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Counter-tenors
can be an acquired taste, but an increasing number of Iestyn Davies fans
are acquiring that taste very quickly. A former Cambridge chorister, he
still bears traces of that training in the purity and precision of his
tone, but there’s a joyfulness, passion and imagination in his singing
that mark him out as something special: he has already won Young Artist
of the Year at the Royal Philharmonic Awards. Andreas Scholl has
popularised counter-tenors; now there’s a whole new generation of them,
and Davies is at its forefront.
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grown-up, joyous musicianship. |
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... a
simply gorgeous voice, pure in tone... rich in vocal
color... full-bodied... a luminosity, a glow... an
impeccable musician, with a technical mastery never
displayed for its own sake... an extraordinary range
of expressive nuances. Davies is a supremely gifted
storyteller. [...] His riveting stage presence and
almost confessional, confiding manner make the
essence of texts communicating despair simply
heartbreaking... superb phrasing, mastery of
dynamics and ability to color words... narrative
force and stunning word painting. His voice also has
great flexibility, with a top that opens wide...
even the most fiercely demanding coloratura with
brio and spot on intonation. And his diction is
superb...
Debut recital, Carnegie Hall
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…
deep expressiveness… the leaping range of the Davies
voice, his immaculate understanding of text… (in) Sento
amor con novi dardi […] Davies' vocal
decorations transported… Pure tone, firm pitch and
clean projection characterized Davies' performance
throughout. He is innately musical, and casts a line
with perfectly expressed dynamics, from low to high,
and soft to piercing… brilliant young talent.
Debut recital, Carnegie Hall
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(Andreas
Scholl's) voice is more beautiful than ever.
Bertarido’s Act I aria… and his aria and duet with
his wife at the end of Act II, were sublime, and
could never be forgotten by anyone who saw and heard
them. In the much smaller role of Unulfo,
Bertarido’s loyal friend, Iestyn Davies was on the
same level. They must be the two supreme
counter-tenors in the world…
Rodelinda, Metropolitain
Opera
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… a
singer of serenity and understatement… his artistry
was all about detail work… barely detectable,
chilling breaks between the words Es ist gnug,
Herr; the stark paleness of his tone on the line Then
up the hill and down the hill in the folk song
The Bitter Withy; the small diminuendo on the
final Hallelujah of Purcell’s Lord, What is Man…
clarity and flexibility… In Music for a While,
Mr Davies sang with a passionate sensuality fully
contained within the rigorous constraints of Baroque
form.
Debut recital, Carnegie Hall
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Interview: at WQXR
Operavore blog. |
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Davies…
delivered his three arias with hardly a suggestion
of falsetto… a very impressive Fra tempeste
funeste in Act 2 (one of the catchiest numbers
in this work), with well-timed melodic
ornamentations that fitted comfortably within the
steady pulse of the music.
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Currently
impressing Met audiences in the revival of Rodelinda,
this clear-voiced, deeply expressive countertenor...
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... an unusually
thoughtful and perceptive musician... an absolutely
superb voice — supple, agile, beautifully controlled
and effortless throughout its entire range... Davies
handled [...] technical complexities [...] with
impressive ease... directness and authenticity...
gripping... powerful... A musician’s musician,
Davies trimmed each song to its essentials,
revealing unsuspected beauties and subtle details.
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Davies
showed impressive vocal precision and a sweetness of
tone that worked perfectly with Unulfo’s good
natured character.
Rodelinda, Metropolitain
Opera
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| Iestyn Davies is apparently the first
British countertenor to sing at the Met, and he made a
striking debut as Unulfo, his acting as sympathetic as
his singing was beautiful – Fra tempeste was a
high point of the evening. |
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| ... the cantatas are sung by counter-tenor
Iestyn Davies, displaying all the control and
musicality required of his great predecessor
Farinelli. Davies is simply a delight to listen to.
There is scarcely a moment when technical limitations
intrude and everything is sung with his familiar
musicality. We really feel transported to the chamber
of a great prince, privileged to overhear the singer
entertaining his patron. […] An attractive disc of
civilised entertainment which wears its learning and
musicality lightly; lovers of fine singing should not
hesitate. CD review, Porpora cantatas
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| … the most
important new counter tenor, Iestyn Davies… |
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… the remarkable
countertenor Iestyn Davies, playing the deposed
king’s trusty aide, Unulfo. Making his Met debut in
this run, Mr Davies has a bright, penetrating voice
and a keen musical intelligence; he phrased with
utter naturalness and pointed the text with clarity.
Not every countertenor can fill the Met, and Mr
Davies does it not with size but with clarity. Rodelinda, Metropolitain Opera
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First-rate countertenor
Iestyn Davies made a memorable Met debut in the role
of the counsellor Unulfo. A winning actor, Davies
has a substantial and agreeably pungent voice, and
he is a beautiful musician, too, negotiating the
never-ending runs in Sono i colpi della sorte
and the tricky intervals in Fra tempeste funeste
with both precision and a delectable lilt. Rodelinda, Metropolitain Opera
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...
the first time in the Met's 131-year history that
a British countertenor will have graced its stage.
Rodelinda, Metropolitain Opera
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Countertenor Iestyn Davies brings a potent and beautifully balanced voice to Unulfo, the king's loyal counsellor. Rodelinda, Metropolitain Opera
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The English countertenor Iestyn Davies made his Met debut as Unulfo, singing with a plump, even tone and excellent agility Rodelinda, Metropolitain Opera
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Countertenor Iestyn Davies made his Met debut in the smaller role of Unulfo. Mr. Davies sang with great agility and the promise of bigger roles to come. Superconductor
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The principal lures of Rodelinda have been the countertenors… the seasoned Andreas Scholl and the outstanding newcomer Iestyn Davies.
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Interview: Iestyn Davies talked to Albert Imperato at
Playbill
Arts. |
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... beautifully shaped and coloured singing... |
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Iestyn
Davies, today's most exciting British
countertenor... an awesome technique and flawless
tone... Recommended.
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[In] selecting Iestyn Davies to perform
them, Hyperion has made a very wise choice indeed...
Here he is very much the headline act and he is
never anything other than deeply impressive... I
never once tired of Davies' voice. There is not just
a clarity and purity about it but also a wonderful
sense of colour and variety. A sense of style, yes,
but more than that a strongly communicative urge
which brings everything vivdly to life in arresting
and often extremely attractive interpretations.
Marc Rochester, International Record Review, October 2011 CD review, Porpora cantatas |
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These six Italian cantatas by the baroque
composer Nicola Porpora, all to texts by Metastasio,
are perfectly tailored to the mellifluous,
beautifully articulated, expressive countertenor
voice of Iestyn Davies...
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It's testimony to the extraordinary
interest which counter-tenor Iestyn Davies now
arouses that his weekday lunchtime recital was
packed... Davies characterised each song so
persuasively... his pre-eminence in both Elizabethan
music and late nineteenth-century Romanticism... Music
For a While [is] his calling-card... the
opening phrase rang out with spine-tingling beauty;
the final cadence set the seal on a perfect hour.
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The star of the show was Davies’ voice, a
remarkable natural instrument... Davies judged his
vibrato and tone very carefully and movingly for In
darkness let me dwell... Um mitternacht,
from Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder, was
powerfully wrought, the ever-watchful [Julius] Drake
subsiding to a soaring climax from Davies, taking
the higher notes in his stride... Davies, singing
[...] from memory, had a remarkable grasp of phrase
and melody. His encore, Purcell’s Music for a
while, was beautifully restrained.
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... excellent cast led by the brilliant Mr
Davies
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.. several [singers] stood out...
especially Iestyn Davies in the countertenor role of
Oberon, his voice sweet and strong, his diction
perfect.
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Davies is particularly good, as
dramatically anguished in the despairing aria Rompo
I lacci as he is eloquently beautiful in Amor,
nel mio pena. The dexterity and tone of his voice is
truly extraordinary.
2MBS,
Sydney
Flavio, CD on Chandos |
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(Oberon...) superbly sung by Iestyn
Davies, his lustrous countertenor voice [...]
(seemed) in fine fettle as he played his
chain-smoking and disturbing character.
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... Davies's subtle acting...
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... daring... a notably charismatic Davies
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Iestyn Davies was all gliding tread and
sinister intent [...] eerie purity and projection...
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... Oberon, excellently sung here by
Iestyn Davies..
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The crème-fraîche timbre of
Davies’s voice compounded his disturbing presence as
a creepily paedophilic schoolteacher, and his silken
countertenor was laced with a stinging edge of the
kind Britten would have relished..
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Interview
with Jonathan Lennie in Time Out |
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 Podcast:
interview
with Edward Seckerson of The Independent
(17'32") |
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Interview
with Keith McDonnell at Whatsonstage.com |
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Iestyn Davies sails through Saget,
saget mir geschwinde (Tell me, tell me
quickly) with the sort of ease that was unimaginable
from a countertenor a quarter-century ago.
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David was played by Iestyn Davies with a
beautiful sense of line, creating sheer beauty with
the magic of his voice.
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Iestyn Davies’s beautifully paced and
articulated Ach, bleibe doch, mein liebstes
Leben, [reflects] his position as one of the
promising countertenors to hit the scene in recent
years..
Andrew Benson-Wilson,
Early Music Review
CD review: J S Bach Easter and Ascension Oratorios, Linn Records |
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... Iestyn Davies’s plangent alto stands
out among the soloists... he has this Ascension
Oratorio’s plum aria, Ach bleibe doch...
and sings it quite ravishingly.
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Iestyn Davies è una superba Voice
of Apollo, voce controtenorile di bel colore e
volume.
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Iestyn Davies as the Voice of Apollo was
perfect.
Giuseppe Pennisi, Music
& Vision
Death in Venice, La Scala, Milan |
221 | |
| On ne peut qu'admirer... la beauté
vocale du contre-ténor Iestyn Davies, Apollon
de feu et de grâce. |
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The more poignant sections - and there are
a couple of Bach's most affecting examples,
exhibited in the gorgeous arias for tenor in the
Easter and for alto in the Ascension - are
accompanied with thoughtful care and sung as well as
we could hope for, by James Gilchrist in the former
and Iestyn Davies in the latter.
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... a star-studded band of soloists that
include the ... furiously agile countertenor Iestyn
Davies.
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... eerie stillness that Davies’s
controlled pianissimo achieved so brutally
[in Merula’s Canzonetta spirituale sopra alla
nanna].
Alexandra
Cochlan,
TheArtsDesk.com Recital marking John Gilhooly's ten years as Director of Wigmore Hall |
216 |
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Iestyn Davies, singing Guido, the role
written for the star castrato Senesino, is
excellent, with an evenly produced voice of great
suppleness.
Ron
Salemi,
Fanfare magazine CD review: Handel's Flavio (Chaconne) |
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Davies’s was the perfect voice to mark the
occasion; indeed his expressive, ethereal upper
register makes his the perfect voice to mark any
occasion.
Michael Arditti, The
ExpressRecital marking John Gilhooly's ten years as Director of Wigmore Hall |
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... the extraordinary range of [Davies']
technical accomplishments, musical insights and
dramatic embodiments. Unaffected and assured, he
does not seek to impose himself upon the music;
rather, his easeful stage presence and innate
appreciation of the requirements of each particular
musical medium allows the music itself to rise to
the fore. The voice never distracts; it is only at
the final cadence that one realises how supremely
the song has been served. [...] fresh,
unaffected voice... Davies’ breath control is
extraordinary... extravagant vocal gymnastics...
dramatic poise, moving effortlessly between [...]
moods... [his] ornamental invention and virtuosic
elasticity quite simply took one’s breath away.
However complicated the line, the voice remained
unhindered and light.
Claire Seymour, Opera Today Recital marking John Gilhooly's ten years as Director of Wigmore Hall |
214 |
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There isn’t a weak spot in the entire
vocal range of Iestyn Davies. Whether in the
sustained low register of dark lament, or whether
hurling the voice high in the exuberance of
triumphant love, his is a countertenor which gives
unalloyed pleasure. No distracting ego projection or
self-consciousness either: simply a strength of
musicianship and imagination which grip the
attention in every second.
Hilary Finch, The Times (£) Recital marking John Gilhooly's ten years as Director of Wigmore Hall |
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... his enchanting voice, including a
strong, even, lower register and that "column of
sound" so desirable in a countertenor... it all
seemed so relaxed and effortless... powerful
recitative... glorious coloratura [...] Pianti,
sospiri (was) simply stunning and delivered
with verve, wit and the technical assurance of a man
whose time has come. Without any hint of arrogance
or pomposity - indeed quite the opposite, with a
still-youthful charm and presence - Iestyn Davies
just commands the stage and lets his voice take
over. It's clear why the world's leading opera
houses are booking him for years ahead [...] a
simple, plaintive, Irish folk song (in honour of Mr
Gilhooly), where the exquisitely-sung,
unaccompanied, last verse generated a deafening
silence in the Hall.
Bachtrack.com Recital marking John Gilhooly's ten years as Director of Wigmore Hall |
212 |
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Iestyn Davies’ performance was remarkable
not only for its easy confidence in dealing with a
melancholy subject [Schubert’s Totengräber’s
Heimweh] but its ability go straight to the
heart of both text and music. [...] virtuosity and
close understanding (in) Queste pungenti spine
which was a model of nuanced expression and florid
decoration, culminating in a superb mesa di voce at
Ancor non senti amore. [...] Vivaldi's Pianti,
sospiri ... a display of liquid tone, elegant
phrasing and bravura execution of fiendishly
demanding music [...] a barnstorming Furibondo
spiro il vento and a sensitively controlled,
beautifully phrased account of She moved through
the fair which was received with one of those
silences which make (Wigmore Hall) the unique place
that it is.
Melanie Eskanazi, Musicomh.com Recital marking John Gilhooly's ten years as Director of Wigmore Hall |
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... Davies’s falsetto at its most austere.
Yet there was emotional depth, Davies investing a
Kapsberger lullaby with the solemnity of a funeral
ode... Cantatas by Porpora and Vivaldi allowed
Davies greater freedom, with recitatives
conversational, arias high-flying and ornate... a
precise blend of celestial purity and bar-room
intensity...
Nick Kimberley,
London's Evening StandardRecital marking John Gilhooly's ten years as Director of Wigmore Hall |
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Then there was Davies. Posing a real
threat to the supremacy of Daniels, Scholl,
Jaroussky and the like, this young British
countertenor has been quietly building up his
reputation both at home and internationally, and is
now a rounded performer of serious heft.[...] such
innate musicality and flexibility as to efface
itself into the repertoire. The result is assured,
with a generosity to its authority that needs not
demand attention. [...] ... Davies's hitherto
underused coloratura. His lightness of tone (which
somehow still remains fully supported) flits its way
with comfortable ease around even the most awkward
of patterns, and the move away from the score also
allowed his dramatic skills to emerge more clearly,
displaying none of the physical awkwardness that
seems to blight so many of our younger British
singers.[...] there was nothing left to be desired.
Glorious music, well researched and performed with
no less love than skill...
Alexandra Coghlan,
TheArtsDesRecital marking John Gilhooly's ten years as Director of Wigmore Hall |
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Iestyn Davies, the hot young British
countertenor [who] can do so much more with his
voice than his equivalents could manage less than a
generation ago. Resurrect Alfred Deller and
Davies would sing him off the stage. The almost
offhand fluency and eloquence he brought to a whole
batch of music... was miraculous.
Michael
White, Catholic HeraldRecital marking John Gilhooly's ten years as Director of Wigmore Hall |
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British countertenor Iestyn Davies gave
full value as Creonte, offering the best voice of
its type to come from the UK in recent years and an
impressive musicality combined with all-around stage
assurance.
George Hall, Opera News Niobe, Regina di Tebe, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden |
208A |
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... an achingly beautiful account of the
alto part in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio... hardly any
of the music is easy to sing, so it’s not surprising
that soloists who can do it justice are thin on the
ground. Nun wird mein liebster Bräutigam
and Schliesse, mein Herze showed why
everyone wants Iestyn Davies – his elegant yet
affecting phrasing, beautiful tone and seemingly
effortless delivery gave constant pleasure.
Melanie Eskanazi, Musicomh.com J S Bach's Christmas Oratorio , St John's Smith |
208 |
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... a stellar line-up of soloists
including incomparable counter-tenor Iestyn Davies,
all was right with the world. Here the Protean
Davies – fresh from starring in Handel’s Messiah
at the Wigmore Hall - employed a cleanly
instrumental sound...
Michael Church, The Independent J S Bach's Christmas Oratorio , St John's Smith Square |
207 |
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... at the pinnacle, countertenor Iestyn
Davies, who just goes from strength to strength. The
full range and expression of his remarkable voice
was employed for But who may abide; the
delicacy so evident in an exquisite rendering of He
shall feed his flock was simply spell-binding.
He alternates with ease between lively ornamentation
and plaintive, spiritual high notes which can leave
no-one untouched.
Bachtrack.com Messiah , Early Opera Company, Wigmore Hall |
206 |
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Davies added an element of poignancy and
focus that was unforgettable in his arias (a
heart-stopping He was despised), tactfully
decorated to give the repeats a graceful variety and
lift. The concentration, delivery, fullness and
spirituality to his voice have never sounded more
satisfying.
Peter Reed, Classicalsource.com Messiah , Early Opera Company, Wigmore Hall |
205 |
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... in counter-tenor Iestyn Davies
and baritone Derek Welton the EOC had trump cards
[...] Davies scooped the pool in this year’s Royal
Philharmonic Society awards after a string of
brilliant operatic performances, and his voice is
now acquiring a clarion quality. Looking like a
thoroughly dissolute fallen angel, he sang here like
one from heaven; his delivery of He shall feed
his flock, over shuddering strings, was one of
the evening’s many magical moments.
Michael Church, The Independent Messiah, Early Opera Company, Wigmore Hall |
204 |
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... touch the heart strings the way
Deller did (or more recently Iestyn Davies at this
year's Proms in Cadogan Hall)
Robert Hugill |
203 |
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... den famosen britischen Countertenor
Iestyn Davies... ene so kultiviert abgerundete,
füllig- voluminöse Stimme können die
Wenigsten seines Fachs aufbieten. Das wurde
besonders im direkten „Duell" mit seinem
Gegenspieler Robin Blaze (Adalberto) deutlich,
ein Händelscher Geniestreich an musikalischer
Dramaturgie.
Die PresseHandel's Ottone , Theater an der Wien |
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Iestyn Davies uses his voice... skillfully
and often (as in his angry aria Rompo i lacci)
with a conviction which should convince skeptics
that the countertenor can be an effective dramatic
force.
Hugh Canning, The Classical Review Handel's Flavio , CD on Chandos |
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Davies's Guido - the 'first man' part,
though not the title-role - is a major achievement
for the young countertenor in his first starring
role on disc: his distinctive, delectably
androgynous timbre in the ravishing L'armellin
vita non cura, which here emerges as one of
Handel's greatest arias in reflective mode. He
is no less compelling in bravura numbers, dashing
off the coloratura volleys of Rompo i lacci
with insouciant ease and consistently pearly tone.
Hugh Canning, International Record Review Handel's Flavio, CD on Chandos |
201 |
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Intimacy and freshness make this
[recording] a breathtaking performance. Davies's
celebrated timbre – translucent, warm, pure...
Berta Joncus, BBC Music magazine Solo CD on Wigmore Live label |
200 |
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Davies is simply the full package - stage
presence, vocal prowess and keen musicianship.
Ed Breen, WhatsonStage Niobe, Regina di Tebe, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden |
199 |
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... counter-tenor Iestyn Davies takes his
first leading role at Covent Garden, Creonte, with
remarkable success — their "love duet" is perhaps
the vocal highpoint of the evening...
Hugh Canning, Sunday Times Arts Blog Niobe, Regina di Tebe, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden |
198 |
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Iestyn Davies... projecting with uncanny
sweetness and ease.
Anna Picard, Independent on Sunday Niobe, Regina di Tebe, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden |
197 |
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... Creonte, Prince of Thessaly, sung by
counter tenor Iestyn Davies, who is fast rising to
international standard, with his unforced high
notes.
Clare Colvin, Express Niobe, Regina di Tebe, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden |
196 |
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Iestyn Davies provides one of the
evening’s best performances as Creonte
George Hall, The Stage Niobe, Regina di Tebe, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden |
195 |
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| (Niobe’s/Gens')
breathily sexy aria with Creonte (an excellent Iestyn
Davies) was one of several show-stoppers |
194 |
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Excellent singing from Iestyn Davies
Richard Morrison, The Times Niobe, Regina di Tebe, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden |
193 |
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One of the score’s highlights is
(Niobe's/Gens') beautiful aria in duetto
with the elegant Iestyn Davies
Edward Seckerson, The Independent Niobe, Regina di Tebe, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden |
192 |
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Iestyn Davies also deserves special
mention among a uniformly strong cast
Barry Millington, London Evening Standard Niobe, Regina di Tebe, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden |
191 |
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... elegant... countertenor Iestyn
Davies's controlled, carefully phrased and ardent
contributions - and certainly Davies won the
clean coloratura competition
|
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Feature
article on Iestyn Davies at the Independent
newspaper |
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[...] with a counter-tenor voice as
firmly expressive and stage-worthy as his, [Iestyn
Davies] deserves all his prizes. This live Wigmore
Hall recital ... doesn't catch all the man's charms:
you can't be wickedly funny singing Handel's German
Arias. But the memorial pieces by Purcell and Blow
are divinely elegiac... perfect rapport with the
virtuoso musicians of Ensemble Guadagni.
Geoff Brown, The Times
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188 |
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... strong, precise countertenor...
There's no trace in Davies' delivery of the epicene
floridity to which some countertenors can be prey:
rather, emotional acuity prevails, most impressively
so in Purcell's Gentle shepherds, you that know,
delivered with commendable poise.
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187 |
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Davies's technical brilliance never fails
to impress and his performances display a vivid
musical imagination and a compelling sense of
rhetoric...
Matthew O'Donovan,
Classical Music
|
186 |
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Davies is among the finest of that current
crop of British countertenors equipped with
intelligent, sensitive musicianship and a carefully
honed technique that enables apparently easeful
singing. His voice has an alluring, distinctive
richness, and this recital, in which he is
sensitively and variously partnered by members of
Ensemble Guadagni, tells us that he's also adept at
programme planning... Davies is his most affecting
in the tender Süsse stille, saufte Quelle,
... even when the music is fast he maintains an
essential intimacy.
Stephen Pettitt, The
Sunday Times
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185 |
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[...] the countertenor of the moment with
a translucent voice that has no trace of the wobbly
feminine bloom or hootiness that can haunt lesser
singers. Like Andreas Scholl, there is a sinewy edge
to the sound that is unmistakably masculine, however
ethereal the music, a quality he amply demonstrates
on this... recording... choosing (and sometimes
transposing) works that show off his voice to best
lyrical effect, chief among them Handel's Nine
German Arias, though my favourite is his simply
wondrous interpretation of Purcell's sublime Evening
Hymn.
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184 |
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The captivating counter-tenor voice of
Iestyn Davies has already graced several recordings,
but this is the first CD on which he performs an
entire solo programme and it is a pure delight.
Handel’s Nine German Arias form the larger part of
the programme and their variety alone points to the
many ways Davies can respond to shadings of
expression.There is the lyrical tranquillity of
Süsse Stille, sanfte Quelle, the gently
admonitory Die ihr aus dunkeln Grüften
and the effervescent Das zitternde Glänzen
der spielenden Wellen. Davies reveals each
aria’s individuality with a seemingly effortless but
telling sense of style. Elsewhere, Davies traces an
affecting range of melancholy, reflection and quiet
bliss through pieces by Blow, Purcell and Buxtehude.
He is a major vocal talent that is blossoming
gloriously.
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The Saturday-morning programme, given in
the Pittville Pump Room by the viol consort Fretwork
and the superbly pure-voiced countertenor Iestyn
Davies, encompassed not only three searingly
chromatic Gesualdo songs, and two by Wolf, but
melancholy effusions by Dowland, Warlock and
Britten, the accompaniment for viols proving in the
modern cases oddly effective. Britten’s
grief-stricken, overwhelming folk-song treatment, O
waly, waly, elicited Davies’s finest mastery,
and was, for me, a textbook instance of those
shivers down the spine.
Recital,
Chetenham Festival
Paul Driver, Sunday Times |
182 | |
|
Dryden's Music for a While, set by
Purcell, also gave the title to Iestyn Davies's
morning recital with Fretwork, where the immaculate
sound of Davies's countertenor did beguile all
cares. His delivery seems understated, yet every
syllable and emotion is carefully focused as to draw
the listener into the heart of the music;
melancholic anguish in the case of John Dowland,
sexual in that of Carlo Gesualdo.
Fretwork's performance of music for viol consort by William Lawes paled slightly in comparison with the thrilling glow of Davies's singing, but the partnership realised a creative dynamic with bass violist Richard Boothby's arrangements of 20th-century English songs by Warlock and Britten. The viols' misty aura was magic and underlined the potent resonance of early English composers for those later. The exquisite artistry of the word-painting – Davies sweet-toned, yet often darkly distinctive of timbre – made it unforgettable. |
181 |
|
|
The
one soloist who truly stood out was countertenor
Iestyn Davies. Paradoxically, his ethereal voice was
ideally suited to bringing out the reverential
nature of the words in Qui sedes ad dexteram
Patris, while in the latter stages of Agnus
Dei it suddenly hit an even more spiritual
realm.
|
180 |
|
|
... Davies showed all the vocal and
musical range Handel's pampered castratos were
famous for...
Judith Malafronte, Opera News , June
2010
|
179 |
|
|
The
English countertenor Iestyn Davis was a very good
Hamor, Iphis' fiancé, who finally loses her
to God. He confirmed the excellent impression he
left in Handel’s Theodora last October at
Madrid's Teatro Real.
|
178 |
|
| ... an intense and touching beauty... English song recital, Middle Temple Hall
Michael White, Catholic Herald |
177 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies and Anthony Roth Costanzo,
two impressive young countertenors, rendered the
evening a treat.
|
176b |
|
|
... the experienced Iestyn Davies, who
brought a penetrating sound and vocal bloom to the
role of Arsace...
|
176 |
|
|
... Iestyn Davies's performance of the
very difficult Furibondo spira il vento
would have to be considered the opera's show
stopper.
Partenope, New York
City Opera
|
175 |
|
|
... Iestyn Davies, the beautiful
countertenor who performs the role of Arsace [...]
Partenope is a wonderful launching pad for Davies'
agile and elegantly expressive voice. He
seems a natural. [...] Davies brings down the
house with his aria at the end of Act
II. [...] Senesino was reportedly a great
Arsace, although his g appeared rarely and in later
years he did not go above d. We may have a new
Senesino, without those limitations, in
Davies.
Partenope, New York
City Opera
|
174 |
|
|
Welsh countertenor Iestyn Davies possessed
the most beautiful voice of the night, an opulent,
sensuous alto that easily filled the house, calling
to mind both David Daniels and Bejun Mehta in its
quality, ardor, intensity of emotional focus and
mastery of fioritura...
Partenope, New York
City Opera
|
173 |
|
|
Podcast: Partenope - New York City Opera
|
||
|
The radiant countertenor Iestyn Davies is
superb as Arsace
Partenope, New York
City Opera
|
172 |
|
| Countertenor Iestyn Davies,
impassioned and elegant, gave one of the best vocal
performances of the season. |
171 |
|
|
The
singers were two brilliant young countertenors,
Iestyn Davies and Anthony Roth Costanzo [...]. The
two singers both took on the role of princes, and
they were princes as singers. [...] It is hard to
imagine that we will not hear much more of the solid
and powerful voice of Mr Davies...
|
170 |
|
|
The night belonged to Iestyn Davies, who
played one of the titular monarch Partenope’s
suitors to perfection. Pure in tone, Davies’s
countertenor packed heft and heat, making for three
of the evening’s most stirring musical moments. His
Ch’io parta? left nary a dry eye in the
house.
|
169 |
|
|
Welsh countertenor Iestyn Davies stopped
the show with Arsace's second-act closer, Furibondo,
cleanly flinging out page after page of elaborate
coloratura depicting emotional torment.
|
168 |
|
|
The vocal star of the night was Iestyn
Davies as the conflicted Arsace. He sang with a
luminous, creamy countertenor and offered a moving
rendition of Ch’io parta? during the Act III
scene where he begs Rosmira for forgiveness.
Partenope, New York
City Opera
|
167 |
|
| The British countertenor Iestyn Davies,
who's a sensation across the pond, made a commanding
Orpheus |
166 |
|
|
...
music evocative of a wide range of emotion, built
around the story of a hero’s descent into the
underworld to reclaim his wife. Countertenor
Iestyn Davies... well matched the drama of the
orchestra with his presentation.
|
165 |
|
| ... an appealing, pure voice
and a poised delivery... |
164 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By
some distance, however, the stand-out soloist is
counter-tenor Iestyn Davies. Some recordings,
including the aforementioned ones directed by Harry
Christophers and Trevor Pinnock, split the alto
arias between a male and a female singer. Generally
I prefer this because I feel some arias, such as He
was despised suit a female voice. I can only
say that Davies’s singing completely stills any such
objection. He opens with a wonderful account of
But who may abide, the da capo
sensitively and imaginatively decorated. The central
section, For he is like a refiner’s fire, is
bitingly incisive and the orchestral strings attack
the music with gusto - some may be taken aback by
this - and with tremendous use of dynamic contrast,
all of which acts as a marvellous foil to Davies’s
fiery singing. I love his fluent delivery of O
thou that tellest, where his excellent use of
ornamentation enhances the vocal line beautifully.
He reserves some of his best singing for He was
despised, which he sings with dignity and fine
expression. His performance is beautifully
controlled, both musically and emotionally, and the
da capo section is even more expressive than what
has gone before. Everything Davies does in this Messiah
enhances his growing reputation.
Polyphony's Messiah recording
|
163 |
|
|
The well-rounded tone and technical
precision of Iestyn Davies's singing is easy to
enjoy, but it is equally significant that his
ornamentation in But who may abide is masterful for
its stylish vocabulary and expressive wisdom.
Gramophone magazine
Polyphony's Messiah recording |
162 |
|
| Suzy Klein: My great performer of 2009 is the
countertenor Iestyn Davies. He's just everywhere. I
think he's a phenomenal talent - he's got
everything. This exquisite voice - he can just stand
there and conjure up a note out of thin air. And
he's a lovely actor to watch, It doesn't matter how
many people are on the stage with him, he has this
very quiet charisma. He's a great all-round
performer, a really exciting, talented guy.
James Bowman: I agree entirely. I think he's fantastic.
What I admire about him is the poise. When you see
him performing, there's no fidgeting, the face is
calm and collected, focused. And the sound is so
even. I hate him! Hah! No, I think he's wonderful
and for one so young it's pretty phenomenal.
BBC Radio 3, Sunday
Morning, review of 2009
|
161 |
|
|
The soloists are on top-notch form,
especially Iestyn Davies and especially with the
ornamentation and authority in But who may abide.
Tremendously exciting. 'Refiner's fire' has never
come across quite so violently or potently as it
does here.
David Vickers on BBC Radio 3 CD Review
Polyphony's Messiah recording |
160 |
|
| Iestyn Davies' natural, open-hearted
countertenor is a joy to hear |
159 |
|
| ... clear, powerful...
impressive... the weighty sadness of Davies' He
was despised. |
158 |
|
| Davies’s extraordinary vocal
elasticity, clarity, and breath control [...]
transports us to a realm where the voice is pure
spirit. The effect is sublime. |
157 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies... with a flutey,
full-blooded counter-tenor that perfectly
complemented the sweet, pristine soprano of Carolyn
Sampson in the title role... The hushed concluding
duet arrived with a ravishing sense of consummation.
Not for the first time, a performance of Theodora
seemed to make the earth move.
Handel/Theodora/Kraemer
|
156 |
|
|
Countertenor Iestyn Davies, who played the
closet Christian Didymus, gave a compelling
performance with the coloratura conveyed with
exuberant ease. One of the many highlights was his
rendition of The Raptur’d Soul Defies the Sword.
|
155 |
|
| Didymus, the chaste Theodora’s
friend, was the British countertenor Iestyn Davies,
who was extremely convincing and sang very well.
We'll have another opportunity to see him again next
month in Agrippina which should be well worth
a visit. Handel/Theodora/Gabrieli
Consort/McCreesh
|
154 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies was superb ... the purity of
his voice, the exquisite breath control, lyricism of
line... the rich tapestry of colours, the variation
in tone, dynamics and emphasis, and the
occasional hints of baritonal splendour (yet never
coming out of the counter-tenor mode)... mpressive
stage presence... [In Partenope or Samson,
he becomes the character and communicates this to
the audience.] A different setting called for
a different behaviour; he showed that he
understood the words... and also that he
grasped the thoughts and sentiments that inspired
them and understood how the music reflected them.
|
153 |
|
|
... Iestyn Davies’s quite beefy
countertenor... Tis Nature’s Voice,
commandingly sung by Davies, with a full array of
elaborate decorations, always in the service of the
words and music. Davies’s tone is not as sweet as
that of Scholl, nor is his technique as yet so
prodigious, but he has an astringency in the timbre
which is most affecting in this music, and ideal for
the interpretation of such phrases as 'To court the
ear or strike the Heart', and the sensuous quality
of his enunciation at the word 'charms' is most
engaging. [...] most of us have only rarely heard [Sweeter
than roses] sung as it was here, with the
ideal blend of sensuality at 'the dear kiss' and
youthful exuberance at 'What magic has victorious
love!' [...] a powerfully moving
performance of John Blow’s Ode on the Death of
Mr Henry Purcell [...] An
Evening Hymn, mellifluously sung by the
countertenor to complete an hour of bliss for lovers
of Purcell’s music.
|
152 |
|
|
Davies has a great stage manner that
really suits chamber music concerts such as this.
His voice is bright, forward and full of personality
and he has an even quality throughout his range that
really projects the low passages in Purcell's
writing. What is also impressive is the range of
expression that he can employ without having to sing
too loudly, a quality that is particularly
beneficial when working with early
instruments... Davies was a really passionate
communicator of the poetry and leaned into the
dissonant qualities [of Sweeter than Roses]
to give a moving performance. There were some
beautifully crafted imitative passages between the
two singers [in Blow's Ode on the Death of Mr
Henry Purcell, with Simon Wall, tenor] and a
really excellent solo section from Davies.
|
151 |
|
|
In the select world of countertenors,
there’s always one who sets the pace... on the
evidence of the last 18 months, I suggest that in
Iestyn Davies we have the new countertenor
king-in-waiting.
Davies may be built like a whippet, but, as we’ve seen with his performances at English National Opera, he has that mysterious quality of always drawing the eye (and ear) when sharing the stage with others. When he has it to himself, he’s mesmerising, so it made good sense for the final Chamber Prom to be largely devoted to him... The programme was wall-to-wall Purcell, plus the long lament on Purcell’s early death by John Blow... . First Davies sang ‘Tis Nature’s Voice... His intimate and confidential manner seemed designed to set off the music’s highly-ornamented melismas... his sound developed a compelling power, particularly in the lower register. Then came Music for a while, which might have evoked memories of Bowman, had the sound not been so utterly different. Perfectly paced, and phrased as befitting a poem which is just one single sustained thought, this was a piece of high vocal artistry, as was Sweeter than roses... There’s steel in his sound, and not a trace of the femininity you hear in Daniels’s; Davies has gravity, unaffected directness, and that rare ability to bring a note seemingly out of nowhere, and make it sing. But he still sounds boyish and vulnerable: it will be fascinating to see how he develops over the next few years. |
150 |
|
| ... Chamber Prom, which soared up to the
heights without any neurotic breast-beating... Some of
the high points you could predict, like Iestyn
Davies’s way of floating the tune of Evening Hymn over
Reiko Ochise’s viola da gamba bass... Proms, London
|
149 |
|
| ... Music for a While
and Sweeter than Roses [were] sublimely
handled by Davies... Davies has an impressive voice,
he manages to be at home in Italian opera but can
still turn on the necessary tone and edge to make
these Purcell pieces work. His is not the soft option,
but a really keenly voiced, profoundly moving account. |
148 |
|
| The performance was definitely worth
attending, for [...] Iestyn Davies’s luminous Micah...
Samson, Proms, London
|
147 |
|
|
Susan Gritton's all-too-brief appearance
as the wheedling Dalila was flawless, as was Iestyn
Davies's Micah.
Samson, Proms,
London
|
146 |
|
| Iestyn Davies, piping nimbly
as Micah, the story’s guide... Samson,
Proms, London
|
145 |
|
|
... as Micah, Iestyn Davies's superb
musicianship combined with the translucent beauty of
his countertenor to raise his secondary character to
the centre of attention.
Samson, Proms,
London
|
144 |
|
|
Micah, sung by the inimitable Iestyn
Davies, provides a wonderful contrast to this
anguished moment with his recitative that follows.
His honeyed tones bring endless pleasure to what
seems to me the best part in the oratorio. He
manoeuvres effortlessly through demanding semiquaver
passages, for example in his last air of Act 1, and
delivers the most amazingly-articulate 't's. Each
flies like the sharpest of arrows right to the very
back of the hall; not one could be missed by a
single audience member. For me, the highlight has to
be the tones of Davies; his silky tones were a
hidden jewel in the crown of this most enjoyable
performance of a Handel classic. Let's hope it's not
too long before it's back at the Proms again.
Samson, Proms, London
|
143 |
|
|
But for me, the highlight was undoubtedly
Iestyn Davies, and the highlight of his performance
was Return, O God of hosts! But throughout he was
just wonderful. Such a beauty of tone, amazing
breath control, such expression, dramatic insight.
And loud. I'm not someone who judges a singer solely
on their volume, and I would far rather listen to a
good quiet singer than a loud one with an absence of
musicality. But Iestyn has it all, so the loudness
is just icing on the cake. And I think it is worth
noting in a counter-tenor because there are often
complaints that they get drowned out by the
orchestra especially in large halls. It probably
isn't actually loudness as such, but an ability to
place the voice which is difficult to describe but
you know it when you hear it.
Samson, Proms, London
|
142 |
|
|
The evening's other hero, in the role of
Micah, was counter-tenor Iestyn Davies: with all the
perfection of Andreas Scholl, but with much more
warmth, he projected his voice so effectively that
he balanced the double-size chorus, while even his
pianissimos carried powerfully round the
dome.
|
141 |
|
|
Interview with Rupert Christiansen of the Daily
Telegraph - 8 August 2009. Click here. |
140 | |
| ... the sensational young counter-tenor
Iestyn Davies. |
139 | |
|
Countertenor Davies delivered arias that
Handel wrote for the great castrati Nicolini and
Senesino with laser precision and the most glorious
tone.
|
138 |
|
|
[Handel's] first London opera Rinaldo led
to endless tussling with entrepreneurs and castrati:
cue for the countertenor Iestyn Davies and trumpets
from the upper galleries to provide a spendid
performance of Or la tromba.
|
137 |
|
|
A rarefied programme of English and German
music... Iestyn Davies is about as near as real
musicians can come to being an overnight
sensation... the choice of repertoire itself showed
tremendous confidence... The Queen’s Epicedium
[...] provides a singer with challenges of the sort
that Davies relishes – it can’t be easy to produce
the kind of unwaveringly plaintive tone required for
lines like “The Queen of Arcadie is gone!” whilst
giving attention to the inevitable flourishes...
difficult figures imitating brass instruments flung
out as though they presented no challenge at all.
Melanie
Eskanazi, ClassicalSource
Solo recital devut, Wigmore Hall: Purcell, Blow, Buxtehude, Handel |
136 |
|
| One of the great countertenors. Sean Rafferty, BBC Radio 3
|
135 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies, as (Athalia's) opponent,
the high priest Joad, singing with strength and
clarity, is a rising star among British
countertenors.
Athalia, London
Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music
|
134 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies as Joad proved himself as
silky-toned as ever. He gave a smoothly controlled
performance that judged both the mood of the work
and the comparatively intimate space of St John's
well. His impressive technique made light of the
filigree coloratura of Gloomy tyrants, and
brought a delicate plangency to the lyrical Jerusalem,
thou shalt no more, its rippling arpeggios a
prefiguration of the much-beloved Waft her,
angels from Jeptha.
Athalia, London
Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music
|
133 |
|
|
... with a power and clarity that conveyed
an appealingly understated heroism. Iestyn Davies, a
countertenor, matched those qualities in his more
overtly heroic portrayal of Joad.
|
132 |
|
| ... Iestyn Davies, who has one of the most
glorious countertenor voices in the world today Athalia,
London Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music
|
131 |
|
| ... countertenor Iestyn Davies
pure-toned as Joad... Athalia, London Lufthansa
Festival of Baroque Music
|
130 | |
| Iestyn Davies sang the role of
the high priest, Joad, with confidence and lovely
floating head tones... Athalia, London
Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music
|
129 |
|
| Iestyn Davies's rapt,
introverted Joad... exceptional. Athalia, London
Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music
|
128 |
|
|
... the amazing countertenor Iestyn Davies
as Hamor (in love with Iphis) was vocally powerful
throughout and in their duet at the end of Act I,
scene III, you felt privileged to be in the
audience.
|
127 |
|
|
[John
Mark Ainsley]... met his match in the exciting
young countertenor Iestyn Davies, whose smoothness
of vocal production and gracefully intelligent
phrasing as Jephtha's prospective son-in-law Hamor
not even Andreas Scholl could surpass.
Rupert
Christiansen, The Daily TelegraphJephtha, London Handel Festival |
126 |
|
|
Countertenor Iestyn Davies is fast taking
on the mantle of James Bowman; his Hamor had
everything this part requires, from the confident
declamatory strength needed in If such thy cruel
purpose to the sweetness of tone and moving
quality of intonation in Tis Heav’n’s all-ruling
pow’r.
|
125 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies sang the
Spirit from off-stage, and filled the auditorium
with the true sound of a real baroque singer
Dido and Aeneas,
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London
|
124 |
|
| Iestyn Davies made an
impressive Covent Garden debut too, singing sweetly
from above through the hole in the roof. Dido
and Aeneas, Royal Opera House, Covent
Garden, London
|
123 |
|
| Iestyn Davies' disembodied pronouncements as
the Spirit from high up in the auditorium were
suitably ethereal. Dido and Aeneas,
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London
|
122 |
|
| ...the greatest vocal purity came from
Iestyn Davies as the Spirit. Dido and Aeneas,
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London
|
121 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies was a welcome newcomer to
ROH, singing his twelve bars as the Spirit from
off-stage somewhere, but with clean attack, good
full-throated projection and clear diction.
|
120 |
|
| The countertenor Iestyn Davies piped sweetly
as Oberon... William Albright, Opera Magazine
A
Midsummer Night's Dream, Houston Grand
Opera
|
119-4 |
|
| ... countertenor Iestyn Davies was a
handsome and virile Oberon Wes Blomster, Opera Now
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Houston Grand Opera |
119-3 |
|
|
In his HGO debut as Oberon, countertenor
Iestyn Davies had not only the high range but also a
top-to-bottom depth of resonance that projected both
the unearthly and regal qualities of the fairy king.
At times, the effect of both these singers [...
Laura Claycomb...] was nothing short of uncanny,
vividly evoking the supernatural world they
inhabit.
|
119-2 |
|
|
Leading the quartet of magical characters,
Iestyn Davies, making his HGO debut, was a brilliant
Oberon. His bright, even countertenor floated
gloriously above Britten’s instrumental evocations
and was never too creamy to become non-present.
There was an attractive edge to his tone, and this
helped heighten the sense of Oberon’s mischievous
nature. Coloratura runs, dissonant leaps and perfect
diction were all executed with ease.
|
119 |
|
|
Welsh countertenor Iestyn Davies (HGO
debut) vocally had one of just a short string of
unqualified successes with their parts. Less
ostentatiously costumed than is James Bowman on the
dvd of the Peter Hall production, he gave his part
the air of mystery, contemplation, and aloofness in
a way that at least some of the part calls for as
well. His vocal production was about the entirely
most even of the entire cast and could have been
identified by a few of us with that of Alfred
Deller. I hope it not heresy to say either that I
found his more subdued and thus more introspective
and mysterious interpretation of Oberon, in acting
also, to be mildly preferable to the more blowsy
James Bowman on the wonderful Haitink/Peter Hall
dvd. This was altogether a very fine piece of work.
A Midsummer Night's
Dream, Houston Grand Opera
|
118 |
|
|
Welsh countertenor Iestyn Davies sings
Oberon with smooth control and precision, exuding
stately authority. His best moment is the opera’s
best-known aria, I Know a Bank Where the Wild Thyme
Blows. A Midsummer Night's
Dream, Houston Grand Opera
|
117 |
|
|
Each set of characters gets its own
particular sound, with Oberon's countertenor the
most distinctive and powerful as it soars clear and
bright, when the King of the Fairies (Iestyn Davies)
weaves his spells on unsuspecting bumpkins and his
lustful queen Tytania alike.
|
116 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Iestyn Davies sang... with his customary
cultivated beauty of tone. Melanie Eskanazi, Seen and Heard Messiah |
115 |
|
|
I’ve chosen Iestyn Davies whom we all
describe as 'the new kid on the block’, the most
wonderful young singer who has come to the fore very
much recently, and he’s singing opera at the moment,
in Partenope. A wonderful technique, and I am filled
with envy. I admire him enormously.
James Bowman BBC Radio 3, Early Music Show, 26 October 2008
|
114 |
|
| AWARD:
ENO's 2008 Partenope wins Olivier Award - Best New
Opera Production |
||
|
Iestyn Davies (Armindo) reveals a
wonderful clarion voice and an engaging stage manner
as the terminally bumbling and tongue-tied lover.
Robert Thicknesse, The
Tablet
Partenope, ENO |
113 |
|
|
And thoroughly dazzling was Iestyn Davies,
whose gorgeously clear countertenor is a real
discovery. His stone-faced, Keatonesque comedy
acting was delightfully done.
|
112 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies as Armindo all but dominates
the show with countertenor singing of extraordinary,
fleshed-out fullness and endearing pathos as the
timid lover who eventually gets the girl.
|
111 |
|
| ... a world-class cast... Iestyn Davies
amusing and touching as a Chaplinesque Armindo... |
110 |
|
|
Davies's voice has grown, losing none of
its sweetness, and his singing is pure and polished
through the most gymnastic of his character
Armindo's slapstick routines.
|
109 |
|
|
|
||
| ... but it is countertenor
Iestyn Davies whose astonishingly agile, forceful
voice upstages them all. |
108 |
|
|
Of the singers, only Iestyn Davies as
Armindo was consistently excellent. He has a
secure, honeyed tone, every note faultlessly placed,
and his Keatonesque slapstick as Partenope's timid,
fumbling suitor was delightfully judged.
|
107 |
|
|
Countertenor Iestyn Davies was Armindo,
his voice bright and clear, his pitching always
seeming to find the middle of the note, and his
acting convincing (he did seem positively distraught
in How I long to explain my sighing)...[his] Armindo
provided plenty of fun.
|
106 |
|
| Countertenor Iestyn Davies
[...] was brilliant, with no apparent tension in any
register of his voice and the ability to project
strongly throughout. |
105 |
|
|
The insipid, undercharacterised Armindo,
who finally wins Partenope, is well taken by the
countertenor Iestyn Davies.
|
104 | |
| |
Iestyn Davies’ ample alto
really filled out the “droopy and mournful” Armindo. |
103 |
|
Armindo's an unbearable drip but in the
hands of Davies' honeyed counter-tenor he becomes a
smooth-talker.
|
102 |
|
|
In the end the counter-tenor gets the
girl, and you can well understand why she might have
chosen Iestyn Davies's delightful Armindo.
|
101 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies as the weak willed, but
ultimately successful in love Armindo, brings a
richness of voice to the role in a very assured
performance.
|
100 |
|
| Iestyn Davies, the effete if
attractive Armindo |
99 |
|
|
Countertenor Iestyn Davies (Armindo)
tumbles downstairs with the deadpan solemnity of
Buster Keaton and sings like an angel who smokes
five a day — pure-toned with hint of roughness. He’s
a find.
|
98 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies’s Armindo also had to do
battle with stage business and achieved a similar
triumph – this is not an easy character to convey,
given that he spends most of the opera in a state
somewhere between tremulous expectation and despair,
but still gets the girl in the end – Davies was
completely convincing, and his singing was
consistently lovely in tone and elegant in phrasing,
his Act One aria a high point of the evening.
|
97 |
|
| Iestyn Davies an unexpectedly
strong Armindo |
96 |
|
| The countertenor Iestyn Davies
sang winningly as a Chaplinesque bumbler who, in spite
of himself, ends up getting the girl. |
95 |
|
| Countertenor Iestyn Davies,
too, was brilliant, with no apparent tension in any
register of his voice and the ability to project
strongly throughout. |
94 |
|
|
(Mackerras's) soloists could hardly be
bettered... Iestyn Davies limpidly plangent as the
prophet Daniel.
Belhazzar, Proms, London
|
93 |
|
| Iestyn Davies,
pouring vocal balm on the utterances of the young
prophet Daniel |
92 |
|
|
The soloists were, on the whole,
excellent. Iestyn Davies’s voice carried so well,
every word captured beautifully and full of
understanding; the prophet Daniel’s
appearances in the oratorio became something to look
forward to: the lengthy Act One aria O sacred
oracles of truth was appropriately naïve
sounding, life not yet poisoned by bad experiences.
Without much effort, it seemed, Davies’s luscious
voice filled the Hall; a rare and great achievement.
Belshazzar,
BBC Proms, London
|
91 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies, fresh from his convincing
Proms performance in The Coronation of Poppea
a couple of weeks back, was the pick of the
soloists, a honey-toned countertenor who never lets
the stubble show vocally.
|
90 |
|
| Iestyn Davies's Daniel revealed something of
the depth among today's countertenors Belshazzar, BBC Proms,
London
|
89 |
|
| Iestyn Davies with an
impeccably groomed voice as a fine Daniel Belshazzar, BBC Proms,
London
|
88 |
|
| Iestyn Davies [provided] a noble legato of
faith for Daniel, sealed by subtle vocal ornamentation Belshazzar, BBC Proms,
London
|
87 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies gave a mellifluous,
honey-sweet performance of Daniel's first aria – a
quality which he maintains throughout. Davies brings
a sublime quality to the music with his performance.
|
86 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies, as the prophet Daniel,
produced not only some of the finest singing of the
evening, but some of the most heartfelt Handel
singing that's been heard in London for some time.
His Lament not thus, O Queen, in vain was
delivered with a simplicity that touched the heart –
his star is most definitely in the ascendant.
|
85 |
|
| Interview with Iestyn
Davies. |
84 |
|
| Iestyn Davies's Otho and Marie
Arnet's Drusilla were [...] excellent. |
83 |
|
| Iestyn Davies (Ottone) and
Marie Arnet (Drusilla) were vocally excellent in the
roles... |
82 |
|
| ... Iestyn Davies' likeable and warmly-sung
Otho ... |
81 |
|
|
... once the silly, barely audible
business of the prologue was out of the way, the
strong, expressive voice of Iestyn Davies's Otho
drew things into greater focus.
|
80 |
|
| Iestyn Davies was an engaging Flavio Flavio, Barbican,
London
|
79 |
|
| Iestyn Davies (soon to play Ottone in
Glyndebourne's L'incoronazione di Poppea) was
impressive |
78 |
|
| Flavio himself was sung by
Iestyn Davies, one of a remarkable pair of
countertenors (the other was Robin Blaze...) Flavio, Birmingham
Town Hal
|
77 |
|
| Iestyn Davies, crisp and alert
in the title role Flavio, Barbican,
London
|
76 |
|
| ... that superb counter-tenor
Iestyn Davies... |
75 |
|
| Another debutant, countertenor
Iestyn Davies, made a good impression |
74 |
|
| ... impressive work. |
73 |
|
|
This is a voice that is going to make
waves for a long time to come. [...] Davies sounds
like a tenor in his lower range, yet makes a
seamless transition to falsetto [... so] the voice
retains its masculinity and power. But these would
mean little without his musicality and, more
tellingly, his composure. He remained unfazed
through acres of demanding ornamentation, all of
which he slotted in without compromising his
rhythmic momentum. To his extended aria within
Blow's ode on Purcell's death he brought an icy cool
that was breathtaking.
|
72 |
|
|
... a world-class
singer... with a following for his opera
performances and recitals in Britain and the United
States...
|
71 | |
|
|
|
|
|
[Guadagni's] arias [...] are magnificently
sung here by Iestyn Davies. His But who may
abide evokes the refiner's fire vividly yet
without exaggeration, his ornamentation is neat and
appropriate but not gaudy, and, above all, he imbues
the piece with a wonderful sense of trepidation,
typical of a reading of the whole oratorio which has
clearly been meticulously thought through with the
aim of bringing out all the meaning in the text
[...] the awed expressiveness of Behold a virgin
shall conceive [...] As a result it is
far more than a successful exercise in historical
reconstruction, and must qualify as one of the
finest available recordings of Messiah [...]
sure of a place in every Baroque connoisseur's CD
collection.
Elizabeth Roche, Early Music Journal Messiah recording |
70 | |
|
The countertenor Iestyn Davies [...] has a
very special quality. It's not just the sound –
poised and pure, a true male alto – but the
unpretentious honesty of his artistry that touches
us. He was despised emerged like the still
centre of the entire evening, with each restatement
of the words left hanging in the air, while Handel's
pained string ritornello reflected on their
consequences.
Messiah, Barbican
|
69 | |
|
Countertenor Iestyn Davies was, meanwhile,
a treat, his enunciation a model of clarity and his
bell-like, focused sound caressing every one of
Handel's melodic lines. In the Part Three duet O
death, his firmly-placed, pure tone...
|
68 | |
|
Iestyn Davies was called upon to take the
countertenor role, and he did it with great style,
his polish remarkable although, perhaps perversely,
this critic felt sad that all the boyish nervousness
seemed to have gone from his attack, and been
replaced with a Bowman-like elegance. No matter -
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened was
typical of his moving recitative, and He was
despised hit exactly the right balance between
sentiment and drama.
|
67 | |
| The countertenor Iestyn Davies
[...] was the stand-out among an interesting quartet
of soloists. |
66 | |
| The rounded, finely tempered
voice of countertenor Iestyn Davies gave his
substantial role impressive command |
65 |
|
| ... the mellifluous
countertenor Iestyn Davies... |
64 |
|
| Iestyn Davies as Didymus sounded beautiful
throughout Theodora, Edinburgh
|
63 |
|
|
Only a countertenor of Iestyn Davies's
dramatic and vocal assurance could deliver the line,
'I am a Christian', and hold an audience in rapt
attention. But rapt we were [ ... ] The quartet of
solo violin, cello, theorbo and harpsichord
accompanying Didymus in Sweet Rose and Lily
was a particular delight.
Theodora, Edinburgh
|
62 |
|
| Of the up and coming
generation [ of countertenors ], Iestyn Davies is the
pick of the bunch. |
61 |
|
| Article in The
Herald (Glasgow). PDF
version. |
60 |
|
| I do not think that I will
ever hear a performance of [ Britten's ] Canticles as
magnificent as John Mark Ainsley's with the brilliant
young countertenor Iestyn Davies John Gilhooly, Director, Wigmore Hall Wigmore Hall Annual Report |
59 |
|
|
Iestyn Davies strengthens his growing
reputation as an up-and-coming countertenor,
intelligent in his handling of text, vocally
gorgeous in La rondinella amante and
dazzling in the hunting aria Alle minacce di
fiera belve, holding his own against the
forceful orchestration.
|
58 |
|
|
The young countertenor Iestyn Davies gave,
quite simply, the finest performance of [the 2nd
movement solo] that I’ve ever heard. His plangent
timbre and expressive voice was ideally suited to
the music.
Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, Cheltenham Festival |
57 |
|
| I liked Iestyn Davies' countertenor Voice of
Apollo. Michael Kennedy, Opera
magazine
Death in Venice, English National Opera |
56 |
|
| The voice of countertenor
Iestyn Davies, as Apollo, is magically pure in
tone. William Parsons, The Lady Death in Venice,
English National Opera
|
55 |
|
| Countertenor Iestyn Davies as
the Voice of Apollo makes a strong impression. |
54 |
|
| Iestyn Davies (as Apollo) sang excellently. |
53 |
|
|
Iestyn
Davies makes much of the small role of Apollo -
dressed, interestingly enough, as Tadzio's double
- thanks to an unusually vibrant countertenor.
John Allison, Seven Magazine/Sunday Telegraph Death in Venice, English National Opera |
52 |
|
| ... and Iestyn Davies, as the
Voice of Apollo, [ is ] first class. Death in Venice, English
National Opera
|
51 |
|
|
... countertenor Iestyn Davies, singing
the part of Apollo, looked and sounded strong and
Apollonian.
|
50 |
|
|
We lose some of the words of the chorus
but not of [ ... ] Iestyn Davies's bright
countertenor Apollo
|
48 |
|
| Iestyn Davies brings an unearthly quality to
the Voice of Apollo
Death
in Venice, English National Opera
|
48 |
|
| Iestyn Davies, an earthbound Apollo with a
full and resonant countertenor |
47 |
|
| ... the atmosphere of the “Greek games” is
immensely enhanced by Iestyn Davies’s vibrant
countertenor as the Voice of Apollo. Death in Venice,
English National Opera
|
46 |
|
| Iestyn Davies, in the countertenor role of
Apollo, had bell-like clarity |
45 |
|
| Award: La Griselda
CD wins BBC Music magazine Opera Recording of the Year
2007 |
44 |
|
| Iestyn Davies... deeply
expressive |
43 |
|
|
The quality of the playing
on the Naxos recording is, along with the singing of
the countertenor Iestyn Davies, enough to justify
buying it... (his) He was despised
ranks with the best I know. This is one area where
the Naxos recording scores (over the Jacobs,
Harmonia Mundi record) in that Iestyn Davies
provides the excitement that Zazzo lacks.
|
42 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
... the performance of the complete Canticles
by the Nash Ensemble with Iestyn Davies and John
Mark Ainsley, would be outstanding [ among 2006
performances ] for its unmatchable singing, its
finely judged drama and its overwhelming commitment.
Seen and Heard's Review of the year 2006 (Melanie Eskanazi) |
41 |
|
|
The counter-tenor Iestyn Davies continues
to grow in musical stature. He has a gravitas
about his singing which might seem at odds with his
youth, yet which is entirely fitting – But who
may abide and He shall feed his flock
were both ideally balanced between the sombre and
the quietly joyful, and He was despised was
finely phrased and beautifully coloured.
Melanie Eskanazi, Musicweb Messiah, St John's Smith Square |
40 |
|
| ... a convincing, unshrill
sound Charles T Downey, ionarts
La Griselda recording |
39 |
|
|
Davies was the ideal Isaac: his youthful
tone made his music especially poignant, and he was
at one with [ John Mark ] Ainsley in his highly
charged yet never overplayed interpretation: Father,
seeing you must needs do so / let it pass lightly,
and over go can hardly have left a dry eye in
the house.
Melanie Eskanazi, Musicweb Britten: Canticles, Wigmore Hall |
38 |
|
| ... the exceptional countertenor Iestyn
Davies... Tim Ashley, The Guardian
Messiah (Higginbottom recording) |
37 |
|
|
... (John Mark) Ainsley as Abraham ideally
partnered by the unconstrained, mellifluous Isaac of
countertenor Iestyn Davies; their backs to the
audience, they joined in a spine-tingling duet to
represent the disembodied voice of God.
Erica Jeal, The Guardian Britten: Canticles, Wigmore Hall |
36 |
|
| ... as fine musically as (he
is) foul dramatically. Stephen Walsh, The
Independent
Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, WNO |
35 |
|
| ... particularly fine
singing... Bill
Kenny, MusicWeb
Il
ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, WNO
|
34 |
|
| ... the countertenor Iestyn Davies and the
tenor James Gilchrist are especially welcome, marrying
words to vocal line with winged strength. |
33 |
|
|
Countertenor Iestyn Davies... has a
markedly focused sound and presence.
Variety
King Arthur, ENO |
32 |
|
| 3 |
I should like to have heard the
countertenor Iestyn Davies sing [ Fairest Isle
]. His number summoning the battle-weary heroes to
Woden's Hall was splendid. It's a smashing voice and
he has real stage presence.
Edward Seckerson, The
Independent
King Arthur, ENO |
31 |
|
... sensitive singing...
Anna Pickard. The Independent King Arthur, ENO |
30 |
|
| Iestyn Davies is clearly a countertenor to
watch Metro
King Arthur, ENO |
29 |
|
| I wanted to take the countertenor Iestyn
Davies home with me Bloomberg
King Arthur, ENO |
28 |
|
| Countertenor Iestyn Davies
delights with his smooth, expressive tone musicOMH.com
King Arthur, ENO |
27 |
|
| ... Iestyn Davies and his superbly
controlled countertenor voice as Hamor BBC Bristol Jeptha, WNO |
26 |
|
| Iestyn Davies in the BBC
Radio 3 studio in 2006 |
25 |
|
|
Interview with Iestyn Davies at Opera Today |
24 |
|
|
Special mention should be made of the
bell-like voice of Iestyn Davies as the distraught,
betrothed Hamor. The clarity and range of this
countertenor was breathtaking and his breath control
during the trills and runs was fantastic.
MiltonKeynes.com
Jeptha, WNO |
23 |
|
| ... the
rich beauty of countertenor Iestyn Davies' voice was
used to full effect in Es ist vollbracht. Glasgow Herald
St John Passion |
22 |
|
|
He
has it all. His prodigious natural gifts include a
beautifully cultivated, flexible and agile voice, a
sense of the shaping of a phrase very rare in so
young an artist, and a very engaging stage
presence... one can only imagine how far he will go.
I have seldom heard He shall feed his flock sung
with more sheer vocal beauty, or He was
despised given with so much tenderness.
musicweb
Messiah |
21 |
|
| ...
beautifully articulated and affecting singing... The Guardian
Jeptha, WNO |
20 |
|
2005 |
||
| The young
Iestyn Davies proved to be a discovery with his
expressive countertenor which radiated great
naturalness. Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten
Messiah |
19 |
|
| Another
strong performance from the young countertenor Glasgow Herald
BWV 170 |
18 |
|
| Countertenor
Iestyn Davies, a young singer to watch, was extremely
impressive as the noble high priest, Joad. Glasgow Herald Athalia |
17 |
|
|
Counter-tenor
Iestyn Davies, as Joad, stole the show with a
beautifully nuanced performance, authoritative,
emotional and lusciously sung.
The Scotsman
Athalia |
16 |
|
|
This
young countertenor is exceptional. A true
countertenor, not a male alto masquerading as one,
his voice is rooted as a baritone, the richness of
his low register singing having fine tonal quality,
while its top, alto range is firm and full.
Sheffield Telegraph
English songs of the 16th century |
15 |
|
| On
retiendra particulièrement Iestyn Davies, jeune
contre-ténor à la voix puissante et bien
timbrée. Le Progrès
La Griselda |
14 |
|
| Iestyn
Davies a un timbre de contre-ténor riche et
bien sonnant. Son phrasé est simplement encore
un peu raide et son legato perfectible. Operabaroque.com
La Griselda |
13 |
|
| Superbe!
Une voix claire mais puissante, j'ai hâte de le
ré-entendre. Do-si-do
La Griselda |
12 |
|
|
Iestyn
Davies est l'autre grande découverte de la
soirée. Ce tout jeune contre-ténor est
un chanteur à suivre car il montre une voix
puissante, franche et ensoleillée. Son chant
est loin d'être dépourvu de
musicalité comme le démontre son
second air La rondinella amante: il
donne des notes très légères,
aériennes pour souligner l'intensité
de ses propos. Mais il est également capable
d'imposer un engagement important dans Alle
minaccie di fiera belva, duo avec un cor,
à travers les différents "r" et "t"
qu'il accentue violemment.
Manon Ardouin, Concertonet
La Griselda |
11 |
|
| …
outstanding BBC Music Magazine
Finnissy Anima Christi (Exaudi recording) |
10 |
|
2004 |
||
|
Nos
papéis de solista destacou-se o jovem
contratenor Iestyn Davies, numa
interpretação que rondou o
superlativo. Não é difícil
antever-lhe uma carreira de grande sucesso.
Cultura
Messiah |
9 |
|
|
There
were very many stylish contributions but perhaps
none that augurs better for Baroque performance in
the immediate future than that of countertenor
Iestyn Davies. Milton's line juxtaposes gorgeous
with tragedy. Davies's voice memorably combined the
two.
The Guardian
L'Allegro, Il Penseroso ed il Moderato, Snape Proms |
8 |
|
| ... the
ornamentations and expression... such artistry!... Terence Best
Giulio Cesare arias |
7 |
|
|
...
Iestyn Davies, who proved himself to be that rare
creature, a truly virile and sensuous
countertenor. He was a star in a Messiah that
managed to combine earthy vigour with the dignity
demanded by its subject.
Irish Times
Messiah |
6 |
|
|
Iestyn
Davies's countertenor was simply wonderful, with
impeccable intonation. His caricature of a mad
lepidopterist - desperate to make his catch - was
artfully drawn and, if this rich sound is what
Davies achieves in the open air, one can only
imagine how it will be in more resonant
circumstances.
Opera
Il Tempesto Tutore |
5 |
|
| Countertenor
Iestyn Davies was particularly outstanding as Orpheus |
4 |
|
| ... spine
chilling... Opera
The Story of Orpheus |
3 |
|
| Davies'
alto burnt fiercely in the title role The Times
The Story of Orpheus |
2 |
|
|
As
soon as he bounded on to the podium, we felt we were
in safe hands. Here was a young man who really meant
business: a fantastic combination of amazing voice
and maturity of character
BBC Radio 3 Early Music Show
London Handel Singing Competition |
1 |
|
