Opera North 25th Anniversary Concert Grand Theater Leeds
1. YORKSHIRE POST 18 Nov 2003 - David Denton
...A young Wagnerian tenor, Stuart Skelton, is presently appearing in Opera North's Rusalka, and here he moved to two of his most celebrated roles in Lohengrin and Die Walküre. His quiet and noble In Fernem Land, when Lohengrin fatefully discloses his name to his bride, was a deeply sad and moving moment...... The unforgettable joy of the evening came with the whole of the opening act of Die Walküre, the cellos biting into their strings to set the dramatic scene. Skelton must surely be the finest Siegmund of our time, his voice seemingly created to sing the role, weight and refinement creating every twist and turn of this complex character.
Wagner Gala Leipzig Opera Gewandhaus Orchestra (Asher Fisch)
1.. LEIPZIGER VOLKSZEITUNG 8 Feb 2004 - Peter Korfmacher
Last – Minute replacement tenor puts an end to the hero shortage
Stuart Skelton. Note the name. And if it appears in an opera programme anywhere, go there. If you happen to find it on a CD, buy it. Because it is a name which stands for a new era. An era which puts an end to all lamentations about the demise of the heroic tenor. An era in which Siegmund, Siegfried, Lohengrin, Rienzi, Tannhäuser and Tristan can be heard as they are meant to be, not just “near enough”. In actual fact, Skelton was only second choice for the Wagner Gala at the Leipzig Opera. Bayreuth’s mighty warrior, Peter Seiffert, had originally been intended for the spotlights of Leipzig’s fully sold-out house, but illness forced him to cancel his appearance, and the gala had to go on without a big name. Although the Intendant, Henri Maier, was fair enough to give advance notice to as many ticket-holders as possible, there were only two returns. This proves, for one thing, that Leipzig’s citizens are not fixed on names. For another, the desire to hear Wagner’s music in the city of his birth is so great that all other considerations take second place.
But back to Skelton. With bronzed power, ringing high-tones and a vigorously radiant delivery, he brought bold contour to Siegmund during the complete first act of Walküre – a minor sensation in itself at this level. But that the same singer, after the interval, should produce Lohengrin’s grail narration so caressingly, with creamy softness and a tender and introspective lyrical delicacy, and then to also find the right timbres and colors for Rienzi’s sad prayer, is unheard of.
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