Great Singers III: Evenings of Song

Carnegie Hall

"Barton is a warm, smiling, effervescent presence with a uniquely colored instrument that seems to live on the higher edge of mezzo. She has a quick, bright vibrato that is often soprano-like, but she can also tap into dusky, French-horn-like tones. It's a quirky, fascinating voice, and for me, at least, Barton was at her most persuasive and distinctive on the second half of the program, in Libby Larsen's Love After 1950 and one cabaret song each by Satie, Schönberg and Bolcom. Barton's voice really came to life here; she was more consistent technically, and she delivered the songs with unerring style and self-aware humor."
–Joanne Sydney Lessner, Opera News

"Ms. Barton's voice is exceptional – dark or bright, tender or powerful as she chooses – and her singing, from start to finish, displayed the kind of healthy, uncomplicated technical delivery that is equally rare in both young and seasoned artists. She has no detectable vocal quirks, mannerisms or crutches. Attacks are clean, unfussy and she can make a note bloom in any part of her range. She possesses a caliber of voice that doesn't come along very often in the course of one's lifetime and I, for one, hope to have the pleasure of hearing her for a long time to come."
–John Costello, Operaticus