Kathryn Rudge Reviews | Kathryn Rudge

Reviews: Mozart’s ‘La Clemenza di Tito’ at Opera North

05/02/13
admin
· News · Opera Reviews · Reviews · reviews

Henry Waddington as Publio and Kathryn Rudge as Annio. Photo credit: Bill Cooper

Kathryn is currently performing in the role of Annio in Opera North’s new production of Mozart’s ‘La Clemenza di Tito’ directed by John Fulljames and Conducted by Dougie Boyd.

Here are some of the reviews:-

“For me the biggest news of the evening is young Liverpudlian soprano Kathryn Rudge as Annio: her cleanly produced tone, supple musical phrasing, and sensitive colouring of words combine with a vividly attractive stage personality to make something special. It was at Opera North that we first encountered Alice Coote: Kathryn Rudge has the same star potential.”

The Telegraph, Rupert Christiansen, 1^st February 2013

“Kathryn Rudge confirms her golden potential as a boyish Annio, the voice steadily gaining in colour”

The Times, Richard Morrison, 4^th February 2013

“The creamy-voiced mezzo Kathryn Rudge, sporting a short back and sides, in the smaller trouser role of Annio, friend of Sesto, drew arguably the loudest applause of the evening for her beguiling and utterly heartbreaking interpretation of Annio’s Act II aria “Tu fosti tradito” imploring Tito to show clemency to Sesto”.

Opera Britannia, Geoffrey Mogridge, 3^rd February, 2013

“The two trouser roles boast equally world-class performances……….Kathryn Rudge is an intense, compelling Annio, delivering oceans of beautifully-centred tone, not least in her Act 2 aria”

The Press, York, Martin Dreyer, 2^nd February 2013

“Rudge possessed a rich but never overbearing voice of great beauty” ‘Bachtrack. Sam Wigglesworth, 2^nd February, 2013

‘Kathryn Rudge in the castrato part of Annio sang faultlessly’

Seen and Heard, John Leeman, 4^th February 2013

Kathryn Rudge registers movingly as Sesto’s devoted friend Annio

The Stage, George Hall, 1^st February 2013

The Production took place at Leeds Grand Theatre and toured to Newcastle, Belfast, Manchester and Nottingham between February and March 2013.

REVIEWS: LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, GLYNDEBOURNE TOURING OPERA

03/01/13
kr_admin2
· Opera Reviews · Reviews

Le nozze di Figaro, Glyndebourne Tour 2012 Photographer credit: Bill Cooper

Photo Credit: Bill Cooper

Director Michael Grandage, Revival Director Ian Rutherford, Conductor Jonathan Cohen.

“The stand-out performance is Kathryn Rudge’s deeply felt, endearingly jittery Cherubino.”
***Financial Times, Hannah Nepil, Canterbury Marlowe Theatre, 21st November 2012.

“Cherubino’s hedonism was ferociously captured by Kathryn Rudge, who temporarily stole the show with her two arias”
Opera Magazine, 4th October 2012.

“Kathryn Rudge displays excellent talent, both for acting and singing, as the mischievous Cherubino.”
**** The Stage, William Hartson, 12th October 2012

“Kathryn Rudge …..a superb stage-stealing Cherubino (a woman playing a man who is later disguised as a woman!); ‘Non so più’ was ideally paced, without bluster and breathiness, deftly accompanied.”
Classical Source, Colin Anderson, 4th October 2012

“Two turns really stick out……… Kathryn Rudge’s Cherubino has a Norman Wisdom dumbness which is a different take on the lust-crazed male……….”
The London Evening Standard , Kieron Quirke, 7th November 2012

“Kathryn Rudge played the difficult role of Cherubino, doing well in the bit where she is a young man pretending to be a young woman.”
Mark Ronan, Theatre Reviews, 5th October 2012

“Kathryn Rudge brought us Cherubino and what an excellent job she did as the awkward and obsessed young man besotted by the Countess. She did the gender switches well.”
Maggie Constable, The Public Reviews, 27th November (Milton Keynes). The Public Reviews.

“Special mention must go to the pure-voiced Kathryn Rudge as Cherubino.”
Lichfield Live, Phil Preece, 7th December, Stoke-on-Trent

Review: City of London Festival – 29th June 2012

29/06/12
admin
· Concert Reviews · reviews

City of London Festival: Kathryn Rudge and James Baillieu

City of London Festival Recital – 29th June 2012 – St Bartholomew the Great

“A very special early evening song recital at St Bartholomew-the Great by Kathryn Rudge, who combined a natural rapport and a rich expressive mezzo, at home in French and German, with welcome choices of Britten Folk Songs (a possibly under-rated oeuvre?) and favourites with oldies like Roses of Picardy to finish”.

‘Musical Pointers 29^th June 2012’

Review: Noah Stewart Tour – May/June 2012

01/06/12
admin
· Concert Reviews · reviews

Noah Stewart and Kathryn Rudge perform at Union Chapel, London. Photo courtesy of Yannick Lalardy and Miguel Matteo.

NOAH STEWART TOUR – ADRIAN BOULT HALL, BIRMINGHAM

“Kathryn Rudge, just a year out of college and already making a mark on the opera stage, was described as a ‘special guest.’ This talented, unaffected mezzo-soprano delivered Carmen’s Seguidilla in sparkling fashion, and in ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ showed all the required power for a big finish. Two duets with Stewart were also impressively poised.”

David Hart, Birmingham Post, 1^st June 2012

Review: Brighton Festival – 24th May 2012

25/05/12
admin
· Concert Reviews · reviews

Brighton Festival Recital, Brighton Dome

“Everyone is raving about this delightful mezzo-soprano who’s taking the English opera houses by storm at the moment. The passion in her voice is incredible, she has pure clarity of diction and a real elegant tone to her singing that allows the words to charm as much as the music. She has, quite simply, a great voice. She was charming, disarming and really rather good indeed. Although apparently nervous, her gentle personality shone through this difficult music and allowed her to showcase the voice that’s been astonishing audiences. She’s also funny, which dissolved her aura of Diva in a comfortable directness that the audience loved.”

Eric Page, GScene Magazine, 25^th May 2012

REVIEW WIGMORE HALL RECITAL 3RD APRIL 2012

22/04/12
kr_admin2
· Concert Reviews · News · reviews

YCAT WIGMORE HALL RECITAL 2012

KATHRYN RUDGE WITH PIANIST JAMES BAILLIEU

“It doesn’t take long (five notes maybe) to hear why people are excited. Her mezzo-soprano voice already has tremendous reserves of power, impeccable intonation, the capacity for a gloriously sustained legato and, most interesting of all, a distinctive vocal quality. The timbre has white-hot intensity that extends undiminished through all of two octaves”.

*** Richard Morrison, The Times 5^th April 2012

Reviews: Handel’s Giulio Cesare – Opera North

26/02/12
admin
· Opera Reviews · reviews

Reviews Handel’s ‘Giulio Cesare’ – Opera North (Jan – March 2012)

DIRECTOR: TIM ALBERY CONDUCTOR: ROB HOWARTH

The Guardian

****”Kathryn Rudge’s Sesto……suggests that she has everything required of an exciting young mezzo: tone, technique and absolute conviction in a pair of trousers.”

15th January 2012, Alfred Hickling

Opera Brittania

“The promising young mezzo Kathryn Rudge made a fine Sesto and displayed a beautifully plush timbre and an interesting variety of tonal colours and shading. Her “Cara speme” was sung with great finesse and was one of the musical highlights of the evening for me – particularly her gorgeous messa di voce at the start of the da capo.”

16th January, 2012, Faye Courtney

**** Bachtrack

“The standout performances of the night, however, were given by Kathryn Rudge as the murdered Pompeo’s grieving son Sesto and Sarah Tynan as Cleopatra. Rudge sang her arias and duets with great technical skill and passion. She has a rich, creamy mezzo voice perfectly suited to the trouser roles she has received acclaim for (she made her professional debut as Cherubino for ENO) and from the very beginning of the performance she was an audience favourite, receiving warm applause at the end of everything she sang.”

16th January, 2012, Laura Jane Wilson

The Arts Desk

“The most impressive singing comes from Ann Taylor and Kathryn Rudge as Cornelia and Sesto, the murdered Pompeo’s widow and daughter; their duet in Act 1 is marvellous, the two voices beautifully matched.”

15th January, 2012, Graham Rickson

****What’s on stage

“Kathryn Rudge brings a youthful ardour to Sesto.”

16th January 2012, Ron Simpson

The Times

“The singers…put across these wonderful numbers with admirable musicality and often heartbreaking poignancy. Indeed several with live long in my memory ….the lamenting duet of Ann Taylor’s widowed Cornelia and Kathryn Rudge as her son Sesto.”

Richard Morrison, 16th January 2012

The Yorkshire Post

“Of the eight principal characters, the company debut of Kathryn Rudge as Sesto really captured the attention. Recently a student at the Royal Northern College of Music, she is a mezzo of outstanding potential.”

David Denton, 20th January 2012

The Daily Telegraph

“Kathryn Rudge made a brightly spunky and impassioned Sesto, whose duet of parting from his mother Cornelia (an eloquent and dignified Ann Taylor) was one of the evening’s highlights”

Rupert Christiansen, 16th January 2012

The Independent on Sunday

“Rudge, who excels as his agonised, fearful assassin.”

22nd January 2012, Anna Picard

*** Financial Times

“Two singers alone capture the emotional weight of Handel’s music. Kathryn Rudge’s plucky Sesto manages to be both stylish and moving.”

Andrew Clark, 27th January, 2012

The Spectator

“On the first night of this production the latter plot was much more engaging than the former, mainly because Kathryn Rudge, who plays Sesto, was so moving, so passionate and sang with such forthright ardour. Ann Taylor as his mother Cornelia wasn’t far behind, and their scenes possessed an intensity that would be a credit to any production of this opera.”

Michael Tanner, 20th January 2012

Opera Magazine,

“The mezzo Kathryn Rudge made a strong impression as Sesto particularly in her scene with Ann Taylor as Cornelia. As has been noted here before, this is a young singer of exceptional promise.”

Michael Kennedy, March 2012

The York Press,

“Rudge overcomes the handicap of an ill-fitting uniform to sing an absolute blinder as the boy bent on revenging his dad, as auspicious a Leeds debut as she could possibly have hoped.”

Martin Dreyer, 27th January 2012

Nottingham Post

“Kathryn Rudge was superb in the role of Sesto.”

25th February 2012

‘The Marriage of Figaro’ – English National Opera – Reviews

26/10/11
admin
· Opera Reviews · reviews

‘THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO’ – ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA REVIEWS

CONDUCTOR – PAUL DANIEL DIRECTOR – FIONA SHAW

FINANCIAL TIMES

“The star performance comes from Kathryn Rudge’s Cherubino – chaotically sexy, charismatic, totally compelling.”

Andrew Clark, 6^th October 2011.

WHATS ON STAGE ****

“Kathryn Rudge glories as the ever nubile cross-dressing Cherubino”

Stephen Crowe, 5^th October 2011

THE TIMES

“Kathryn Rudge’s scallywag Cherubino at least has verve.”

Richard Morrison, 6^th October 2011.

Exeunt Magazine

“Kathryn Rudge gets to the roots of both Cherubino’s comic and virile appeal, although there is too great an urgency about her otherwise splendid performance of ‘Voi che sapete’.”

Sam Smith, 6^th October 2011

DAILY EXPRESS

“Kathryn Rudge gave a lovely performance as the sexually frustrated pageboy Cherubino, especially when exploiting to the full the comic potential of a girl playing the part of a boy dressed as a girl.”

William Hartston, 7^th October 2011

Opera-Britannia ****

“Kathryn Rudge is a new singer to me but she made a believable and sexy Cherubino and she sang ‘Voi che sapete’ particularly well.”

Sebastian Petit, 6^th October, 2011

The Independent

“Kathryn Rudge (Cherubino) keeps the palpitating intensity of adolescence on the boil.”

Edward Seckerson, 6^th October 2011

Play to See

“Special mention must go to Kathryn Rudge who is the most delightful Cherubino I have ever seen, her depiction of an awkward youth inflamed with passion is spot on. So much so that despite being a woman acting a man, there were giggles amid the audience at the ridiculous sight of ‘him’ being dressed up in women’s clothes.”

Kit Toda

The Guardian ***

“Kathryn Rudge (Cherubino) sensually refined.”

The Telegraph ****

“Kathryn Rudge was a pungent if not ideally boyish Cherubino.”

Musical Criticism ***

“Kathryn Rudge is an excellent Cherubino, coy and boyish as she rocks from foot to foot during the famous ‘Tell me what love is’”

Liam Cagney 7^th October

The Gizzle Review

“Kathryn Rudge balances the pure and the hormonal in her portrayal of Cherubino.”

Ed Nightingale 6^th October 2011

Bachtrack ****

As the hopelessly hormonal teenagers, Mary Bevan’s inebriated Barbarina was a flirtatious foil to Kathryn Rudge’s hyperactive Cherubino.

Intermezzo

The Opera Critic

“Kathryn Rudge is a dashing Cherubino”

Colin Anderson 5th October 2011

Gscene

“Kathryn Rudge as Cherubino was delightful playing the naughty young man in the thrall of his hormones, dreams and crushes with a believable sexual tension, she was great fun.”

Eric Page 10th October 2011

SATURDAY ARTS REVIEW RADIO 4

Michael Ardity – Novelist

“The production is extremely enjoyable and I think the one thing Fiona Shaw does to perfection is her direction of the actors …The singers were like actors as they were so true to one another . I would especially like to mention Cherubino, Kathryn Rudge. People talk about Shakespeare having written such wonderful women’s parts for boys but I think young male singers might complain that the best portrait of adolescent male desire is written for a girl and she (Kathryn) was just wonderful and the moment when she says “I am petrified with fear” I don’t think I have ever seen petrification in such a believable way. She was absolutely glorious as the girl dressing up as a boy dressing up as a girl, which, of course, Fiona Shaw has done several times in Shakespearean roles – I thought that was wonderful!”

0 “Perfect Pitch” – RLPO, Vasily Petrenko – Review

26/06/11
admin
· Concert Reviews · reviews

“PERFECT PITCH” BIRKENHEAD SCHOOL

ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, CONUCTOR – VASILY PETRENKO

“The soloist – the young, fast–rising mezzo soprano from Liverpool, Kathryn Rudge – filled the night air with her beautiful, rich, clear voice.

She sang favourite arias such as Softly awakes my heart from Saint-Saens‘ Samson and Delilah, Vilja from Lehar‘s The Merry Widow and songs from the musicals - I dreamed a dream from Les Misérables and Richard Rodgers‘ With a song in my heart. Everyone rose to cheer and sing along to the encore Rule Britannia.

A real last night of the Proms‘ moment to end a wonderful 150th Anniversary Finale. ”

Birkenhead School, June 2011

Vaughan Williams’ Five Tudor Portraits – RLPO, John Wilson

20/06/11
admin
· Concert Reviews · reviews

CHESTER MUSIC FESTIVAL

Vaughan Williams’ Five Tudor Portraits – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Conductor John Wilson

“Mezzo soprano Kathryn Rudge, a rich voice which has considerable character, was well placed in the rather drunken opening ballad”

Liverpool Daily Post, Glyn Mon Hughes, 19^th June, 2011

← Older posts