It’s harder to breathe life into Rigoletto’s doomed daughter, Gilda: Despite her killer aria “Caro Nome,” she mostly simpers, sighs, sacrifices, and dies. Still, the marvelous Damrau plumps up the role with singing that hints at the character’s shrouded peaks of maturity.
Justin Davidson, New York Magazine, 4.2.13
Ms. Damrau sings the role radiantly, combining agile coloratura with plush, vibrant sound, the embodiment of youthful yearning and restlessness.
Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, 29.1.13
In her first performance since giving birth to her second child in October, Diana Damrau gave a searing, loving portrayal of Gilda, a total melding of her silvery soprano with the persona of a vulnerable, confused young girl, unsure how to deal with her overprotective father and sexual awakening amid the bawdy decadence of Sin City.
Ronald Blum, San Francisco Chronicle, 29.1.13
The sublime Diana Damrau as Gilda …. Her delicate phrasing in “Caro nome” stamps a personal imprint on that famous aria.
Wilburn Hampton, Huffington Post, 29.1.13
German soprano Diana Damrau was sensational as Gilda, in turns naïve and earnest, with an exquisite voice that glittered from top to bottom. Her “Caro nome” was a model of its kind.
Richard Sasanov, Broadway World, 30.1.13
