Azucena in IL TROVATORE

The Metropolitan Opera

“Barton delivered one of the most artistically superb performances one has seen at the Met these past several seasons. Her singing of ‘Stride la vampa’ and ‘Condotta ell’era in ceppi’ was show-stopping and by far the most successful part of the evening. She shaped her singing with profound musical intelligence and skill, drawing the listener in then hitting them with viscerally dramatic modulations of timbre and force. The emotional effect was profound, the kind of drama hidden in this opera that can be drawn out.”
–New York Classical Review

“The most spectacular performance – both vocally and dramatically – came from the sensational mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton. The demanding role requires bel canto skills which Barton managed effortlessly, delivering thrilling high notes and fluttering trills with alluring agility and clear, resonant tone. But even more awe-inspiring was her low register, its deep, biting sounds suggesting the gypsy’s dark revenge, the lynchpin of the plot. Her nuanced portrayal unveiled all the emotional volatility of the conflicted character – torn between love for her adopted son and a desire to avenge her dead mother.”
–Bachtrack

“The deep and full-ranging mezzo of Jamie Barton is hardly an unknown quality at the Met, but her Azucena hit a stylistic and dramatic intensity I had not experienced before. Her diction was crisp and energetic as she explored the haunted mother’s repressed past, and her dreamily nostalgic legato in both the Act III reminiscence and in ‘Ai nostri monti’ called to mind many great Azucenas of the past—with whom Barton may be considered a peer. She was living this role, and while she sang, so were we.”
–Parterre Box

“She may be from Rome, Georgia, not Rome, Italy, but Barton was impressively Italianate. Azucena is a dramatic role; there is also bel canto in it. Barton handled both splendidly. She was alive to the theatrical requirements of her role (and overdid none of them). This was a demonstration of genuine artistry.”
–The New Criterion

“Barton brought in an almost angelic crescendo to reassert ‘Ai nostri monti’ in all its nostalgic splendor. These contrasting emotions were exactly what Verdi was aiming for. And the three artists made it the most riveting moment of the night. Azucena is stuck between the past need for vengeance and her present love for her son. Barton managed to find this throughout her vocal performance. ‘Stride la vampa’ was quite restrained in its interpretation, almost as if she were singing for herself and sucking everyone in with her. When her Azucena jumps up and points a dagger at a young child, the moment comes out of nowhere and yet it reveals how dangerous she can be to herself and to hers. Approaching the aria with this degree of restraint offered Barton a ton of options for musical build. Not only could she build out the trills at the climax of the aria, expressing the character’s repressed anger, but it greatly benefitted the true masterpiece of this character introduction – ‘Condotta ell’era in ceppi.’ Barton’s voice matched these frenetic shifts, her forte enunciations of ‘Il figlio mio’ on the high F were full of desperation and the ensuing ‘Sul capo mio’ was delivered with a sublime chest voice, the viciousness of those low Cs and As hair-raising.”
–OperaWire

"Barton offers the best acting in the production as the vengeful Azucena, effectively conveying the character’s obsession and heartbreak. She is also a scrupulous musician, with finely articulated trills and silky high notes in a role that can often come across as a full-throttle caricature.”
–Financial Times