“O’Rourke’s impressively versatile performance responds to the anxious shifts in Gretel’s character during the course of the narrative … Particularly in her more confident declarations there is notable heft in the upper register of her voice with bold high notes that reveal an assured Brünnhilde in the making”
“The sopranos edged out in front for boldness of performance – Erin O’Rourke’s glossy soprano was matched by a bombastic dramatic performance as Armande that covered slapstick to nightmare ”
“She found a delightful range in the songs, English translations of medieval marginalia written by bored or distracted monks that really won me over. In particular her sultry suggestiveness in “Promiscuity”, the beery cheer of “The Heavenly Banquet” and – my favourite – the warmth and affection in “The Monk and his Cat” were extremely winning.”
“There were moments where singers took safe risks, and reached for the edges of their dramatic potential, particularly in the case of O’Rourke and Hart, who both filled in the edges of nuanced, fallible characters with vocal dedication…”
