Werther at the Royal Opera House
“It’s Leonard, though, in this overdue house debut, who anchors the action. Hers is a fallible, youthful Charlotte – flattered by attention, playful right up until truth and duty reassert themselves and she must reject Werther for the reliable Albert. Dark and thickly painted throughout the range, hers is an attractive voice, flowering into full bloom in Va! Laisse couler mes larmes”
“The American mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, in her house debut as Charlotte, was the evening’s highlight, with an effortless range of colour, soaring tone and ability wholly to inhabit the character’s dilemmas.”
“Charlotte, die Frau, die Werther liebt und für die er sich am Ende das Leben nimmt, wurde verkörpert von der großartigen, in ihrer Präsenz und Schönheit auch restlos überzeugenden Isabel Leonard – auch sie ein Weltstar, die an vielen großen Häusern weltweit gesungen hat. Die amerikanische Mezzo-Sopranistin Leonard – im Rollendebut an der Royal Opera – hat eine kräftige, sichere und doch cremig-geschmeidige Stimme von berückendem Wohlklang, und in gewissen Momenten stellt sie ihren Partner stimmlich in den Schatten.”
“To find that the actual star of the evening was not Flórez might have come as a surprise to some, but previous experiences with mezzo Isabel Leonard from Met simulcasts and as Cherubino in the Proms performance of the Glyndebourne Figaro in 2011 led to high expectations. She has in fact sang Charlotte for the Met; now she conquers London, every word audible, her voice the very definition of beauty. How Leonard rose to the challenge of the Letter Scene, transfixing in a perfect marriage of musical intelligence, soul and stage presence. The sooner she returns to Covent Garden, the better.”
“Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, in this most demanding role, gave the stand out performance. Her beautiful voice was effortlessly projected. “There, let my tears flow”, she movingly remarked, on reading Werther’s letters. Her manifold regrets and fragile religious faith were exquisitely suggested. She realises too late that the only truth is love.”
“The American mezzo-soprano, in her ROH debut, offers a fine portrait, vocally and dramatically, of Charlotte. Her tender radiance at the outset evolves into an almost stoic effort to keep her love under control, so that it will not undermine her duty; and once that self-discipline is breached, she gives way to a flood of liberated passion in her soliloquy in Act III. Leonard magnificently and movingly fulfils her role.”
“Isabel Leonard made a confident Royal Opera debut as Charlotte. The role doesn’t come into its own until Act 3, when Charlotte can no longer cope with being dutiful and gives vent to her true feelings: Leonard gave us plenty of passion and creamily smooth sound without going harsh at the top or fading at the bottom”
Bachtrack