thrillingly strong and complex tone informing fluid phrasing. In her Act 2 aria—probably the score's single most inspired stretch of lyric writing—and even more in her final mad scene, Netrebko turned out effortless and exquisitely expressive streams of sound."
Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, September 13, 2000
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RUSLAN AND LYUDMILA
San Francisco Opera — Ruslan and Lyudmila, 1995
"Vocally, the evening was most notable for the first-rate American debut of soprano Anna Netrebko as Lyudmila. Here is an exquisite young voice—clear, graceful, and unerringly precise ... the first-act aria was a glorious and remarkable display of vocal and theatrical allure."
Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, September 11, 1995
"... vocal performances match the visual splendor. Most notable among them is Russian soprano Anna Netrebko as Lyudmila. Only 23 years old, Netrebko has a crystalline coloratura, excellent technique and musicality. It's still a young voice, but one that holds great promise for the future. On top of all this, she's both beautiful and assured, a beguiling combination."
Judy Richter, The Times (San Mateo), September 12, 1995
"Anna Netrebko, in her U.S. premiere, sang a vibrant, appealing Lyudmila—too bad that the opera is about her disappearance in the first act and she doesn't reappear until the end. Netrebko is a terrific singer, whatever the material."
Janos Gereben, Marin Independent Journal, September 11, 1995
Metropolitan Opera, The Kirov Opera Festival — Ruslan and Lyudmila, 1998
"Anna Netrebko, a soprano, was splendid as Louisa, singing with limpid, agile tone and carrying the role with a delightful combination of fading innocence and budding worldly wisdom."
James R. Oestreich, New York Times, April 28, 1998
"The continued ability of the St. Petersburg Conservatory to turn out exceptional vocal talent is superbly demonstrated by sopranos Anna Netrebko and [her colleague]. Netrebko was an instant favorite at San Francisco Opera when Ruslan and Lyudmila, a co-production with the Kirov, was unveiled in 1995, a year after her Mariinsky debut. Strikingly attractive, with a beautifully rounded, sweetly lyrical voice, she ideally personifies Glinka's vulnerable yet resolute heroine."
George W. Loomis, Opera News, April 11, 1998
"At the first performance (April 25), Netrebko as Louisa, with her silvery lyric soprano, offered the most distinguished vocalism."
John W. Freeman, Opera News, July 1998
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BETROTHAL IN A MONASTERY
San Francisco Opera — Betrothal in a Monastery, 1998
"Soprano Anna Netrebko brought her exquisite tone, easy musicality and considerable stage allure to the part of Don Jerome's daughter, Louisa."
Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, November 25, 1998
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