Operawire‘s Logan Martell has picked Medea in Corinto, with Jennifer Rowley in the title role, as his “Best of 2018” (OperaWire Staff Picks Most Memorable Opera Performances Of the Year).
Here’s his quote:
For me, the most memorable performance this year was Jennifer Rowley in the title role of Simone Mayr’s “Medea in Corinto.” I enjoyed the mythic setting, and the focus on music and drama through the concert staging.
Given the opera’s place just before the rise of Romanticism and Bel Canto, and its influence on these styles, it was fascinating to watch these elements unfold onstage.
Throughout the performance, Rowley showed not only radiant lyricism, but hellish fury truly fitting for a character as devilish as Medea. The sheer intensity of Mayr’s work and the passion of Rowley’s artistry both made for a highly memorable experience.