Così fan tutte · Teatro Calderón (Valladolid)
Ópera Actual (05.02.24) · Agustín Achúcarro
In the vocal aspect, Jaquelina Livieri navigated the extremely challenging "Per pietà, ben mio perdona" of Fiordiligi with ease and without hesitation.
Josep-Ramon Olivé brought drive and determination to the role of Guglielmo in "Donne miei, le fate a tanti," and one should also add good taste and blend in his duets.
El Norte de Castilla (01.02.24) · Fernando Herrero
In the cast, the standout was Jaquelina Livieri as Fiordiligi. Livieri's arias (...) will be remembered.
In the vocal aspect, Jaquelina Livieri navigated the extremely challenging "Per pietà, ben mio perdona" of Fiordiligi with ease and without hesitation.
Josep-Ramon Olivé brought drive and determination to the role of Guglielmo in "Donne miei, le fate a tanti," and one should also add good taste and blend in his duets.
El Norte de Castilla (01.02.24) · Fernando Herrero
In the cast, the standout was Jaquelina Livieri as Fiordiligi. Livieri's arias (...) will be remembered.
Madama Butterfly · Teatro Villamarta (Jerez)
Opera World (31.01.24) · Federico Figueroa
(...) mezzo-soprano Cristina del Barrio, a singer who knew how to strike a balance between lyricism and the comedic flashes in her role, with a voice always well projected and of pleasant timbre.
Among the supporting characters, all well defended, bass Javier Castañeda stood out as the authoritative Uncle Bonzo.
Ópera Actual (29.01.24) · Jesús Sánchez-Ferragut
(...) a rounded and forceful triangle (Ainhoa Arteta) with Àngel Òdena and Cristina del Barrio in the roles of Sharpless and Suzuki, respectively. Both shared the triumph of Arteta, excelling in the logical measure of their roles, in an opera that makes almost exclusive concessions to the protagonist.
From the rest of the cast, the interventions of Javier Castañeda (El Bonzo) stood out.
Diario de Jerez (27.01.24) · Jesús Sánchez-Ferragut
Mezzo-soprano Cristina del Barrio in the role of the loyal Suzuki pleasantly surprised me with an excellent performance. She was also highly applauded by the audience.
In the rest of the cast, it is worth highlighting the good work of Javier Castañeda in the role of El Bonzo.
La Voz del Sur (27.01.24) · Joaquín Piñeiro Blanca
The mezzo-soprano from Segovia, Cristina del Barrio, with her dark timbre (...), demonstrated skill as Suzuki in the spoken passages of the first act, and she blended well with the soprano in the duet "Scuoti quella fronda." She also stood out in the brief prayer that opens the second act ("E izaghi ed Izanami") and in "Io son che alle sue pene" in the final act.
The rest of the episodic characters were portrayed adequately, especially in the case of Javier Castañeda as Bonzo.
(...) mezzo-soprano Cristina del Barrio, a singer who knew how to strike a balance between lyricism and the comedic flashes in her role, with a voice always well projected and of pleasant timbre.
Among the supporting characters, all well defended, bass Javier Castañeda stood out as the authoritative Uncle Bonzo.
Ópera Actual (29.01.24) · Jesús Sánchez-Ferragut
(...) a rounded and forceful triangle (Ainhoa Arteta) with Àngel Òdena and Cristina del Barrio in the roles of Sharpless and Suzuki, respectively. Both shared the triumph of Arteta, excelling in the logical measure of their roles, in an opera that makes almost exclusive concessions to the protagonist.
From the rest of the cast, the interventions of Javier Castañeda (El Bonzo) stood out.
Diario de Jerez (27.01.24) · Jesús Sánchez-Ferragut
Mezzo-soprano Cristina del Barrio in the role of the loyal Suzuki pleasantly surprised me with an excellent performance. She was also highly applauded by the audience.
In the rest of the cast, it is worth highlighting the good work of Javier Castañeda in the role of El Bonzo.
La Voz del Sur (27.01.24) · Joaquín Piñeiro Blanca
The mezzo-soprano from Segovia, Cristina del Barrio, with her dark timbre (...), demonstrated skill as Suzuki in the spoken passages of the first act, and she blended well with the soprano in the duet "Scuoti quella fronda." She also stood out in the brief prayer that opens the second act ("E izaghi ed Izanami") and in "Io son che alle sue pene" in the final act.
The rest of the episodic characters were portrayed adequately, especially in the case of Javier Castañeda as Bonzo.
Trouble in Tahiti · Auditorio Adán Martín (Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
En Platea (02.02.24) · Celia García
Blanca Valido portrays Dinah, the dissatisfied wife seeking to escape from the routine and emptiness of her life. It's a role that demands both great vocal and dramatic ability, and Valido succeeded in infusing her character with all that emotional weight as the story unfolded. Her warm and expressive voice endowed her performance with elegance and a strong stage presence.
Ópera Actual (31.01.24) · Estrella Ortega
Right from the beginning, a toxic relationship is evident, as a simple breakfast turns into an argument, quickly bringing the viewer in contact with Dinah's dissatisfaction. The role of Dinah is portrayed by the mezzo-soprano from Gran Canaria, Blanca Valido, who is perfect in her role, both vocally and in representing the wife betrayed by Sam, her husband.
Online Merker (22.01.24) · Klaus Billand
Blanca Valido portrays the role of Dinah with great emotional intensity, always appearing very authentic, and gives it a strong personality with a well-managed and melodious mezzo-soprano. Her inner turmoil between social pressure and the desire for harmony in the relationship stands out, sometimes leading to poignant moments.
Blanca Valido portrays Dinah, the dissatisfied wife seeking to escape from the routine and emptiness of her life. It's a role that demands both great vocal and dramatic ability, and Valido succeeded in infusing her character with all that emotional weight as the story unfolded. Her warm and expressive voice endowed her performance with elegance and a strong stage presence.
Ópera Actual (31.01.24) · Estrella Ortega
Right from the beginning, a toxic relationship is evident, as a simple breakfast turns into an argument, quickly bringing the viewer in contact with Dinah's dissatisfaction. The role of Dinah is portrayed by the mezzo-soprano from Gran Canaria, Blanca Valido, who is perfect in her role, both vocally and in representing the wife betrayed by Sam, her husband.
Online Merker (22.01.24) · Klaus Billand
Blanca Valido portrays the role of Dinah with great emotional intensity, always appearing very authentic, and gives it a strong personality with a well-managed and melodious mezzo-soprano. Her inner turmoil between social pressure and the desire for harmony in the relationship stands out, sometimes leading to poignant moments.
La Traviata · Teatro Campoamor (Oviedo)
El Comercio (17.12.23) · Ramón Avello
Alejandro del Cerro interprets the role of Alfredo with sensitivity and precision. His lyric tenor voice moves comfortably in the high registers, emitting these sounds with homogeneity and roundness. He performed very well in the duet with Violeta in the first act, showcasing a beautiful color, clear diction, and measured volume. Above all, he excelled in the brief aria 'De'miei bollenti spiriti' in the second act, exquisitely nuanced.
Alejandro del Cerro interprets the role of Alfredo with sensitivity and precision. His lyric tenor voice moves comfortably in the high registers, emitting these sounds with homogeneity and roundness. He performed very well in the duet with Violeta in the first act, showcasing a beautiful color, clear diction, and measured volume. Above all, he excelled in the brief aria 'De'miei bollenti spiriti' in the second act, exquisitely nuanced.
La muerte y el industrial · Fundación March (Madrid)
Opera World (20.12.23) · Federico Figueroa
The singers, including baritone Javier Agudo (the businessman), displayed a wide range of possibilities through flexibility and refinement in phrasing.
Ópera Actual (16.12.23) · José María Marco
To tell this concise story, Fernández Guerra constructs a libretto based on quotes, like intratextual memories of other narratives, and distributes them among four singers. The industrial, performed with poise and conviction by baritone Javier Agudo.
Codalario (16.12.23) · Raúl Chamorro Mena
Impeccable vocal and stage work by the vocal quartet formed by (...), the baritone Javier Agudo, with a more resonant timbre and noble singing manners.
Beckmesser (15.12.23) · Arturo Reverter
The baritone Javier Agudo, with a vocally forceful presence and a somewhat opaque timbre, embodied the role of the Industrial and the robot.
The singers, including baritone Javier Agudo (the businessman), displayed a wide range of possibilities through flexibility and refinement in phrasing.
Ópera Actual (16.12.23) · José María Marco
To tell this concise story, Fernández Guerra constructs a libretto based on quotes, like intratextual memories of other narratives, and distributes them among four singers. The industrial, performed with poise and conviction by baritone Javier Agudo.
Codalario (16.12.23) · Raúl Chamorro Mena
Impeccable vocal and stage work by the vocal quartet formed by (...), the baritone Javier Agudo, with a more resonant timbre and noble singing manners.
Beckmesser (15.12.23) · Arturo Reverter
The baritone Javier Agudo, with a vocally forceful presence and a somewhat opaque timbre, embodied the role of the Industrial and the robot.
Las golondrinas · Teatro de la Zarzuela (Madrid)
Platea Magazine (14.11.23) · Gonzalo Lahoz
And by her side, a monumental baritone like Gerardo Bullón. The audience, the media, I believe the colleagues... the theater and zarzuela community had been eagerly anticipating enjoying the Madrid-born baritone in a leading role, in a principal cast, in the Plazuela de Teresa Berganza... and the wait has been more than worthwhile. His Puck is absolutely masterful. With overwhelming strength and technical prowess, but above all, with overwhelming authenticity. The drama is delineated in just the right measure, with great work from Giancarlo del Monaco in stage direction (that trembling hand, the empty gaze, or the inert expression - one can empathize with the character in its first minutes, until the irrationality of violence emerges). The way he chisels accents, phrases, the timbre that is brilliant and luminous, clear, and at the same time robust.
Ópera World (14.11.23) · José Antonio Lacárcel
Gerardo Bullón portrayed the multifaceted character of Puck, capable of creating a work of art with pantomime while simultaneously being a perfect example of brutality in his physical attacks on the great love of his life, an unrequited love that ends in the most tragic manner. Bullón possesses a noble lyrical baritone timbre, which occasionally seems to approach the registers of a dramatic tenor, though this occurs very sporadically. His voice is flexible, beautiful, and he sings with taste. He also commands the stage quite well. From the beginning, he gave the impression that we were going to hear a well-executed Puck. He sang the romance "Caminar" with great emotion, achieving beautiful high notes without any noticeable fatigue or the feeling that some singers convey of being on the edge. In the duet with Cecilia, he alternated between the tender, enamored interpretation of his character and later, the brutal and threatening one, leading to physical aggression. Yet, with his splendid voice, he could convey all the emotions of the character. In his interactions with Lina, he also performed well in expressiveness, and the famous romance "Se reía" added a good dose of drama (...). He did not force his way into the dramatic finale, where he has to sing with enormous feeling the brief but intense romance "Estrella de mi camino, ya nunca más te veré". He was convincing and demonstrated a great virtue: sobriety, in a role where many are tempted by overacting. His was a commendable and well-executed performance.
Javier Castañeda (...) performed adequately.
Ópera Actual (14.11.23) · Mario Muñoz
Gerardo Bullón's Puck is excessive, capable of reveling in his own ruin, fitting perfectly with the work. He accompanied this with a homogeneous register and ample vocal power.
Bachtrack (13.11.23) · David Santana Cañas
Gerardo Bullón, as Puck, stood out for his well-supported and projected voice. He demonstrated a very pleasant high register in the serenade of the pantomime and captivated the audience at the end of the opera with melodious lines full of intensity, as demanded by the final narrative designed by the Martínez Sierra couple for Las golondrinas.
Scherzo (12.11.23) · Manuel García Franco
In the tormented figure of Puck, an introspective and melancholic character, Gerardo Bullón displayed an attractive baritone timbre and delivered a remarkable portrayal of this tragic character in the play, transformed into a puppet of himself, unable to love those who love him.
Javier Castañeda, Lina's father, completes the cast with proficiency.
Codalario (11.11.23) · Raúl Chamorro Mena
The role of Puck is very challenging, exhausting in its duration, full of contrasts, with lyrical passages such as his opening aria "Caminar, caminar" or his intervention in the pantomime "Colombina, colombina bella." These are complemented by moments of disturbed, jealous, fierce, and violent expression, culminating in the fearsome final "Me fui con ella," of great rawness, where the protagonist, with agitated, tense, and highly dramatic singing, narrates how he has murdered Cecilia. Madrid-born baritone Gerardo Bullón, often an outstanding supporting cast member at both the Teatro Real and the Teatro de la Zarzuela, has successfully tackled the demanding lead role of Puck. Bullón demonstrated great effort and commitment in his dramatic characterization, which was intense and revealing of the various facets of the character. Vocally, his beautiful and noble baritone timbre resonated throughout the hall. He skillfully delineated the "Colombina bella" and the romance "Caminar," accentuating with great nobility and intention the phrase "Has dicho bien," with which he punctuates Lina's preceding intervention. (...) Regardless, his was a remarkable vocal and dramatic performance.
Beckmesser (11.11.23) · Gonzalo Alonso
Bullón, with his attractive baritone timbre, reserves himself to give it all and move the audience with his narration of Lina's murder, earning a standing ovation.
El País (10.11.23) · Jorge Fernández Guerra
Gerardo Bullón, in his role as Puck, emerges victorious in a character that always seems to evoke the original by Emilio Sagi-Barba more than 100 years ago. His vocal performance is excellent, displaying power and precise musicality.
Doce Notas (10.11.23) · Arturo Reverter
Bullón is a rather lyrical but well-shaded baritone, with a noble sonority, a resonant and firm timbre, and a rare timbral homogeneity. This stems from his excellent equality across registers and the mastery of impeccable technique, allowing him to regulate and nuance with comfort and ease and to phrase with taste. His singing, while not strictly academic, may lack the final touch to reach exquisite heights. He sings with ease and frankness, and his voice effortlessly fills the room due to the timbre and placement, maintaining a consistently natural expression of song to reach every corner of the hall. His low notes are always round and natural. These virtues are evident in his lead role, which is tough, rugged, tense, and demanding, requiring an expression close to the purest verismo. Whether in his initial solo, the well-known "Caminar, caminar," or in dialogues with the two protagonists and in his final exclamations ("¡Se reía! ¡Se reía!"), Bullón, particularly committed and following the stage direction, intensifies the exaggerated expression and the cry.
They performed well in parts below their merits, (...) bass Javier Castañeda as Roberto.
And by her side, a monumental baritone like Gerardo Bullón. The audience, the media, I believe the colleagues... the theater and zarzuela community had been eagerly anticipating enjoying the Madrid-born baritone in a leading role, in a principal cast, in the Plazuela de Teresa Berganza... and the wait has been more than worthwhile. His Puck is absolutely masterful. With overwhelming strength and technical prowess, but above all, with overwhelming authenticity. The drama is delineated in just the right measure, with great work from Giancarlo del Monaco in stage direction (that trembling hand, the empty gaze, or the inert expression - one can empathize with the character in its first minutes, until the irrationality of violence emerges). The way he chisels accents, phrases, the timbre that is brilliant and luminous, clear, and at the same time robust.
Ópera World (14.11.23) · José Antonio Lacárcel
Gerardo Bullón portrayed the multifaceted character of Puck, capable of creating a work of art with pantomime while simultaneously being a perfect example of brutality in his physical attacks on the great love of his life, an unrequited love that ends in the most tragic manner. Bullón possesses a noble lyrical baritone timbre, which occasionally seems to approach the registers of a dramatic tenor, though this occurs very sporadically. His voice is flexible, beautiful, and he sings with taste. He also commands the stage quite well. From the beginning, he gave the impression that we were going to hear a well-executed Puck. He sang the romance "Caminar" with great emotion, achieving beautiful high notes without any noticeable fatigue or the feeling that some singers convey of being on the edge. In the duet with Cecilia, he alternated between the tender, enamored interpretation of his character and later, the brutal and threatening one, leading to physical aggression. Yet, with his splendid voice, he could convey all the emotions of the character. In his interactions with Lina, he also performed well in expressiveness, and the famous romance "Se reía" added a good dose of drama (...). He did not force his way into the dramatic finale, where he has to sing with enormous feeling the brief but intense romance "Estrella de mi camino, ya nunca más te veré". He was convincing and demonstrated a great virtue: sobriety, in a role where many are tempted by overacting. His was a commendable and well-executed performance.
Javier Castañeda (...) performed adequately.
Ópera Actual (14.11.23) · Mario Muñoz
Gerardo Bullón's Puck is excessive, capable of reveling in his own ruin, fitting perfectly with the work. He accompanied this with a homogeneous register and ample vocal power.
Bachtrack (13.11.23) · David Santana Cañas
Gerardo Bullón, as Puck, stood out for his well-supported and projected voice. He demonstrated a very pleasant high register in the serenade of the pantomime and captivated the audience at the end of the opera with melodious lines full of intensity, as demanded by the final narrative designed by the Martínez Sierra couple for Las golondrinas.
Scherzo (12.11.23) · Manuel García Franco
In the tormented figure of Puck, an introspective and melancholic character, Gerardo Bullón displayed an attractive baritone timbre and delivered a remarkable portrayal of this tragic character in the play, transformed into a puppet of himself, unable to love those who love him.
Javier Castañeda, Lina's father, completes the cast with proficiency.
Codalario (11.11.23) · Raúl Chamorro Mena
The role of Puck is very challenging, exhausting in its duration, full of contrasts, with lyrical passages such as his opening aria "Caminar, caminar" or his intervention in the pantomime "Colombina, colombina bella." These are complemented by moments of disturbed, jealous, fierce, and violent expression, culminating in the fearsome final "Me fui con ella," of great rawness, where the protagonist, with agitated, tense, and highly dramatic singing, narrates how he has murdered Cecilia. Madrid-born baritone Gerardo Bullón, often an outstanding supporting cast member at both the Teatro Real and the Teatro de la Zarzuela, has successfully tackled the demanding lead role of Puck. Bullón demonstrated great effort and commitment in his dramatic characterization, which was intense and revealing of the various facets of the character. Vocally, his beautiful and noble baritone timbre resonated throughout the hall. He skillfully delineated the "Colombina bella" and the romance "Caminar," accentuating with great nobility and intention the phrase "Has dicho bien," with which he punctuates Lina's preceding intervention. (...) Regardless, his was a remarkable vocal and dramatic performance.
Beckmesser (11.11.23) · Gonzalo Alonso
Bullón, with his attractive baritone timbre, reserves himself to give it all and move the audience with his narration of Lina's murder, earning a standing ovation.
El País (10.11.23) · Jorge Fernández Guerra
Gerardo Bullón, in his role as Puck, emerges victorious in a character that always seems to evoke the original by Emilio Sagi-Barba more than 100 years ago. His vocal performance is excellent, displaying power and precise musicality.
Doce Notas (10.11.23) · Arturo Reverter
Bullón is a rather lyrical but well-shaded baritone, with a noble sonority, a resonant and firm timbre, and a rare timbral homogeneity. This stems from his excellent equality across registers and the mastery of impeccable technique, allowing him to regulate and nuance with comfort and ease and to phrase with taste. His singing, while not strictly academic, may lack the final touch to reach exquisite heights. He sings with ease and frankness, and his voice effortlessly fills the room due to the timbre and placement, maintaining a consistently natural expression of song to reach every corner of the hall. His low notes are always round and natural. These virtues are evident in his lead role, which is tough, rugged, tense, and demanding, requiring an expression close to the purest verismo. Whether in his initial solo, the well-known "Caminar, caminar," or in dialogues with the two protagonists and in his final exclamations ("¡Se reía! ¡Se reía!"), Bullón, particularly committed and following the stage direction, intensifies the exaggerated expression and the cry.
They performed well in parts below their merits, (...) bass Javier Castañeda as Roberto.