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Crescendo
"Countertenor" Article Oct/Nov. 2008 |
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German |
English |
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From
2008 and 2009
“Neither length nor complexity faze American male
soprano Robert Crowe, who does stellar work interpreting compositions
originally written for four different soprani.
The fascinating timbre of his voice is like
sharp-edged silver swaddled in and gleaming through velvet, and it is
superbly supported by organist Michael Eberth’s idiomatic partnership. …
He has a full command of Baroque vocal ornaments
such as trillo and trill,
and can negotiate huge leaps and fast scales…this disc is a major treat.
Bravi all around.” -Craig Smith-
From the
New Mexican,
Pasatiempo April 24-30, 2009 for
The Virtuoso Soprano Motets
of Giacomo Carissimi (recording)
“Robert Crowe,
who has mastered the rare soprano
fach in the countertenor realm, sprang into action with a brilliant
high soprano und thrilled with his special talent through vocal power and
agility.” -Antonia Lezerkoss-
From the
Hohenzollerische
Zeitung, Thursday, June 26th, 2008 (from the
original German) for Hasse’s
Petrus et Magdalena
“Robert Crowe
is anything but soft and feminine.
His coloratura are crystal-clear, like a cut
diamond, when he sings in the upper ranges; they let an intellectual clarity
resound that arrests and chills the listener.” -Martina Holbein-
From the
Schwarzwälder Bote
Tuesday, June 24, 2008 (from the original German)
for Hasse’s Petrus et Magdalena
“The male soprano
Robert Crowe was in the truest sense of the word a soprano: a high, clear
and pure voice, and after the intermission he got some chances to display
some darker tones (but far too few) and some passages with powerful fortes
even in the highest reaches of his voice.”
From otid.se
(Sweden) March 14, 2009 for Handel’s
Tirsi (from the original Swedish)
“He (Crowe) is
one of the few ‚male sopranos‘ who,
with a masculinely austere soprano voice and
absolute mastery of vocal technical precision in pieces such as
Oleum Effusum est, Adeste Mortales,
and
Domine, Deus Meus, can celebrate in such a way as to bring to his
listeners a goodly portion of the vocal atmosphere and brilliance of this
era.
Crowe mastered these three solo motets with great
sensitivity and vocal security, even when climbing into the highest heights.
He gives these motets a very elegant shape,
aetherial, refined, and occasionally, vehemently explosive.”
From the Baadische Neueste Nachrichten
March 20, 2009 for
Carissimi
Motets (concert)(from the
original German) |
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English Language Reviews: |
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" his voice is a marvel, full of
richness, colour and, most impressively power." |
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International Record Review
for Carissimi recording |
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“Spectacular
rendition of the aria 'If God be for Us' ” |
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New York Times for
Messiah |
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“A Male
Soprano of staggering gifts” |
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New York Times preview for
Idomeneo |
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“A male coloratura
soprano who could send the Queen of the Night scampering for daylight.” |
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Richmond Times-Dispatch
for Giulio Cesare |
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“As Sesto, Crowe
exemplified all that is special about countertenors—an enormous range,
agility, and ringing, pure highs. This plus accurate phrasing and fluid
movements helped him create a believable son…Son nato a sospirar –a
duet with his mother—had an elemental sincerity.” |
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Opera News for Giulio
Cesare |
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“…Countertenor
Robert Crowe made something thrilling of the thankless mezzo part and, in a
spectacular rendition of the Handel aria Ombra mai fu, you could hear
the gleaming tone, the control of color, the sheer lung power for which the
great castrati were fabled two centuries ago. His is a special talent, even
in our current golden age of countertenors.” |
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Washington Post for Lord
Nelson Mass |
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Translated from the
original German: |
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From
2007 |
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“The Sopranist
Robert Crowe lends the role of the young-and-in-love Siebel a singular
stamp, spotlessly sung and skillfully acted.”
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Darmstadter Echo for
Faust |
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“Here, however,
was the internationally known American male soprano Robert Crowe in a
convincing portrait of a tender-voiced and sensitive, not quite grown-up
man.” |
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Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
for Faust |
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“A Phenomenon is
the casting of the unhappy young admirer of Gretchen(sic), Siebel. This
role, normally a trouser role for high female voice, is sung in Darmstadt by
a male soprano, Robert Crowe. Even if it had not been in the program, one
would have been convinced by a very masculine soprano with a solid-cored,
marvelously freely produced, coloratura-capable voice.” |
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Frankfurter Rundschau for
Faust |
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“Totally
convincing is countertenor Robert Crowe as Marguerite’s childish admirer,
Siebel, who in purity of sound sets the benchmark.”
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Frankfurter Neue Presse
for Faust |
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“Robert Crowe
displays, in addition to his vocal talents, acting qualities which allow him
to convincingly play the shy admirer.”
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EgoTrip.com for
Faust |
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“…cultivated,
secure in the upper reaches, and agile in coloratura, Robert Crowe succeeds
in the soprano role of Ceasar.”
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Mannheimer Morgen for
Piccinin’s Catone in Utica |
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“…the enormously
fascinating-singing American sopranist Robert Crowe, who juggled vocal
colors, played with contrasts, and showed traces of what Leopold Mozart so
disparaged as the ‘mannered Mannheimer gout’. Crowe’s phrasing and his
non-legato cadenzas in any case, show a vocal art behind which the rest of
the ensemble remained." |
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Frankfurter Rundschau for
Piccinni’s Catone in Utica |
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“…the brilliant
soprano of Robert Crowe, whose Ceasar was a tender Operetta Prince…” |
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Die Welt for Piccinni’s
Catone in Utica |
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From 2006 |
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“Outstanding:
Soprano, Robert Crowe” |
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Deutsche Press Agentur for
Der Kleine Prinz |
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“…standing before
all others, Robert Crowe in the title role” |
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Der Spiegel for Der Kleine
Prinz |
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“The casting of
the Little Prince with Robert Crowe showed itself to be a stroke of luck, as
he allowed his powerful and penetrating
soprano to sound childish and innocent, enabling him to find the perfect
way to embody the role.” |
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Das Opernglass for
Der Kleine Prinz |
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“Robert Crowe
accomplished the exhausting, high flying, central role of the Little Prince
magnificently, with brightly shining high notes, a fine piano and
extraordinarily beautiful timbre.” |
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Badische Zeitung for Der
Kleine Prinz |
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“…in the title
role, the sopranist Robert Crowe appears in a brilliant performance…”
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Die Rheinpfalz for Der
Kleine Prinz |
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From 2005 and earlier |
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“Before
all is Sopranist Robert Crowe, who unflappably masters Ceasar’s break-neck
coloratura.” |
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Fono Forum for the CD
recording of Ferrandini’s Catone in Utica |
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“Only Cupid—given
flight with truly unearthly fury by countertenor Robert Crowe—remains from
the Olympians.” |
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Berliner Morgenpost for
Orpheus in der Unterwelt |
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“The filigreed voice of the
countertenor was one of the few happy surprises…” |
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Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung for Orpheus in der Unterwelt |
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“Robert Crowe paints with his
sharply accurate soprano even the smallest note values precisely.”
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| Opern
Welt for the CD recording of Ferrandini’s Catone in Utica |
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“Robert Crowe as
the playboy Ceasar is the tenderest, at times most exalted soprano.”
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Bild München for Ferrandini’s
Catone in Utica |
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“Robert Crowe,
the brilliant countersoprano(sic) assembles coloratura garlands and has the
smart look of the playboy/”
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Tages Zeitung (München)
for Ferrandini’s Catone in Utica |
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“Robert Crowe as the
enemy and opponent Ceasar; a sopranist—enormously expressive and no less
secure in the coloratura.”
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Das Opernglass for
Ferrandini’s Catone in Utica |
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“Then
countertenor Robert Crowe, in his great ‘storm’ aria with dizzyingly high
coloratura, fills the the air of the rococo jewel (the Cuivillier Theater in
Munich) with clamorous uproar.” |
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Münchener Merkur for
Ferrandini’s Catone in Utica |
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“Ceasar (Robert
Crowe) looks a bit like David Beckham, only without the ponytail. But
something else separates him: when singing, he chirrups with the highest
soprano tones, at first engendering consternation which, however, dissolves
into sheer admiration.” |
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Abendzeitung (München) for
Ferrandini’s Catone in Utica |
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“…a brilliantly
accomplished sopranist like Robert Crowe (Anastasio) is exceptional…” |
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Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
for Giustino |
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“Robert Crowe
plays the male soprano role of the incompetent, jealous emperor absolutely
hilariously. While the recitatives come out as a run-together stutter, in
his arias he rolls out his soprano with shining high notes. He delivers a
brilliant voice-box firework show in his great rage and jealousy aria.”
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Badische Neueste Nachtrichten
for Giustino |
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“Crowe paints a
polished portrait of the insecure Anastasio. This is a soprano role, and
Crowe is one of the rare countertenors who can navigate this high range. He
achieves the balancing act of the vocal chords with bravura, and if
knife-edge, rapid-fire high notes could kill, then Anastasio need fear no
more (his wife) Arianna and for his throne.” |
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Badisches Tagblatt for
Giustino |
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“The soprano of
Robert Crowe (Rodrigo) is astoundingly wide-ranging and dramatic. He plays
his absolute disgust for his wife so lustily, that only the wonderful
optical and vocal presence of Janet Williams can set a polar opposite of
Goodness, Wisdom and Love." |
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Das Opernglass for
Rodrigo |
