Fricka in DAS RHEINGOLD

San Francisco Opera

“Among the rest of the gods, Jamie Barton’s Fricka stood out clearly. This mezzo-soprano has burst into the highest levels of the operatic world with bel canto repertoire, but she has a voice that finds itself completely comfortable in Wagnerian roles. Her Fricka is imposing, with a meaty voice that interprets with total solvency both her reproaches to Wotan and her moans of pain… It’s consoling to think of what Barton’s overwhelming Fricka can do in her great scene in Die Walküre.”
–David Yllanes Mosquera, Codalario

"Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton brought verve and tonal warmth to the role of Fricka, Wotan’s strong-willed, though often sensitive, wife."
 –James Ambroff-Tahan, SF Examiner

“Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton [is] a stentorian yet humane performance as his wife, Fricka.”
–Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle

“Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton was a crisp, articulate Fricka.”
–Georgia Rowe, The Mercury News

“I would not want to anger Jamie Barton’s fierce Fricka…”
–Ilana Walder-Biesanz, Bachtrack

“Georgia mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton brought her lusciously rich, warm voice to the role of Wotan’s wife, Fricka. A lighter role than the Fricka of the next Ring opera, Die Walküre, some companies assign different artists to the two Fricka roles. Having the same artist playing both Frickas, however, provides dramatic continuity within a Ring cycle.”
–William Burnett, Opera Warhorses

“More vocal honours are due to…Jamie Barton’s sumptuous Fricka, blessed with razor-sharp diction and an instinctive way with the words. Barton’s appealing performance makes the Queen of the Gods into a preternaturally dim society matron – the kind that used to harry poor old Groucho Marx… With her flexible, creamy mezzo you’d have to go a long way to hear the role more beautifully sung.”
–Clive Paget, Limelight Magazine