“Yende, whose Violetta emerged as a vibrant blend of heedless gaiety, rich emotion and haunted tragedy. In the glittering Act 1 showpiece “Sempre libera,” in which Violetta reasserts her short-lived determination to spurn true love in favor of the high life, Yende unreeled a torrent of glittering and impeccably placed vocal passagework; her final aria, “Addio del passato,” was charged with an aching sense of longing and regret.”
“The women’s primary-colored costumes shone as brightly as soprano Pretty Yende’s irresistible smile in the role of Violetta. Not many singers can maintain radiance and shine from within while singing increasingly high-lying music, but Yende glowed through the challenge.”
San Francisco Classical Voice