What People Are Saying
“Followed by soprano Emily Christina Loftus, who served up the highlight of the evening with an electrifying performance of Richard Strauss’s Beim Schlafengehen that crackled with energy and crisp diction.”
— Mark Reese, Art Scene in Wales (2024)
“Emily Christina Loftus was a Gretel near ideal in her unforced eloquence, all the while exuding an awareness of the ‘outside world’ which made her the dramatic and musical focus during their sylvan wonderings. As an empathetic portrayal, it could hardly have been bettered technically or interpretively.”
— Richard Whitehouse, Arcana (2023)
“Emily Christina Loftus brings a wide range of moods and colours to Gretel. The bright vigor in her voice captures the ingenu in the character earlier on. By the opening of the second half, when she awakens, there were intimations of a more Wagnerian kind of introspection. She displays richer, glowing colours and textures as she comes into a new kind of consciousness. One might foresee Loftus as a fine Elsa or Senta in her future. Her dramatic arc, from innocence to experience, was beautifully captured through her voice.”
— Benjamin Poore, Opera Wire (2023)
“This opera is a big sing, there is no room for partially formed voices, the two leads need to grasp the music and run with it… this, Shakira Tsindos and Emily Christina Loftus did in spades. From the outset, the two formed a delightful connection, handled their solos and duets with an appealing sense of style, character and drama. Loftus providing a sharper and more street-smart Gretel.”
— Robert Hugill, Opera Today (2023)
