ALEKSANDRA KURZAK

OPERA

Nedda in PAGLIACCI - Wiener Staatsoper, November 2020

La commedia è finita ! There is no doubt that, on that evening, there was already a feeling of the pandemonic doom and gloom of an impending second lockdown, the rumor foreshadows of a planned interruption of the opera activity were dominating the scene. This later became a certainty: the Calabrian protagonists’ couple Alagna and Kurzak sang and played in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci as if they had to prove that the Art form of Opera must not perish. And they and their troupe were also successful in it. Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci became the hit of the evening. [...] Aleksandra Kurzak, also in her role debut in this house, was Nedda, singing with great commitment, whether in her Bird-song or especially in her duet with the house debutant and new member of the State Opera, Russian baritone Sergey Kaydalov, who was a very good partner to her as Silvio. And even more so in the final scene, she was a strong challenger with powerful high notes facing her stage partner and also real husband in life. [...] Big final cheers as far as the corona-related thinned audience was able to do it. - Peter Skorepa for onlinemerker.com

The great tradition of excellence of the Vienna Opera. The magnificent simplicity of the beautiful and grand interpretation. Aleksandra Kurzak's performance is superlative. With an overwhelming appropriation of the role, she combines a golden tone and a Belcantist coloring that suits her first aria perfectly. In addition, in this vocally varied and in the end dramatically heavy role, she truly brings Nedda to life, her sturdy temper, her love affairs with Silvio, her resistance to Canio's assaults. Wells of suffering in front of him, she tries to stand upright and fights physically, dances, falls, gets up… and her interpretation is incredibly touching. If the last sentence of the opera, La Commedia è finita, also sounded like a premonition while the last performance before the lockdown - at the end of which the artists found themselves trapped inside the opera house - would, three days later, take place whereas the Austrian capital city was attacked, it sent a breath of optimism. That of being still accompanied by these admirable artists who work, rehearse, hold out against all odds and continue to fulfill their beautiful mission of entertainers in order to brighten our lives decidedly well poisoned by the so worrisome current events. - Paul Fourier for Toute la culture

Roberto Alagna & Aleksandra Kurzak triumphed at the Wiener Staatsoper. With them, there stood on stage a couple also connected in real life: she flirtatious and lively, he with his typical passion. - Wiener Zeitung

Coveted by three men, Aleksandra Kurzak performed Nedda with enthusiasm, comedic charm and pleasure. - Der Standart

After an intense duet with Silvio, on the wooden stage of the final scene, she maneuvered credibly between play and seriousness, between routine comedy and deadly threat - Die Presse.

A wonderful, exceptional evening ! Aleksandra Kurzak perfectly at her ease as Nedda, a smooth and greatly committed acting, a strong care of words, a vocally very convincing performance, powerful and very expressive top notes, a true stage personality. All in all a rightfull and successful Nedda❞ by Guy Cherqui for Wanderer

The Vienna State Opera has jumped in rapidly with streams of performances from the last few seasons. One highlight this week dates from the sadly brief “reopening” period this fall, a solid revival of the double bill of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci. The latter piece is glamorously cast with the husband and wife team of Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak. The soprano accomplishes the seemingly impossible task of making the role of Nedda, the adulterous actress, both compelling and sympathetic. Her star performance can be seen this Thursday starting at 1 p.m. - The Observer by James Jorden

Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak are memorable in Vienna’s Pagliacci on a sad night for the city. I enjoyed this Pagliacci more than any other over many years. I have never seen Canio and Nedda acted and sung better than real-life couple Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak did in their Vienna role debuts. Kurzak is always a vivacious comedienne and Nedda’s birdsong aria ‘Stridono lassù’ was glitteringly sung with some long, exquisitely contoured, lines that is always a feature of this excellent soprano’s voice. This Cav & Pag is being streamed again on 12 November and I may well watch Pagliacci again as it will live long in my memory, although it is impossible to ignore the circumstances under which it was performed. - Jim Pritchard for Seen and Heard International