Queen Lise

It’s the kind of situation a singer dreams of, with all the attendant reviews and attention, and Ms. Lindstrom made the most of it with a remarkably assured, vocally gleaming performance. Turandot, the hyper-feminist Chinese princess who, in tribute to a wronged ancestor, has her suitors executed, sits the first act out, but the first thing she sings in the second is “In questa reggia,” with its cruelly exposed high notes. Not only did Ms. Lindstrom unleash the scena in tune—no easy task—but she showed a sense of flexible, lyrical phrasing that served her well in the softer moments of the third act. She convincingly used the Franco Zeffirelli production’s pseudo-Chinese gestures to craft an air of mystery and allure. And if her low register was occasionally underpowered near the end, she made up for it with a dramatic diminuendo/crescendo combination on her final, effortlessly floated high note. It was an exciting evening for both audience and singer: Ms. Lindstrom jumped up and down with relief and joy at her curtain call.

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Listen to Lise Lindstrom singing "In Questa Reggia"

Listen to the complete Riddle Scene

Listen to "Padre Augusto..."

28 October 2009

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Listen to Lise Lindstrom singing Dich Teure Halle in Athens
01 Feb 2009

Listen to Lise Lindstrom singing Dich Teure Halle in Athens
24 Jan 2009

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It was in March 2009 when we were writing for Lindstrom's Turandot,a long time before the hype, and just a few weeks after her Elisabeth/Venus in Athens.

Back then after the triumphant premiere of Tannhäuser we had written:

Lise Lindstrom, undertook and learnt the part of Elizabeth on very short notice as originally announced Angela Marambio "got indisposed" leaving the production Elizabeth-less. Lise Lindstrom not only managed to sing both Venus and Elizabeth but, in my opinion, her Elizabeth was better than her Venus, that seemed to be lying a bit low for her. Displaying an incredibly powerful top register, a most welcome bigggg volume, a round, healthy voice, she was the undisputed star of the night. Her ovation was therefore expected to be tremendous and the truth is that the Greeks produced a petit earthquake when she stepped on stage leaving her speechless and stunned.