“Yende’s German was splendid; she opened the evening with Schumann’s sentimental jewel of a song ‘Der Nussbaum’, and immediately established a sensitivity of sound, perfectly balancing vibrato and the crisp text of storytelling, that she maintained throughout the set.
Indeed, her entire Schumann programme showed a mastery of something so central to singing Lieder: finding just the right moments and vowels onto which to hang conspicuously artful singing, and otherwise appearing to be a simple orator, one whose sole wish is to tell a riveting story. ”
Seen and Heard International
“Acclaimed opera soprano Pretty Yende performed to a standing ovation on Monday at the Barbican Hall, London the culmination of her first EU recital tour.
Yende, referred to by the Washington Post as having a “voice that can reach the stars”and, as a “modern fairy tale”, put on two encores for the rousing audience following her solo recital that included works by Robert and Clara Schumann, Tosti, Donizetti, Richard Strauss and Johann Strauss II.”
“In her Richard Strauss set, Yende proved she has all the maturity subtle artistry to succeed in lieder repertoire: her “Zueignung” presented a perfect distillation of heroic love, with confident, firm diction and warm, radiant tone. “Cäcilie,” the last of the set, was magnificent, with a driving excitement in her middle voice, and shining gold at the top.”
New York Classical Review
“Voce lirico-leggera di scuola americana, immascheratissima, agile e con una notevole facilità all’acuto, la Yende è infatti riuscita a mettere in risalto le sue qualità soprattutto nei brani più di carattere e ricchi di verve quali Schmetterling di Schumann e nei sorprendenti brani in napoletano La conocchia e il bis ‘A vucchella'”
Opera Click