(click quotes for full reviews)
OTELLO
Musically this was a distinguished effort astonishingly so under the circumstances. Conductor Kostis Protopapas drew beautiful play from the orchestra and responded with great sensitivity to the dramatic flow. I know this opera very well and I really enjoyed this interpretation.
-Two on the Aisle, Bob Wilcox & Gerry Kowarsky
While all of the performers proved their skills as singers, Jacqueline Venable Simmons most satisfactorily handled the acting aspects of her role as wronged wife Desdemona. Her delivery was convincing, allowing one to appreciate her splendid singing of Desdemona’s arias all the more…..Winter Opera Saint Louis’ recently concluded eighth season, under the careful guidance of general director Gina Galati, is indicative of how both the quality and quantity of area opera offerings continue to blossom.
-Mark Bretz, Ladue News
Baritone Christopher Holmes sings Iago with clarity and power, and with a skilled actor’s ability to convey mood and character. In the aria where Iago states his cynical credo, Holmes brings all the burning intensity of a Sweeney Todd contemplating his revenge.Winter Opera St. Louis keeps its standards high in its fine production of Verdi’s’ Otello.
-Steve Callahan, KDHX
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L’AMICO FRITZ
Winter Opera St. Louis general director Gina Galati provided her own lilting soprano in the role of Suzel, playing well off of Fritz’s braggadocio. Her scenes with Carreras as the shy farm girl and the wealthy landowner, respectively, were filled with grace and convincing chemistry, making their performances all the more enjoyable…..Winter Opera St. Louis treated St. Louis audiences to a splendid local premiere performance that demonstrated how the company continues to grow and improve each season, further enhancing the local arts scene.
-Mark Bretz, Ladue News
‘L’amico Fritz’ is an enjoyable production of an operatic rarity. In the trouser role of Beppe, mezzo-soprano Sara Louise Petrocelli was a standout in both the singing and acting departments. She’s perfect for the travesti roles, a petite woman with a big voice and easy moves.
– Sarah Bryan Miller, Saint Louis Post-Dispatch
The strong cast of seven (with an unseen chorus) is led by Gina Galati as Suzel and Jorge Pita Carreras as Fritz. (Miss Galati is the artistic director of Winter opera.) These two singers have splendid voices and they are exquisitely matched. One notices especially in the famously beautiful cherry duet that even their vibratos seem to be precisely synchronized.
-Steve Callahan, Broadway World & KDHX
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
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Kicking off its eighth season, Winter Opera staged its first Mozart opera, “Le Nozze di Figaro.” The company’s rendition of Mozart’s tapestry of love, trickery and royal buffoonery bubbled onstage like champagne, bursting from a fountain of melodies.
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-KDHX Community Radio
“I’ve seldom laughed so hard at a comic opera. I could just as easily call this staging an operatic comedy…..I don’t mind at all that Winter Opera started the current season in the fall. Opera this good is welcome in any season.”