Adina in L'ELISIR D'AMORE - Royal Opera House London, November 2012
Aleksandra Kurzak’s Adina has as much attitude as ever but is even better than before – a minx who ultimately melts and does so with smoother tone than she possessed a few years ago. As she shows in her sparkling coloratura, the Polish soprano has a new freedom at the top of her voice.
John Allison – Telegraph
Aleksandra Kurzak plays the flirt with aplomb and produces plenty of sparkling coloratura.
Neil Fisher – The Times
Aleksandra Kurzak... her singing was the highlight of the evening, with some much-needed warmth, sly wit and lyrical directness.
Peter Reed – www.classicalsource.com
Kurzak was a delicious Adina, gorgeous, capricious and flighty.
William Hartston – Express.co.uk
This is particularly true of the dynamics between Kurzak’s Adina and Alagna’s Nemorino. I have rarely seen such a touching portrayal of two confused people groping their way, via various disasters, towards a happy ending... Kurzak for me is pretty much perfect as Adina (and that is not just the male in me speaking!). Her interpretation has developed and deepened since the production was new and she has the right weight of voice as well as the ease and agility. She also has, unlike many Adinas, the facility to bring off the strange final aria which so often tests singers well beyond their comfort zone.
Sebastian Petit – Opera Britannia
And if Alagna both wrings our hearts and makes us laugh, Kurzak bewitches him - and us - with a soubrette performance which she has enormously deepened and enriched since she first sang it in 2007.
This young Polish soprano’s coloratura has such natural ease that one hardly notices it, her phrasing is exquisite, and when her facade cracks and she reveals her vulnerability she’s irresistible. This is the Adina of one’s dreams.
Michael Church – The Independent
Although Aleksandra Kurzak’s voice is heavier now than it once was she can still make coloratura effortless, singing with fluid ease; she was equally dramatically convincing as the flighty, manipulative and very sexy Adina
Seenandheard - Jim Pritchard
Aleksandra Kurzak, reprising her role from the original 2007 production, is a model Adina who delineates several strands of emotion at every turn... Kurzak throws herself physically into the performance, and if there is a slight tendency to overact, she has picked the right opera in which to do so. Vocally, she creates beautifully pure, yet sumptuous, lines, and her performance of 'Prendi, per me sei libero' is particularly fine...
musicOMH – Sam Smith
All of the four main singers were big stars, either established or up-and-coming... The other two main singers, however, were completely in their element. As Adina, Aleksandra Kurzak displayed wonderful vocal flexibility: the coloratura passages sounded effortless, beautifully phrased and weighted, with the occasional overly strident high note timed perfectly for comic effect... All the singers absolutely looked the part, Kurzak stretched out flirtatiously on the haystacks, bounding around them or dancing gaily in the square... Pelly's magical setting and fine performances by Kurzak and Maestri made this a fun and memorable evening's opera.
David Karlin – One Stop Arts
Aleksandra Kurzak was a glorious Adina, sexily appealing in her stage presence, and prettily secure in her vocal work. Her Chiedi all’aura lusinghiera (Ask the flattering breeze) in the early duet with Nemorino was charmingly sung with flirtatious body movements.
Aleksandra Kurzak is outstanding as a delightfully flighty Adina, who wings her way fluently through the coloratura.
Richard Fairman – FT
...a very fine, beautifully integrated ensemble. Aleksandra Kurzak's Adina, all tantrums and high notes, is attracted to him from the outset, but only becomes emotionally aware as she realises the moral consequences of her manipulative games... It's a classy evening.
Tim Ashley – The Guardian