Avec le Maurizio de Matthew Polenzani, on navigue sur d’autres cîmes : celles d’un interprète à l’intelligence vocale rare, qui aborde chacun de ses rôles
Première Loge Opéra
Read MoreSein instrumentaler geführter Tenor ist zu höchst differenzierten Piani und exquisiten Legatobögen befähigt.
Online Merker
Read MoreMatthew Polenzani ist ein sympathischer, erfahrener Hoffmann, der sich darstellerisch eindrucksvoll und ideal in diese Inszenierung einfügte und auch gesanglich vollends überzeugen konnte. Sein heller höhensicherer Tenor hat Schmelz, er setzt ihn stilvoll und geschmeidig gleich in seiner ersten Arie vom Kleinzack ein.
IOCO
Read MoreIl tenore americano Matthew Polenzani sfoggia ad esempio per il ruolo del titolo tinta chiara e una propensione lirico-leggera che lo porta a raffinare e a tradurre in belcanto tutto ciò che intona.
Connessi all'Opera
Read MoreTenor Matthew Polenzani was also in prime vocal estate and cut a youthful and dashing figure as Giasone. As demonstrated in his portrayal of the title character in last season’s Don Carlos, Polenzani’s voice is becoming richer and gaining more dramatic thrust with passing time, while retaining its essential lyrical quality. For his many fans, Giasone is yet another role in which to enjoy this...
Rick Perdian
New York Classical Review
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Polenzani... rises, stylishly, to fiery intensity — but rather a vocalist of refinement, inwardness and melancholy.
Zachary Woolfe
New York Times
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...when he hit that thrilling high note at the end you could feel the hairs on your arm stand up."
Tucson.com
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The tenor Matthew Polenzani, who sang Rodolfo earlier this season at the Met, was again splendid.
The New York Times
Read MoreAs 2019 comes to a close, it is time for the seventh annual Excellence in Opera Awards, also known as the Freddies. I have seen and heard a lot of excellent performances and, though the art form always faces challenges, I am sanguine about its future — especially if audience members support it by attending live performances and are open to experimentation.
Operavore
WQXR
Read MoreMr. Polenzani, ardent and impetuous as Rodolfo, summoned Italianate colorings and ringing top notes, while singing with subtlety and rhythmic punch.
Anthony Tommasini
The New York Times
Read MoreHe’s got a buttery, rich, smooth tenor that never veers into too-nasal, and an incredible way of delivering full voiced high notes with grace and ease, letting the sound pour out like hot caramel.
Parterre
Read MoreMatthew Polenzani was both ardent and plush-voiced in his role debut, especially in a passionate, honeyed offering of his Act 2 Flower Song
James Ambroff-Tahan
San Francisco Examiner
Read MoreHe was my favorite of the evening because of his musicality and the detail he gave to every phrase he sang
Gregory Sullivan Isaacs
Theater Jones
Read More(Michael Mayer’s production) sets the story in 1960s Las Vegas, with the Duke, the tenor Matthew Polenzani, in excellent voice, presented as a sort of headliner on the strip.
Anthony Tommasini
The New York Times
Read MoreAs Tito, Matthew Polenzani makes a brilliant impression, using his gorgeous lyric tenor to great vocal and dramatic effect.
Susan Stempleski
Classical Source
Read MoreMr. Polenzani brought baffled tenderness to the opening songs, in which Jan is distressed by his longing. But he sang with piercing intensity and terror during the cycle’s tumultuous episodes, when Jan becomes unhinged.
Michelle V. Agins
The New York Times
Read MoreUn contatto: Che gelida manina, se la lasci riscaldar. Polenzani presenta il suo Rodolfo esibendo il suo talento vocale. Appassionato, dal bel timbro, sicuro negli acuti, molto espressivo, preciso nel fraseggio. L’aria iniziale, iconica, è la cifra di una serata di bel canto, di profonda padronanza del ruolo, che restituisce un personaggio in cui leggerezza e drammaticità si mescolano...
Rosellina Garbo
GBOpera
Read MoreIn every way, Polenzani’s performance was a genuine event. He is one of the finest tenors around today and the splendid acoustic of New World Center allowed the beauty and power of his voice free reign.
Lawrence Budmen
South Florida Classical Review
Read MorePolenzani 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.
Kyle MacMillan
Chicago Sun Times
Read MoreThe great American tenor Matthew Polenzani treads British boards all too rarely but his gilt-edged voice and artistry place Rodolfo unequivocally centre stage.
Mark Valencia
WhatsOnStage
Read MoreMatthew Polenzanis robuster, heller Tenor scheint über unermessliche Kräfte zu verfügen, der Sänger weiss jedoch, sein Volumen im richtigen Moment zurückzuschrauben, er gestaltet selbst die schwierige Arie Quando le sere, al placido mit bestechendem Schmelz und biegsamer Stimme, wunderbar phrasierend und die Kantilenen einfühlsam auskostend.
Oper Aktuell
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Matthew Polenzani carried much of Tuesday’s performance as Nemorino—not for a moment did he break from his endearing portrayal of the gullible mark, nor did his clear tenor...
Eric C. Simpson
Read MoreMost valuable player: The Evanston-born tenor is singing magnificently these days and Chicago audiences were able to hear Polenzani in Magic Flute, Rigoletto and Pearl Fishers at Lyric Opera as well as Haydn’s The Creation at Ravinia.
Lawrence A. Johnson
Chicago Classical Review
Read MorePolenzani made an ardent ... Nadir, the adventurer who returns to a Ceylonese village to learn that his old friend Zurga (Kwiecien) has been elected king."
John von Rhein
Chicago Tribune
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Polenzani’s first phrases are sung with tenderness and a sweet piano sound continuously increases with passion as he describes the newfound feeling that is erupting within him.
Francisco Salazar
Operawire
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Polenzani’s lustrous tenor shines throughout, most notably in his unapologetic, philosophy-defining aria, La donna è mobile.
Hedy Weiss
Chicago Sun Times
Read MoreThat left two Lyric stalwarts, tenor Matthew Polenzani and bass-baritone Eric Owens, to demonstrate to their younger colleagues what stellar vocalism and surpassing artistry are all about. Each singer was heard in selections from a work in which he will be starring in the season ahead – Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” in Polenzani’s case; Wagner’s “Die Walkure,” in Owens’."
John von Rhein
Chicago Tribune
Read MorePolenzani–also a Richard Tucker winner–showed why he is the finest Mozart tenor of our day, singing Haydn’s arias with vibrant liquid tone and the lyric sensitivity of a lieder singer."
Lawrence A. Johnson
Chicago Classical Review
Read More... his singing this evening remained youthful, delivering “Dies Bildnis” with princely elegance."
Joseph So
Musical Toronto
Read MoreIn this performance, featuring two Met stars, the mezzo-soprano Susan Graham and the tenor Matthew Polenzani, the storytelling aspects of the songs were paramount and the mood less heavy; profundities came through without undue emotiveness."
Anthony Tommasini
The New York Times
Read MoreThe Les Troyens duet between Susan Graham and Matthew Polenzani was delightful for their precise, perfectly matched voices."
Ilana Walder-Biesanz
Opera-Online
Read More... Matthew Polenzani delivers a star turn as the Italian tenor."
Wilborn Hampton
The Huffington Post
Read More“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
Read MoreBut the concert began gathering real momentum when operatic tenor Matthew Polenzani dared to take on "Be My Love," a song universally identified with the unrivaled Mario Lanza. The tenderness of Polenzani's opening notes instantly marked this as an interpretation apart from Lanza's, as did the ardor of Polenzani's phrasing and inexorable swell of his crescendos ...
Howard Reich
Chicago Tribune
Read MoreIs there a better Mozart tenor before the public than Matthew Polenzani? Unlikely. The Evanston native brought a fresh element to the show, singing with rich, vibrant tone as well as a dramatic urgency that elevated the entire production.
Lawrence A. Johnson
Chicago Classical Review
Read MoreTenor Matthew Polenzani was an exquisite Fernand, skillfully mixing Italianate tone with French style, showing a robust upper register in “Ange si pur” but tempering phrases above the staff with effective use of voix mixte, not to cover up any vocal deficiencies but to fit voice to line.
Jeffrey A. Leipsic
Opera News
Read MorePolenzani is an elegant singer, and he brought a sense of vigor to his tenor part not usually heard in this piece."
George Grella
New York Classical Review
Read Morein Munich they were on fire, particularly Polenzani, who created a complete and striking character as the conflicted Fernand."
James Jorden
Observer
Read More... tenor Matthew Polenzani brought down the house with his ravishing take on “Dalla sua pace.”
James Jorden
Observer
Read MoreThe proverbial hometown boy who made good, Matthew Polenzani apprenticed for two seasons at the Ryan Opera Center and has been a familiar and welcome presence on the Lyric roster ever since. So it came as a surprise to discover that Monday marked the Illinois-born tenor's Ravinia recital debut — and a most auspicious debut it was."
John von Rhein
Chicago Tribune
Read MoreIn the title role of Roberto Devereux, Matthew Polenzani once again showed why he is one of the leading tenors in the world. His voice continues to be a wonder in the lyric repertoire and this time it took on some dramatic colors that one had never heard."
Francisco Salazar
Latin Post
Read MoreHe was as fine as ever on Saturday, particularly in his aria, which he maintained, along with Noseda, as a musical trance, emphasized by clear, pale falsetto high notes in the best old-school French tradition."
Anne Midgette
The Washington Post
Read MoreMr. Polenzani makes a poignantly believable Nadir, who arrives soon after the election of his old friend."
Anthony Tommasini
The New York Times
Read MoreMany tenors can hit the notes in the high-lying aria "Je Crois entendre encore" but the music only makes its distinctively pensive impression if the singer can live comfortably up there for entire phrases while inflecting them with the intimacy of art song. And Polenzani is the guy to do that.
David Patrick Stearns
WQXR Operavore
Read More... Matthew Polenzani, singing his first Hoffmann at the house, a vocally compelling and emotionally rich account of a challenging role."
Anthony Tommasini
The New York Times
Read More... neither his brawny appearance nor focused stage presence could fully prepare the listener for the torrent of magnificent sound this exceptional American tenor produces."
Steven Winn
San Francisco Classical Voice
Read MorePolenzani was sensational, going beyond the plaster saint to create a rounded and conflicted human emperor—angry at the betrayal of those he trusted and conscious of his duty yet also wanting to forgive his enemies."
Lawrence A. Johnson
Chicago Classical Review
Read MoreAn ironclad technique allows him to faithfully respect all the dynamics indicated by Donizetti. The recitative “Povero Ernesto” is an imaginative play between forte and piano; in the first phrase of the aria, he adheres to every marking, from the staccatos on the first two syllables of ‘Cercherò lontana terra’, to the marcato on ‘Lontana’, all in the same breath ...
Nicola Lischi
Opera Brittania
Read More... this American tenor has a voice of steel and milk, authority and the utmost controlled gentleness: reason enough to go to this revival.”
Fiona Maddocks
The Observer
Read MoreFresh from Così fan tutte at The Metropolitan Opera, Polenzani declaimed all that striking poetry with fine diction, clear tone and flawless vocal prowess, floating the scary ‘This ae nighte’ at the beginning and end of the Dirge and tossing off the complex runs in the Hymn with clarity and ease.”
Daniel Hathaway
Cleveland Classical
Read MoreHis singing of Ferrando had Mozartean elegance along with exciting, tenorial ping."
Anthony Tommasini
The New York Times
Read MoreThe formidable role of Hoffmann is ideal for Mr. Polenzani, who seems in his prime these days. It requires lyric tenor colorings and bloom. Yet there are heroic elements to the part for which a tenor must summon vocal heft and stamina. Mr. Polenzani had it all: refinement, sweep, passion and power."
Anthony Tommasini
The New York Times
Read MoreMatthew Polenzani, who is becoming the Met’s go-to tenor in bel canto repertory (he was wonderful as Nemorino in the company’s new production of Donizetti’s ‘Elisir d’Amore,’ which opened the season) brings melting sound and appealing vulnerability to the role of the hapless Robert Dudley (Roberto), the Earl of Leicester.”
Anthony Tommasini
The New York Times
Read MoreTenor Matthew Polenzani gave a benchmark performance as her suitor Nemorino, acting with great charm, spinning out lines of silky, elegant tone and stopping the show with a masterful rendition of the opera’s well-known tune ‘Una furtiva lagrima.’”
Eric Myers
Variety
Read MoreMatthew Polenzani had a stellar night as an emotional Alfredo, his lovely voice strong and supple and his graceful phrasing laudable in his passionate rendition of ‘De’ miei bollenti spiriti.’”
Vivien Schweitzer
The New York Times
Read MoreIn Polenzani’s role debut as the tortured protagonist, it’s clear from the start the Ryan Center alumnus was born to sing this touchstone French tenor part.
John von Rhein
Chicago Tribune
Read MoreWilmette native Matthew Polenzani is singing his first ever Hoffmann, and he has become a splendid purveyor of French style and idiom with technical skills that carry him through major numbers in the three acts, prologue and epilogue.”
Andrew Patner
Chicago Sun Times
Read MoreMatthew Polenzani has the perfect tone for the role of Ferrando. He sings with a class and comfort that allows [his voice to go] to the extremes, while keeping the courage needed to dominate the formidable range [in the] tense final cavatina ‘Tradito, schernito.’”
Marcel Quillévéré
ForumOpera.com
Read More[Matthew Polenzani] remains ... an extraordinarily communicative Lieder singer, possessed of an agile and flexible voice of tremendous versatility. In the most intimiate of these settings, as well as in the quasi-operatic ones, Polenzani and Drake create performances that are at once thoughtful, richly atmospheric and never less than compelling.”
Patrick Rucker
International Record Review
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