“Her delivery of the Countess’ showpiece arias “Porgi, amor” and “Dove sono” was revelatory, a beautiful, vocally expressive insight into the bereavement the character feels after the Count’s infidelities.”
“Pérez… personified the Countess Almaviva, not only as a wife disappointed by her husband’s neglect but as a sharp mind who can outthink all the men in the household. She also knows this score inside out.
She delivered the big arias – ‘Porgi amor’ and ‘Dove sono’ – with enviable musicianship and just the right amount of emotional power shaded in velvet. She was the centerpiece. In the rising scales in the Act II finale ensemble that so many sopranos do not articulate quite as well as she can, and in the famous Act III ‘letter duet’ (‘Canzonetta sull’aria’) with Redpath, Pérez created the incandescent beauty one hopes to hear.”
Seen and Heard International
“As the Countess, Ailyn Pérez instantly shifted the tone from comedy to another level with gorgeously nuanced phrasing in the her first aria, in which time itself seemed to stretch to accommodate her longing. Her ”Dove sono” carried even greater pathos, unfolding with aching regret before blossoming into a sensual sense of hope reawakening.
Pérez’s rapport with Redpath was equally compelling, and the Letter Duet brought their alliance into vivid focus—musically and emotionally. Her bestowal of forgiveness in the final scene stilled the plot’s relentlessly revolving gears, allowing a final moment of spontaneous humanity to shine through.”