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Concert with Café Zimmermann baroque ensemble
"The quality of the concert was enhanced by the presence of a magnificent Icelandic bass. Andri Björn Róbertsson (former HSBC Laureate of the Academy of the Festival of Aix), who was previously heard in Trauernacht (a staged performance of Bach's cantatas) at the 2014 Festival d'Aix. His sumptuous timbre, his expert phrasing with great sense of the texts, as well as the famous "Ich hab Genug", were ideally blended in the acoustic string carpet, enriched with Emmanuel Laporte's oboe." www.journalzibeline.fr - Jacques Freschel Theseus in A Midsummer Night's Dream by Britten at English National Opera
"Andri Björn Róbertsson a burnished Theseus" What'sOnStage - Mark Valencia "Fine performances also from...Andri Björn Róbertsson (Theseus)" The Evening Standard - Barry Millington "Andri BJörn Róbertsson made a noble looking Theseus" Robert Hugill - Planet Hugill "In the final scene Andri Björn Róbertsson and Emma Carrington as Theseus and Hippolyta provice a welcome vocal contrast to the lovers" Mark Ronan - www.markronan.com "Andri Björn Róbertsson completes the strong line-up" Peter Reed - Classical Source "Andri Björn Róbertsson, Emma Carrington, Simon Butteriss, Timothy Robinson and Jonathan Lemalu who may have smaller roles, but add much character and wonderful singing and acting in the final scenes." Mary Crace Nguyen - trendfem.com The other Harewood Artists were ... and Andri Björn Róbertsson singing Theseus. All clearly have great careers ahead and gave wholehearted performances." David Buchler - OperaSpy.com Trauernacht at Festival d'Aix en Provence
"Very sensitively, and particularily well sung by the young bass was Ich habe genug, from Cantata BWV 82 ... The Icelandic bass-baritone Andri Björn Róbertsson showed exceptional quality in legato singing, diction, phrasing, and was for me along with the previously mentioned alto, the two voices that shone the most in the quartet: there is a name to remember, because of the sound, very warm, very velvety, and because of the technique and skill. Yet another singer on the list of the talented singers from the North (that has also been educated in London...)" Le blog du Wanderer "...the sense of phrasing from the bass Andri Björn Róbertsson" Le Figaro - Christian Merlin "...very beautiful duet with Robertsson. Superb voices that bear witness to the work that was done there in short time." Destimed - Michael Egea "All remarkable: the bass Andri Björn Róbertsson..." La Marseillaise - Patrick de Maria "...the deep resonance of Andri Björn Róbertsson" Le Temps - Sylvie Bonier Superintendent Budd in Albert Herring by Britten at the Grange Festival
"Andri Björn Róbertsson's Superintendent Budd was another brilliantly drawn characterization, finely sung and funny without descending into ridicule." Melanie Eskenazi - Music OMH "...Andri Björn Róbertsson's decent but dim village bobby are all a joy..." George Hall - The Guardian "Andri Björn Róbertsson's Superintendent Budd (who prefers "a decent murder with a corpse") is also well-drawn." David Truslove - Classical Source "Icelandic bass-baritone Andri Björn Róbertsson bristles with righteousness as Superintendent Budd." Mark Aspen - markaspen.wordpress.com "Andri Björn Róbertsson was a characterful Superintendent Budd, a bit dim and obsessive about detail." Robert Hugill - Plantet Hugill Fedja Dawidowitsch Pronin in Fälle by Strasnoy at Opernhaus Zürich
"One won't forget Ivan Thirion's tantrum, the interrupted love scene between Hamida Kristoffersen and Andri Björn Róbertsson or the bitch by Dara Savinova, very easily" Susanne Kübler - Tages Anzeiger Bach Cantatas at the Royal Academy of Music
"For the first cantata, the show was stolen by bass, Andri Björn Róbertsson, who sang with authority, wonderfully clear German diction and pronunciation, and a beautifully warm tone." Julia Phillips - Musica Antiqua Angelotti in Tosca by Puccini at Eisteddfod Llangollen
"Andri Björn Róbertsson launched proceedings well in the small but vital role of Angellotti." Richard Ely - Bachtrack Gremin in Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky at the Royal Academy of Music
"Andri Björn Róbertsson's Gremin was exquisitely sung - every phrase loaded with subtleties..." Capriccio Jesus in St John Passion by Bach
"I must also compliment Andri Björn Róbertsson for his part as Jesus. Andri has a phenomenal voice and it was simply thrilling to listen to his singing." Jónas Sen - Fréttablaðið Newspaper The Creation by Haydn at Ely Cathedral
"There were some excellent soloists: Ruth Jenkins (soprano), Greg Tassell (tenor) and Andri Björn Róbertsson (bass) ... All soloists sang magnificently, their clear tones and expressive nuances effectively resounding in the Cathedral ... The Adam and Eve duet by the bass and soprano in part three was superb." RJ Westwell - Reviewsrjw.co.uk Der König in Die Gänsemagd at Opernhaus Zürich
"The king, embodied by a wonderfully doddery Andri Björn Róbertsson." Tom Hellat - Bazonline.ch |
Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte at Opernhaus Zürich
"As Sprecher and first priest one experiences the beautiful voice of Andri Björn Róbertsson." Oper-Aktuell - Kaspar Sannemann Lord Krishna in Satyagraha by Philip Glass at English National Opera
"...including the Krishna of Andri Björn Róbertsson, who is an outstanding prospect as an ENO Harewood artist." www.operaspy.com - David Buchler "Other singers who impressed were Clive Bayley as Parsi Rustomji and Andri Björn Róbertsson as Lord Krishna." Andrew Benson Wilson Early Music Reviews - andrewbensonwilson.org "The role of Krishna was taken by Andri Björn Róbertsson with panache." Seen and Heard International - Colin Clarke Witness 3 / Madman in Lessons in Love and Violence by Sir George Benjamin with Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
"The best creation is that made by the Icelandic bass of a Shakespearian Madman in the fifth scene, unfortunate protagonist of the lesson that the future and young king receives." Luis Gago - El Pais "Smaller roles were all very well taken, by Jennifer France, Krisztina Szabó and Andri Björn Róbertsson." Mark Berry - Seen and Heard International Craftsman in The Commission by Elspeth Brooke and Gracchus is Café Kafka by Francisco Coll with Opera North, Royal Opera House and Aldeburgh Music
"Andri Björn Róbertsson brought a touching humanity to the Craftsman, with a resonance at once both impassioned yet restrained. His sensitivity made the repeated prayer sections genuinely desperate pleas, and his occasional falsetto was clear and well controlled ... Róbertsson triumphed as the mythical Gracchus the Hunter, with a commanding stage presence and a sinuous, weighty performance contrasting curiously with his vulnerable, sparse frame." Edward Lewis - Classical Source "The Icelandic bass-baritone Andri Björn Róbertsson was outstanding as the Craftsman and Gracchus." Hugo Shirley - The Spectator "...the opera tells the tale of a craftsman (the eloquent Icelandic baritone Andri Björn Róbertsson)...Róbertsson chills the blood as he moves from barman to mythic Hunter." Hilary Finch - The Times "The Craftsman (a convincing Andri Björn Róbertsson)" Helen Wallace-Classical-Music.com "Andri Björn Róbertsson...compelling as the Craftsman." Erica Jeal - The Guardian "...their interactions suddenly interrupted by the soliloquy of the mysterious Hunter Gracchus (sung with poise and gravitas by Andri Björn Róbertsson)" Bachtrack "Andri Björn Róbertsson's dark-toned - and dark of character - Craftsman was well matched by his scene-stealing transformation from barman into mysterious Gracchus." Mark Berry - Boulezian "Andri Björn Róbertsson led the four-strong cast with his elocutionary bass-baritone" The Sunday Times - Paul Driver "The singers were superb throughout, all acting as well as they sang ... the Icelandic bass-baritone Andri Björn Róbertsson was imposing and dangerous in both operas." Opera Magazine - Nick Kimberley "Bass/baritone Andri Björn Róbertsson brings real pathos to the tormented Craftsman" The Guardian/The Observer - Stephen Pritchard Angelotti in Tosca by Puccini at English National Opera
"Andri Björn Róbertsson...particularly convincing as the prisoner on the run." Dominic Lowe - Bachtrack.com "The smaller roles, however, tended to impress, Andri Björn Róbertsson's Angelotti...especially well presented" Mark Berry - Opera Today/Boulezian "...fine singing from new ENO Harewood artist Andri Björn Róbertsson as the escaped prisoner Angelotti" Mark Ronan - www.markronan.com "There is fine work in smaller roles...Andri Björn Róbertsson as the suffering Angelotti..." Inge Kjemtrup - www.thestage.com "There are no weak links in the cast, and some of the small roles such as the Sacristan (Adrian Powter) and run-away prisoner Angelotti (Andri Björn Róbertsson) are very well characterised." Tim Hochstrasser - www.playstosee.com Arthur in The Lighthouse by Maxwell Davies at the Royal Academy of Music
"Icelandic bass-baritone Andri Björn Róbertsson’s bible-bashing Arthur was a masterpiece of aggression and paranoia. Iceland does a good line in dark-voiced male singers with strong physicality, and Róbertsson looks and sounds very much in that tradition ... All three singers made an overwhelming impact." Peter Reed - Classical Source "Andri Björn Róbertsson struck Calvinistic terror into the heart as the hypocritical fundamentalist, Arthur. From the moment of saying grace, his sonorous deep bass, combined with charismatic stage presence, had one thinking of a perverted (anti-)Christ figure. His physical excitement during Blazes’ song, offered attempted release in more than one sense." Mark Berry - Boulezian "Andri Björn Róbertsson...here reveals that the true bass repertoire is well within his grasp...Again the characterisation is strong and lucid-his sententious moralising, disapproving sobriety, visionary fear of god. All three roles require surprising excursions into falsetto, and all three sounded very good here. Particularly impressive at this was the Róbertsson who brought a fully supported sound right up into the high notes which meant that they were richer and more beautifully resonant than many a counter tenor that I have heard. Maybe a second career option!?" Capriccio "The jaunty violence and paranoia of the piece were really effectively brought to life in three totally confident, big performances by singers Iain Milne, Samuel Queen and Andri Björn Róbertsson. Here was real music theatre, wound as tight as a spring, full of terrifying musical and dramatic strength." Robert Thicknesse - Opera Now Sarastro in The Magic Flute with Garsington Opera at West Green House
"....Andri Björn Róbertsson as an imposing Sarastro." Clare Colvin - The Express |