Press

Sonya Yoncheva just finished a run of Bellini’s Norma at the Grean Teatre del Liceu. Here are some press quotes about Sonya’s performances in Barcelona:

“… a fantastic Norma”
(…) With a voice of dark timbre and wide resonance throughout the range, her Norma showed, together with a physical presence of impressive authority, a correct vocality and an extension in the emission that guaranteed from the first moment an interpretation little less than exemplary. Already acclaimed from her entrance “Casta diva”, she had perhaps her peak moment in the duet of the first act with Teresa Iervolino ‘s Adalgisa (…) where the voices were perfectly amalgamated to offer a synthesis of well-modulated singing in intensity and in beauty of timbre.”
Marcelo Cervelló, Opera Áctual

“Yoncheva (…) pulls off the role with very intense phrasing and very Callas-like accents. In Casta diva she had moments of great expressive beauty and she carefully resolved the agilities of a Bellinian writing that demands a seamless technique and an absolute mastery of coloratura. Dramatically, her performance was even better, with a duet with Pollione full of expression and intensity.”
Xavier Parera, Scherzo

“I have to say that my expectations are very high when Yoncheva sings, (…) but I was fully satisfied and moved in Act II. It is not easy to overcome the difficulties of this role, and Yoncheva was just perfect in the second act, where she gave a performance that will be difficult to forget. (…) In any case, in two days we heard two outstanding interpreters of Norma, which has to be stressed because it doesn’t always happen this way.”
José Irurzun, Seen and Heard International

“Her timbre was warm and the voice right (…) the artists were at an excellent vocal level (…). The first act ended with the famous trio that the singers interpreted brilliantly, in the best possible manner (…).
Buoyed by the success of the end of the first act, Sonya Yoncheva succeeded in her difficult solo at the opening of the second. She convinced us of her determination to want to murder her children as well as to want to spare them a few moments later. Teresa Iervolino again by her side, she gave like the latter the best of herself during the moving sequence of reconciliation.”
Jaime Estapà, Web Théâtre

“The dark hues of her instrument go well with the drama required by the character… . … a singing rich in nuances, intention and dramatic accents that earned her a standing ovation from the audience.”
Ovidi De Cardona, Docenotas.com

“Yoncheva has matured the role well and her characteristic Brechtian coldness and detachment has disappeared to give more credibility to a character that from a distance is impossible to overturn. Despite not having a dramatic soprano low register, she used it well and almost always without forcing her voice or using inappropriate verismo effects (…). All the dramatically intense finale from the duet with Pollione “in mia man al fin tu sei” she focused her vocal production in a very convincing and effective low-middle register with remarkable phrases of dramatic credibility. She was a very pleasant and unexpected surprise for me, which lends credibility to those who consider the Bulgarian soprano as one of the great sopranos of our time. (…) … a true Norma… .”
In Fernem Land

[Photo: Gran Teatre del Liceu]