REVIEWS
"...On her part, the Italian soprano Francesca Aspromonte heightened the dramatic tension of the third act with the duet 'Vieni, appaga il tuo consorte,' although her Handelian aria 'Che fiero momento' was another highlight of the night. Vehement and passionate in its extremes and ideally elegiac in its differentiated central section..." -
Pablo Rodriguez, El Pais
"...Aspromonte invites us to reflect on the spiritual conflicts of the Gospel’s two iconic female figures. Her commitment to their stories as told through music shines out in every number. With a warm, sensuous middle register and free-soaring top, her soprano is a notably colourful instrument; and she deploys it with subtlety, grace and a vivid sense of drama. Nothing is ever generalised. Aspromonte’s natural intensity and care for the sound and sense of the words are immediately revealed..."
GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE
"...Francesca Aspromonte is prodigious, as always. It is a pleasure to listen to a soprano so rich in abilities, expressive, powerful, yet delicate and with perfect stylistic adaptation in this repertoire. Not to mention her magnificent technique, showcased in very demanding music..."
SCHERZO - Dec. 2023
"...The imperial Poppaea of Francesca Aspromonte. Because she is indeed the heroine, with her honeyed voice, portraying a sensual and manipulative Poppaea. In the first act, here she is charming, urging Nero to get rid of Seneca; in the second act, the grand scene where she compels Otho to go kill her rival Octavia is filled with imprecations and violence; in each love duet with Nero, the pure beauty of her tone elevates the words into a poignant singing..."
Premiere Loge
"...The sweetly feminine timbre of Francesca Aspromonte, her perfect vocal emission that enhances a brightness capable of sudden shadows, the always precise and radiant coloratura, are indeed the ideal tools to bring out the best in these youthful pages of the Dear Saxon. But even more worthy of applause is the way in which the singer transitions from recitative to aria with absolute fluidity, providing a clear dramaturgical direction to the traditional succession of the two structures..."
"...To start with "Frauenliebe und Leben" is a trial by fire, and Aspromonte revealed her cards. Lyrically light with a clear tone, with a round center of personal color (always in service of the text) and, above all, a frank, delicate, and meticulous phrasing that allows her to navigate comfortably through different moods. She shines in the most lyrical passages, but what is surprising is the confidence with which she adapts to the repertoire based on the nature of her voice (...) In Mignon's Lieder, Aspromonte added an intelligent use of regulators in the expressive elements, supported by a consistent center and always incisive phrasing..."
La Voz de Galicia
"...In the title role, Francesca Aspromonte is a wonderful Poppea, full of grace and vocal power, always attentive to the slightest nuances of the singing, and her clear diction needs no further demonstration..."
"...And Francesca Aspromonte unleashes splendid effects in every piece, in addition to being very beautiful and demonstrating her ability to excel on stage. Her exuberance in delivery, that continuous dynamic pulsation which multiplies the colors and almost reduces certain fixed notes, which would seem obligatory in Baroque vocalism, to insignificance; her unwavering musicality that sustains highly calibrated cadences (unfolding small but precious coloratura, especially some fabulous trills), always placing expressive necessity above mere sonic indulgence: at last, it seems that Anna Caterina Antonacci has found a worthy successor. I cannot find higher praise..."
"...Francesca Aspromonte uses her soprano voice with great agility. She also has the technical skills to do so. Since the virtuosic demands are lacking here, she can first and foremost shape the flow of the music with ease. She also knows how to please with her legato, exemplary articulation and a balanced vocal line..."
PIZZICATO
"...In the en travesti role of the fugitive Carlo, a sort of Neapolitan Don Juan, Francesca Aspromonte reveals herself as a master of assurance and credibility, with a remarkably projected voice and a jubilant stage presence..."
"...Carlo Celmino expresses himself in a pathetic language that often parodies the conventions of opera seria. Francesca Aspromonte sings it splendidly with a voice suggestive in timbre and color, an impeccable musical line, and a perfect understanding of style and expression. A convincing actress, she captures all the nuances of the gallant cavalier...”
"...Francesca Aspromonte's Deidamia was a performance to frame. The Calabrian soprano possesses a delightfully melodious voice, and everything she does feels natural. Her high notes are simply prodigious. She sang five arias and excelled in all of them..."
Scherzo
"...An excellent level of the rest of the singers. First and foremost, the co-protagonist, Francesca Aspromonte, who portrayed a Deidamia with undoubted dramatic allure but with vocal quality, especially in the more lyrical arias..."
Platea Magazine
"...The star of the evening, in the writer's opinion, free from foolish Italian provincialism, is the soprano Francesca Aspromonte, who takes on the role of Deidamia. To the natural beauty of her timbre, the consistency of her registers, the spontaneity and melodiousness of her vocal line, she adds excellent technique that allows her to effectively project her voice, tackle the formidable agility that fills her arias, and, above all, portray a very human Deidamia, far from the abstraction of the opera..."
L'Ape Musicale
"...Francesca Aspromonte's Marzelline is striking for several reasons, primarily for her excellent emission, which makes her perfectly audible even in ensemble moments. Her vocals are characterized by rounded and beautiful tones, complemented by some high notes with a discreetly charming Baroque influence. The performer also uses appropriate accents, channeling them into a varied phrasing that enhances the interpretation along with her good stage presence..."
Connessi all'Opera
Radioklassik.at
"...Prodigious, enchanting, Francesca Aspromonte shines not only in her performance but also in a 'Lascia ch'io pianga' with three embellished 'da capo' sections, dazzling with brilliant entrances that sparkle just a breath behind on the harpsichord, an authentic wonder. Her daring in acting, combined with her singing, will make her a queen..."
Il sole 24 ore
"...The young soprano Francesca Aspromonte in the role of Atalanta, an unbridled seductress but excluded from the circle of influential marriages. An interpreter with character and personality, she fills the stage with irresistible vivacity. Moreover, she manages to make everything appear simple and natural, such as when she effortlessly navigates through roulades, tight coloratura, and high notes that seem to effortlessly emerge. To this, the magic that makes some arias unforgettable is added: 'Voi mi dite che non l’ami' garnered applause from a very attentive but exuberant audience only at the end..."
Operaclick
"...While above the altar, facing the organ, an oboist from the ensemble unfolds notes of fullness with a resplendent theme, the soprano launches a first high note, light and captivating. Immediately, bliss reigns with a 'Felicissima,' where the sibilants take shape in a smile. The timbre is of great beauty. The melodic lines, delivered at a measured tempo, are spun with voluble legato that sustains the resonance of the venue and finds a certain grace in well-placed ornaments. The motet 'Silete Venti,' moving toward its apotheosis, allows the soprano to showcase her stage presence, infusing the singing with a new expressiveness. The voice interrupts the ensemble's introductory allegro with a piercing note, entreating the winds to cease. The rolled 'tr' of the word 'transfige' (from the verb 'percer') finds its performative ardor in the dissonances, and superlatives like 'jucundissimus' and 'foelicissima' carry their joy from fortissimo to occasionally timid pianissimo. The rapid and tight vocalizations that summon the winds ('Surgant venti') do not trouble her, in the cadence imposed by Collegium 1704..."
"NEW STAR IN THE BAROQUE SKY
...and the cast of singers is exquisite as well - with one of the leading Baroque singers, Roberta Invernizzi, as Juno, and a new star in the Baroque sky: Francesca Aspromonte as Semele. She skillfully navigates vocally and in her performance between the seductive and pouting lover with equal authority. Her crystal-clear soprano sparkles with sound..."
"...the vocal stage is dominated by the wonderful soprano Francesca Aspromonte, who was discovered last year in Rossi's 'L'Orfeo' and recently seen at the Saint-Denis Festival in Monteverdi's 'Orfeo.' Her Erismena is deeply moving with a remarkably rich and projected velvety timbre..."
"...first and foremost, Francesca Aspromonte, portraying Erismena disguised as an Armenian soldier, pursuing an unfaithful lover into the lion's den (among her Medean enemies): with a very well-projected voice, she combines emotional and lyrical moments with more dramatic ones, occupying the stage with a genuine personality. She skillfully conveys the heroine's identity struggles through true expressiveness, aided by truly remarkable diction. A true embodiment..."
"Sumptuous Francesca Aspromonte in the title role...
...Starting with Francesca Aspromonte, sublime in the title role, to which she imparts density through her subtle theatrical expression and her sumptuously powerful, just, and enchanting voice..."
"...In equally outstanding form and equally nuanced interpretation, the still young soprano Francesca Aspromonte embodied the demanding role of Maria. Her introductory lament sounded as if it came from a living Mater Dolorosa, a 'Mother of Sorrows'; like a Pieta translated into sound, her portrayal of Mary alongside the body of Christ was deeply impressive at the end of the oratorio, her profoundly moving grief over the incomprehensible misery that concerns the entire universe. Her facial expressions and hand-wringing gestures never seemed artificial but served as authentic punctuation to the magnificent singing. Enthusiastic applause for a performance that is exceptional in every respect..."
"...At the forefront of this empyrean, the soprano Francesca Aspromonte shines, reminding us in a beautiful way of her debut in the role of Eurydice under the direction of John Eliot Gardiner and that of Raphaël Pichon in Luigi Rossi's 'Orfeo.' Working with a high range in full and smooth nuances, she knows how to balance her efforts and impress upon the succession of roles Music/Eurydice a remarkable clarity..."
"...In the vocal quartet, the soprano Francesca Aspromonte stands out. A highly knowledgeable musician of the latest generation, she leaves us astounded with her technical agility and rhetorical eloquence, portraying the very model of what the word within the song should be in this repertoire, particularly in the role of the Virgin Mary..."
"...Above all, one must appreciate the vocal beauty of Francesca Aspromonte as Mary Magdalene, a marvel of restraint and good taste, with a beautiful timbre and an extremely elegant way of modulating her voice in such beautiful arias as 'Ferma l'ali...'"
"...his own wife Euridice, portrayed by soprano Francesca Aspromonte, easily takes the spotlight. The beautiful Italian will steal the hearts of Orfeo, Aristeo, and the audience thanks to her delicate phrasing in her first recitative (When a loving heart is happy, Act 1, Scene 1). Her voice is luminous. Her acting talents are evident both in the joy of love and in her poignant agony. She gives equal importance to her stage performance as to her singing. She graces the stage with elegance. In her duet with Orpheus (Act 1, Scene 2), Euridice pays particular attention to prosody. How can one not be charmed by such a woman?..."
“…Making an even more remarkable impression than the two protagonists of the tragedy, Francesca Aspromonte was astounding as both La Musica and the Messenger. She relished the theatrical aspects of the performance, immediately holding centre-stage as La Musica. In this strophic Prologue, she employed varied recitation, revealing a precise piano, beautiful tone and, in later stanzas, strong ornaments and trills. Aspromonte achieved remarkable concentration and great intimacy in the third stanza in which La Musica, having introduced herself, relates her power over man while singing to the accompaniment of her own lyre. A guitar was passed to the soprano by Gardiner, like a ceremonious gift, as she sang, ‘Io, su cetera d’or cantando solglio/ Moral orecchio lusingar talora’ (Singing to a golden lyre, I am wont sometimes to charm mortal ears’). She certainly beguiled ours. She declaimed freely, and took risks with dynamics and accentuation; she was not afraid to diminish, to let her voice become a thread of silk. And she recreated this striking presence as the Messenger, her entrance from the back of the auditorium and passage through the Arena prepared by the subtle deceleration at end of Orfeo’s preceding, and sadly prophetic, paean to his Euridice, ‘Dopo il duol vi è più content,/ Dopo il mal vi è più felice’ (After sorrow, one is all the more content, after woe, one is all the happier). Her highly dramatic declamation awakened Adam’s Orfeo to the tragedy which awaited him, and she answered his subdued, fearful question, ‘Ohimè che odo?’ (Alas, what do I hear?), with a statement of heart-rending simplicity, ‘La tua diletta sposa è morta’. (Thy beloved bride is dead). Aspromonte’s lower register was deeply expressive here; this was one of the few moments that Gardiner, elsewhere aware of the demands of the venue, did not conduct…”
“…As all three characters, La Musica, Eurydice, and La Speranza, Francesca Aspromonte was irresistible. A natural performer, Aspromonte astounded with her completeness as an artist: playing guitar, tambourine, and dancing in addition to the ravishing soprano sounds she so effortlessly spun phrase after phrase. With perfect piano attacks and surging Baroque trills, Aspromonte’s technique allowed full utilization of every facet of her magnificently pleasing soprano voice. As La Musica, she was spritely; as Eurydice, she was captivating, and as La Speranza, she was majestic. “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here,” indeed. It was an unforgettable performance…“
"...Francesca Aspromonte, with her pure soprano, sent beautiful vocal rays of sunshine into the hall as Estate..."
"Die Presse", Print-Ausgabe, 27.01.2015
"...good company of singers, among whom soprano Francesca Aspromonte stood out, a true triumph of the evening, offering us a vibrant and fascinating Giuditta. Her vocal qualities, including remarkable intonation, appreciable half-voices, and ease in emission and various embellishments, allow her to portray the character both vocally and theatrically with all its inner nuances and emotional involvement..."
La Voce d'Italia