Idomeneo / Metropolitan Opera
Wilborn Hampton
Huffington Post
“Polenzani is one of the Met’s top tenors, and his second-act aria “Fuor del mar” is a show-stopper. He has the breath control of a deep-sea diver and his long runs, from the bottom to the top of the register, are remarkable. His phrasing is also consistently and notably excellent.”
“Polenzani is one of the Met’s top tenors, and his second-act aria “Fuor del mar” is a show-stopper. He has the breath control of a deep-sea diver and his long runs, from the bottom to the top of the register, are remarkable. His phrasing is also consistently and notably excellent.”
Wilborn Hampton – Huffington Post
“Idomeneo is an ideal role for Polenzani, whose elegant singing embodied the character. The inherent transparency, dignity, and smooth grain of his voice makes him a fine Mozart tenor, and his musical characterization was excellent. Every phrase seemed deliberate yet unmannered, the sound of Idomeneo thinking through his duty, his debt, and his impossible choice. This is particularly challenging because the libretto makes Idomeneo the dullest of the characters. Polenzani solved this problem with outstanding renditions of “Vedrommi intorno” and “Fuor del mar.”
George Grella – New York Classical Review
“Some tenors singing Idomeneo emphasize the heroic cast of the music. But the role also demands classic Mozartean refinement. Mr. Polenzani combines both qualities in his poignant, gripping performance, singing with melting warmth one moment, virile heft the next. In the tour de force Act II aria “Fuor del mar,” Idomeneo vents his distress: The fury of the sea now rages within his heart, he says. Mr. Polenzani sang the original Munich version of the aria, replete with florid runs.”
Anthony Tommasini – New York Times
“Taking on the title role was American tenor Matthew Polenzani, who has virtually dominated the Mozart repertoire at the Met. Idomeneo is an intense vocal sing, the tenor often asked to sing over an imposing orchestra and really channel his dramatic prowess in a way that no other Mozart role ever calls for. Polenzani excelled in expressing the character’s inner turmoil, his body hunched over throughout the opening exchanges as if protecting himself from the world around him. Throughout his initial aria “Vedrommi intorno,” his voice was delicate but exploded with a thick layer of powerful sound at “Qual dolore” before returning to the hushed phrasing on “Di tormento.” In the ensuing scene with Idamante, Polenzani’s singing shifted from tender to pointed and fiercely accented as he threatened his son to stay away from him with the most menacing of glares.”
David Salazar – Operawire
“The casting is dominated by the remarkable Idomeneo of Matthew Polenzani who incarnates this tortured character with conviction, torn between his paternal love and the promise that binds him to Neptune. True to his reputation, the American tenor proposes a refined voice to the extreme, enamelled with exquisite nuances. An accomplished technician, he gives the dramatic “Fuor del mar” a spectacular interpretation, the totality of the vocalizations written by Mozart are executed with brilliance and the reprise is finely ornamented.”
{La distribution est dominée par le remarquable Idoménée de Matthew Polenzani qui incarne avec conviction ce personnage torturé, tiraillé entre son amour paternel et la promesse qui le lie à Neptune. Fidèle à sa réputation, le ténor américain propose un chant raffiné à l’extrême, émaillé d’exquises nuances. Technicien accompli, il donne du redoutable « Fuor del mar » une interprétation spectaculaire, la totalité des vocalises écrites par Mozart sont exécutées avec brio et la reprise est finement ornementée.}
Christian Peter – forumopera.com
“Matthew Polenzani has called “Idomeneo” Mozart’s best work; with the way the tenor led the way on this night, that case can certainly be made. With all due respect to everyone else in the cast who were all marvelous, Polenzani’s performance in the title role stood out with a “Fuor del mar” that embodied the character’s conflict within.”
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