Idomeneo / Lyric Opera of Chicago
Kyle MacMillan
Chicago Sun Times
Polenzani could hardly be a better-suited to this role, with his suitably nuanced, expressive range of timbres and phrasings. Offsetting delicate, airy shadings conveying Idomeneo’s pain and vulnerability was ample vocal power and punch to embody the king’s strength and resolution.
“Leading the mostly excellent cast was tenor Matthew Polenzani, a house favorite who has appeared 14 times previously on the Lyric stage. It seems sure that the opportunity to cast him in the title role was a key reason the company chose to stage this opera, and the Evanston native turned in one of his most compelling performances ever.”
Kyle MacMillan – Chicago Sun Times
“Matthew Polenzani likely has no peer today in the role of the conflicted king of Crete— torn between his love for his son Idamante and his promise to fulfill his sacrifice to the gods for the sake of the greater community…Polenzani rose to Idomeneo’s Act 2 showpiece in aptly royal style…Polenzani’s impassioned “Fuor del mar,” was sung with fiery commitment, conveying the king’s psychic desperation with searing intensity.
One of our better singing actors, Polenzani brought compelling immediacy and human vulnerability to the sovereign, as well as a natural nobility of bearing as Idomeneo cedes his throne in the ceremonial final scene.”
Lawrence A. Johnson – Chicago Classical Review
“Tenor Matthew Polenzani created a brooding, deeply troubled Idomeneo, the pathos of his situation expressed by the gloom in his face…”
“Tenor Matthew Polenzani plays the troubled Idomeneo as a dark, conflicted monarch with delicate emotion and tender vulnerability. His singing is meltingly beautiful throughout, tinged with many colors—his second act “Fuor del mar” was a master class in Mozart style and musical grace and garnered the afternoon’s largest ovation.”
Matthew Polenzani, in his fifteenth(!) role at the Lyric, is the dramatic anchor of the cast. His dependably excellent and grounded singing is ideal for the role of this grand, eloquent king. Even in the most bravura moments, Polenzani’s singing was refined and elegant. An especial highlight was his Act II “Qual mi conturba i sensi… Fuor del mar”, when Idomeneo realizes the full tragedy of his vow to Neptune..”
“An Evanston native, tenor Matthew Polenzani, presents the title role of Idomeneo. This internationally known tenor is particularly celebrated for Mozart, bel canto, and French repertoire. His Idomeneo is strong, yet sincere with the whole spectrum of various emotions that Polenzani reflects using his superb vocal and acting skills. His unique timbre and brilliant vocal technique surprise with elegance and sublime execution in such arias as “Vedrommi intorno” (I shall see around me), “Fuor del mar” (Outside the sea), and “Torna la pace” (Peace comes again).”
“An Evanston native, tenor Matthew Polenzani, presents the title role of Idomeneo. This internationally known tenor is particularly celebrated for Mozart, bel canto, and French repertoire. His Idomeneo is strong, yet sincere with the whole spectrum of various emotions that Polenzani reflects using his superb vocal and acting skills. His unique timbre and brilliant vocal technique surprise with elegance and sublime execution in such arias as “Vedrommi intorno” (I shall see around me), “Fuor del mar” (Outside the sea), and “Torna la pace” (Peace comes again).”