Les Contes d’Hoffmann / The Metropolitan Opera
Anthony Tommasini
The New York Times
... Matthew Polenzani, singing his first Hoffmann at the house, a vocally compelling and emotionally rich account of a challenging role."
“In a mostly new cast headed by Matthew Polenzani, singing his first Hoffmann at the house, a vocally compelling and emotionally rich account of a challenging role.”
– Anthony Tommasini, New York Times
“Polenzani has been one of the Met’s go-to tenors for nearly 20 years and he delivers an emotionally charged reading of the title role. He has a rich tenor voice that easily reaches the high notes the score demands and conveys the tortured self-loathing that consumes Hoffmann as he recounts the tales of his past loves. In Polenzani’s hands, Hoffmann becomes at once more reckless, more angry, and more desolate, and his third-act aria “O Dieu! de quelle ivresse” is a defining moment.”
– Wilborn Hampton, Huffington Post
“Polenzani uses (his voice) like a true master, always producing a crisp, energetic sound. He sang on Thursday with a strong, bronzed tone that never threatened to break, despite the constant, obsessive passion that he brought to the character.”
– Eric C. Simpson, New York Classical Review