On January 10th and 13th the Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona offered concert performances of Poliuto, with a cast including Gregory Kunde, a specialist in late bel canto, in the title role. The American tenor was very well-received by the audiences, who rewarded him with a long ovation, and also by the press, who wrote the following words of praise:
- “The character who gives title to the opera, Poliuto, was interpreted by Gregory Kunde. It is not a role within the reach of many tenors: the tessitura is complicated and there are some very exposed top notes. Kunde is one of the safest choices in this type of repertoire, and he brilliantly handled all the difficulties. His singing was as elegant as always, and I must say that it was a real luxury to have him as Poliuto.” José M. Irurzun (Seen and Heard International)
- “From the height of his 64 years, Gregory Kunde –who recently sang the role of Jean de Leyde (Le Prophète, by Meyerbeer) at the Deutsche Oper Berlin– offers us a very fine Poliuto, and is always willing to take on the difficult parts of the score, making them his own with new variations. He has a perfect command of the grand scene in Act I, which he finishes with a remarkable high C… thunderously applauded by the Catalonian audience!” Emmanuel Andrieu (Opera Online)
- “Gregory Kunde returns to a role with which he had already left a great impact back in 2010. The voice of the American tenor has become broader and he very skilfully blends the insolence of the highest notes with the richness of bel canto, adding exciting variations” Juan Michel Pennetier (Opera Forum)
- “In the title role Gregory Kunde once again showed that he is a vocal phenomenon, truly out of this world. After his recent debut in Berlin with Meyerbeer’s Le Prophéte and before launching into Peter Grimesat Les Arts, Kunde returned to a role that he had not sung for almost a decade, since the performances in Bergamo in 2010, when he sang the role for the first time. Thoroughly familiar with this repertoire, his style is flawless” Alejandro Martínez (Platea Magazine)
- The American tenor sang the very challenging role of Poliuto with confidence, the perfect amount of ornament and transparent phrasing…” Pablo Meléndez-Haddad (ABC)
- “Gregory Kunde triumphed, thanks to his unmistakable eloquence and admirably noble phrasing…” Xavier Cester (Ara cataluña)