Ariadne auf Naxos, Metropolitan Opera

“In her first Met performance as the Composer, the mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato won the biggest ovation of the afternoon.”

~ Anthony Tomassini NY Times May 2011

“With mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato adding to her already strong Met resume with a vibrant and compelling performance as the Composer […] her rich mezzo alternating in bewilderment, anger and ardor, DiDonato commanded the stage in the trousers role.

Each note and each movement by DiDonato had a genuineness that made it appear she was living the role rather than acting it. She was moving, torn between the pride of her work — the dramatic “Ariadne” — and the embarrassment of having it ruined by the simultaneous performances.

The first half of the opera portrays the backstage goings on, and the second the performance. Without DiDonato in the second half, the spark she had provided was missing.”

~ Ronald Blum Associated Press May 2011

“In contrast, Joyce DiDonato triumphed in the short but central role of the Composer, her slender, tangy mezzo rising to ecstatic heights in the anthem “Musik ist eine heilige Kunst” (Music is a holy art). In scruffy ponytail and 18th-century kneepants, the 40-something singer embodied this angsty teen artist with a delicate balance of pathos and humor.”

~ James Jordon NY Post May 2011

“The mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato has triumphed at the Met in several Rossini roles, most recently as Isolier in Le Comte Ory. At Saturday’s matinee  she sang her first Strauss role at the Met in a highly anticipated role debut as the Composer. Her clarion voice soared over the orchestra with finely hued colors. She approached the role with ardent commitment as well as her customary wit. Hopefully we will soon have a chance to hear her Octavian at the Met.”

~ Hester Furman The Classical Review May 2011