Christine Brewer – Press

“…soprano Christine Brewer was for me highlight of the evening. Equipped with a voice that could bury the entire orchestra, she displayed a combination of raw power, lyricism, and emotional expression that the role of warrior demi-goddess Brünnhilde demands.”

“Brewer achieved astounding leaps with the power of a blazing, fearsome angel, and the transition from subversive, chattering chorus to an explosion of ringing brass was breathtaking.”

“…on an evening that ended with a merry prankster meeting his maker, it was the singing of guest soprano Christine Brewer that stood out… …”Beim Schlafengehen” (“When falling asleep”) was the highlight of the four songs, the tenderness of Brewer’s singing rising to a level of grandeur. Her forte is an exquisite shift in tone and volume from one word to the next as she brings the lyrics to life. After the long last chord there was an immediate burst of applause from the audience.”

“When the ‘wonderland of the night opened up’ she was right there, her voice swelling in both pitch and volume, which was matched by the orchestral accompaniment. The clarity of her upper register is simply glorious, soaring into the upper reaches of the balcony.”

“Brewer, who created the role at Minnesota Opera, displayed commanding stage presence to go with one of the world’s great voices, as well as perfect delivery as a strong, pragmatic woman who is, when the opera begins, a stranger to doubt.”

“Soprano Christine Brewer approached the brief, epigrammatic texts with intelligence and understanding, and sang with rich beauty; Robertson and the orchestra accompanied her superbly.”

“Among the highlights of the evening were Brewer’s accounts of ‘Bist du bei mir’ (long misattributed to J.S. Bach) and Franck’s ‘Panis angelicus,’ both of them delivered with an unblemished clarity of tone that made them sound utterly entrancing.”

“Her voice filled the space with ease; its gold-hued tones and certain pitch added to her sure way with the texts for a solid artistic whole.”

“Gifted with an ample, plush voice of unforced power, Ms. Brewer proved more than capable of holding her own against that magnificent instrument [pipe organ].”

“Her highest notes, silver bullets at their best, tend toward stridency, but in much of this repertory she was able to stay within her rich yet clear middle voice.”

“It shifted the whole mood of the event, stripping away the presumed formality of a song recital and introducing the idea of fun… The cycle is touchingly romantic in an anodyne sort of way but got a lot of oomph from Brewer’s powerful delivery.”