Press

Dozens of wonderful reviews have been published about Sonya Yoncheva’s Fedora at the Metropolitan Opera:

“Sonya Yoncheva is on peak form in the Met’s Fedora”
“The soprano sings glowingly in the title role of Giordano’s rarely performed opera”
“In Sonya Yoncheva, the Met has a Fedora at the peak of her career, who sings glowingly, balances imperiousness with vulnerability, and looks regal in Brigitte Reiffenstuel’s lavish gowns, complete with tiara.”
George Loomis, Financial Times

“… it’s a splendid verismo showcase for the right soprano—in this case, Sonya Yoncheva. “
“Ms. Yoncheva, elegantly swathed in sumptuous period gowns by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, managed to make Fedora’s questionable choices persuasive. In Act I, she was every inch the imperious aristocrat, her imposing soprano declaring rapturous adoration of a man who, it is clear, she barely knows. (We’ve already heard his servants briskly discussing his unsavory habits.) The seduction scene of Act 2 was perfectly manipulative, and her headlong tumble into passion, vigorously and idiomatically paced by conductor Marco Armiliato, made for a complete—and exciting—reversal. In Act 3, her voice turned lush and imploring as she begged for forgiveness, a convincing prelude to her inevitable suicide.”
Heidi Waleson, The Wall Street Journal

“Her dark-hued, resinous, trembling-vibrato soprano has an inherent morbidity, haunting in both Fedora’s longer lyrical lines and speech-like parlando. She is superbly articulate even in tiny moments: Near the end, she sees the tragedy that is unfolding and tells her friends, practically murmuring, “Andate, andate pure” (“Go, just go”).”
In the first act, she wears a dramatic raven-color dress, with a many-diamonded tiara. Diva entrances rarely get the old-fashioned reception at the Met these days, so to hear the audience erupt in applause as she first came on was delightful enough to momentarily still that tiny voice of dread in my head about the company’s future. At least for the couple of seconds it took for her to stride across the stage, cool and confident, basking in the ovation, it was New Year’s Eve, it was one of those works that warms any true opera lover’s heart, and all was right with the world.”
Zachary Woolfe, The New York Times

“…glamorous Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva”
“She and Polish tenor Piotr Beczala as dashing Count Loris Ipanoff enthusiastically embraced the hoary turn-of-the 20th century melodrama, one rife with damning letters and fatal misunderstandings. Their flamboyant charisma heated up the old-fashioned work, especially in a passionate love duet that brought the second act to a blazing conclusion.
A veteran Met Mimi, Violetta and Desdemona, the always endearing Yoncheva once again died expertly. The soprano movingly portrayed the princess’ rapid fall from ecstatic happiness to pitiless despair. (…) her elegance and pathos created an endearing Fedora.”
Christopher Corwin, The Observer

“In a role often associated with aging prima donnas, Sonya Yoncheva is in peak career as Fedora… . She sang with glowing tone, balanced imperiousness and vulnerability, and looked regal in Brigitte Reiffenstuel’s lavish gowns.”
George Loomis, Opera

“… Sonya Yoncheva in the title part, who seems to have been made for the role.”
“Subsequent revivals have featured such creative interpreters as Magda Olivero, Renata Tebaldi, Maria Callas, Virginia Zeani, Eva Marton and Renata Scotto – divas of the old school, sopranos who had the giovane scuola in their bones, highly respected for their committed performances as well as their emphatic advocacy of the often underestimated music of that era.
They are now joined by Sonya Yoncheva. Since her 2013 Met debut as Gilda, her voice and dramatic character have grown in equal measure. Her then lovely but somewhat unspecific sound has since matured into a much more powerful, impressive instrument of varied color, and is considerably stronger in the lower register. In addition, she has also developed the verismo temperament that is essential for the role. Alternately imperious, cunning, seductive and – finally – tragic. Beautifully dressed by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, she is reminiscent of John Singer Sargent’s portrait of Madame X and does not allow the audience’s attention to wander for a minute. It’s hard to think of a singer more suited to the role right now.”
“McVicar made Yoncheva the jewel of this elaborate edition.”
Eric Myers, Oper! Das Magazin

“The title role of »Fedora«, which premiered in Milan in 1898, has long been a showpiece for great sopranos. The new production now focuses on the Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva, and she rises to the challenge convincingly. While the story of Princess Fedora Romazoff is often implausible, this is hardly the sole feature of »Fedora«. Yoncheva and her colleagues find emotional truth in Giordano’s music, aided by the staging by David McVicar and conductor Marco Armiliato.”
Fred Plotkin, Das Opernglas

“Yoncheva and conductor Marco Armiliato are fresh off a Fedora run at La Scala. Having attended the premiere performance there, it is clear that the soprano’s connection with the role has increased exponentially in just over two months. Brigitte Reiffenstuel’s sumptuous period gowns no doubt helped Yoncheva to find the core of her character. But vocally and dramatically, this was a far more compelling performance”
Mirella Freni, the last soprano to sing Fedora at the Met, exuded majesty and restrained passion. By comparison, Yoncheva was more imperious and dangerous, singing with a freedom that was not evident in either her solo recital or as Élisabeth de Valois in Verdi’s Don Carlos last season. Fedora’s emotional tempest kindled emotions in Yoncheva which resulted in free-flowing, voluptuous sound that equalled the physical glamour that she brought to the role.
Rick Perdian, New York Classical Review

“Soprano Sonya Yoncheva in the title role (Princess Fedora Romazoff) and tenor Piotr Beczala as Loris Ipanov, who killed the princess’s fiancée but nonetheless becomes her lover, were in fine form, sounding forceful and full voiced and perfectly at home with the material.”
Richard Sasanow, Broadway World

“He was well matched with Sonya Yoncheva, bringing glamour and vulnerability to the title role and sounding as ravishing as she looked in Brigitte Reiffenstuel’s period gowns. 
She sang spectacularly, shading her velvety soprano with melancholy and cannily navigating Giordano’s orchestral climaxes in a role that really calls for a bigger voice. … when she and Beczala let it rip in their duets, throwing out massive high Cs with abandon, it grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go until the curtain falls: verismo at its thrilling best.”
Kevin W Ng, Bachtrack

“Yet still it enthralls, as evidenced by the warm applause throughout Saturday evening’s New Year’s Eve gala premiere, and not with a crepuscular diva at its center, but a glamorous 40-ish Sonya Yoncheva.
Yoncheva, in her second outing following a production in Milan last year, brings a consummate voluptuousness (if an overly exaggerated fragility—this Fedora is a swooner) to a role in which she seems wholly comfortable, and the results are, on the whole, quite satisfying.
She’s a subtle actress who bears herself regally, and the shimmering, moonbeam quality of her middle register is often spun out with real delicacy, especially in her dynamically exacting entrance aria and Act III prayer (…)
Amidst anguish, pity, and death, Beczala and Yoncheva blazed through the opera’s conclusion with an instinctual ease, culminating in a touching and emotional death for the title character. It was a thrilling ending to the evening and the strongest single case for Fedora as dynamic, viable theatre.”
Harry Rose, Parterre Box

“Back in October Sonya Yoncheva made her role debut as Fedora at the Teatro alla Scala. During that run, Yoncheva triumphed and gave audiences a peak at what is definitely one of her best roles in years. Three months later, Yoncheva continues to excel in it and her voice has definitely grown into the role. Her chest voice (…) has blossomed and her middle register has become stronger and projects beautifully into the Met’s cavernous house.
(…) as she sang her first aria “O grandi occhi lucenti.” That aria was sung with a warm voice and distinctly rich tone.(…)
That said the intense fortes were most effective at the end of the Act two duet “Vedi, io piango.” Here, when Fedora finally declares her love for Ipanoff, Yoncheva unleashed her full vocal resources. As the line intensified her tone also grew and her high notes blossomed with ease. When she finally sang the lines “T’amo,” you could feel Yoncheva really giving into the music. (…) It didn’t hurt that Beczala was also giving his all. It was an ecstatic finale that deservedly got a huge ovation.
And from that duet on Yoncheva was a thrill to behold. At the outset of the act, you saw her smile gleam on stage. Her voice took on a brighter and softer texture in her exchange with Rosa Feola’s Countess Olga. But that quickly turned to horror and torment that was most present in the gloriously sung “Dio di giustizia.” (…) the graininess of the voice was effective in communicating the character’s suffering. Yoncheva began with a mezzo piano on a lush legato line that transformed into a mezzo forte that slowly diminuendoed into a piano as she sang the final lines “salva l’amor mio!”
Then in her final duet with Beczala, Yoncheva moved about the stage avoiding eye contact with him throughout. At one point she took Boroff’s letter and attempted to hide it. And as Beczala stole back the letter, Yoncheva’s Fedora agonized over the truth of her crime. The final duet “Boroff Lui!,” Yoncheva began with an assured tone that presented a powerful middle voice that continuously grew. At first, as she sang “Ascoltami! Se fosse pentita, o cuor generoso, pietà non avresti,” her line was lush and beautifully phrased, but as the duet continued, she became more agitated and her singing continued to garner strength leading to some heart-wrenching singing. Her “Loris, io ben ti conosco” blossomed, while chest tones on “son perduta” were attacked with fierce accents. You could feel her suffering as she sang “Pietà!” As Beczala threw her to the ground, Yoncheva emoted the lines “Ah! non uccidermi! Guarda, è la more” with intensity and quickly took the poison.
Her final passage “Troppo Tardi! Tutto Tramonta,” Yoncheva sang with delicacy and a gorgeous pianissimo sound. And she was simply heartbreaking as she emoted a breathier sound toward her final lines, “Le tue labbra adorate…”
Francisco Salazar, Operawire

“Fedora, the character, is a princess: regal, imperious—a diva. The role practically cries out for Sonya Yoncheva, the Bulgarian soprano, who indeed sang it on New Year’s Eve. She was every inch a Fedora. (…) Yoncheva was secure and unimpeachable. In her soprano, there is a slight chill—a token of the East, perhaps. But Fedora is, after all, a Russian princess.”
Jay Nordlinger, New Criterion

“Excellent performances of the two protagonists, Sonya Yoncheva and Piotr Beczala”
“Sonya Yoncheva, fully into character, gives life to a convincing Fedora, both vocally and acting-wise. Visibly more at ease than she was on the occasion of her debut in the role a few months ago at La Scala, the soprano easily soars to the high notes and intelligently solves the tricky descents to the low register. Touching, but without exaggerating in the more properly verismo moments, the singer stands out for an acting that is always heartfelt, but finely tuned in the emotional outbursts.”
Eugenio Refini, Music Paper

“Casting Bulgarian soprano, Sonya Yoncheva, at the peak of her powers, but compared with Freni a spring chicken, was smart. Pairing her with Polish tenor, Piotr Beczala was nothing short of a stroke of genius.
The pair sing together frequently and display onstage chemistry that creates fire and brimstone.”
“Peter Gelb, Met General Manager, staged Fedora only because Yoncheva and Beczala agreed to take on the roles.”
Gerald Malone, Reaction

“Sonya Yoncheva bravely takes on the overwhelming part of Fedora which calls for a brilliant top, a large and sonorous low register and stamina as the character hardly ever leaves the stage. (…) The Bulgarian singer offers us a magnificent interpretation of the Russian princess, rising to the level of the great interpreters of the character, and is now one of her best roles. Her first aria “O grandi occhi lucenti” is sung with a warm and sensual voice, but it is in the great duet of Act Two that the voice flourishes and her interpretation gains in intensity in contact with her partner. In the last act, her distress when she discovers the horrible truth, highlights her talents as a tragic actress, her agony is conveyed by a heartbreaking singing, embellished with accents of impressive hoarseness (“Ah! Non uccidermi!”) and ends on a delicate pianissimo. Great art.”
Christian Peter, Forum Opéra

“Sonya Yoncheva’s haughty Fedora had any genuine feelings for the count she was to marry, though she seemed genuinely distressed and vengeful at his death. The role is a voice-shredding one and Yoncheva (…) was at her most dramatically and vocally convincing in their two impassioned duets: when she asks Loris to spend the night with her at the end of Act II and in the tragedy of her self-inflicted death at the end of the opera.”
Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard International

“Yoncheva and Beczala are crowned at the Met with “Fedora””
The Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva takes Fedora and Norma this season, two full lyrical roles with which she wants to dethrone Sondra Radvanosky as the prima donna par excellence at the Met. Her first round was very positive for Yoncheva. Her Fedora is profound and believable, with just the right drama and elegance, and a vocal garb that supports the figure well under Armiliato’s orchestra. Always musical and focused, the singer has managed to broaden her entire register while maintaining the beauty and warmth of her timbre. (…) the artist indisputably makes it her own. Yoncheva is taking a risk on her career, but she seems to be aware of the magnitude of the undertaking she is undertaking this season, and her hard work is paying off. The Bulgarian is doing well to enjoy this great success at the Met, as a springboard before her Norma.”
Carlos Javier López Sánchez, Opera World

[Photo: Ken Howard / MetOpera]