Reviews

Songs of Pentecost this morning at St Mark’s. Stunning!!! While there were many stunning moments this morning, if you do nothing else, listen to the power of “Every Time I Feel The Spirit” with Michael Hendrick tenor! Starting at 18:50

Michael Robert Hendrick, as Susannah’s wise but flawed older brother Sam Polk, is one of the few characters not caught up in monolithic thinking. Everything that Sam says early on in the show in his talks with Susannah are crystalline nuggets of wisdom, and the siblings’ evident mutual love is truly touching.

One might be forgiven a little déjà vu seeing American tenor Michael Robert Hendrick clothed in seemingly the same denim overalls he wore as Lennie during Manitoba Opera’s 2016 production of Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men. Hendrick’s portrayal of Susannah’s protective, whiskey-swilling elder brother Sam Polk grew like a volatile powder keg ready to blow during the opera’s denouement.

Mandarin után narancs volt terítéken tegnap a Bartók Pluszon, sőt, mindjárt három is. A Horvát Nemzeti Színház vendégjátékában Prokofjev tragikomikus operáját, A három narancs szerelmesét láthattunk. A produkció egyértelműen a fesztivál eddigi csúcspontja volt.

Mandarin was Orange on Friday at the Bartók Plus, and even three. In the guest house of the Croatian National Theater we saw the tragicomic opera of Prokofiev, The Love of the Three Oranges. The production was clearly the highlight of the festival so far.

The tenor Michael Robert Hendrick shone in 'Masada', no less moved and delivered, where the heroism of the people besieged in the Rock of Masada, Israel, is narrated, and when they are lost, they decide to commit suicide before they fall as slaves of Roman power. The longest of the whole work, inspired by the Jewish funerary chants known as Kaddish, this part demands a lot from the singer, but the tenor passed the arduous test with triumphant colors that ripped the audience's applause the first movement of that part with stentorous " Amen".

"The role of the Prince was performed by the American tenor Michael Robert Hendrick, the only international guest, who thrilled us not only with his correct interpretation and vision of a spoiled hypochondriac and yet pompous Prince, but also with his excellent pronunciation of Croatian language, on which the opera is performed.”

"U ulozi Princa nastupio je američki tenor Michael Robert Hendrick, jedini inozemni gost, koji je oduševio ne samo točnim i u izrazu pogođenim tumačenjem hipohondričnog, razmaženog, a opet pompoznog Princa, nego i odličnim izgovorom hrvatskog jezika, na kojemu se predstava izvodi."

Michael Robert Hendrick sang the Bacchus-esque role of Waldemar with a strong upper register and admirable dramatic insight. Although the lower register could occasionally have been more resonant, this was a heartfelt and powerful performance. Lyrical sections such as “Mit Toves Stimme flüstert der Wald” were especially well phrased. The terrifying monologue when Waldemar confronts God as an equal was electrifying. A clarion top B flat on “Hofnarrn tragen” would have intimidated even the Almighty.

HISTORICAL EVENT IN LISINSKI
With the orchestra and choirs of the Croatian National Theatre,Croatian radiotelevision,and the Academy of music,among the soloist,especially were brilliant Michael Robert Hendrick and Dubravka Šeparović Mušović.

Aside from her beautiful singing of a big role of Tova by soprano Adela Golac Rilović,and good (solid) "episode" tenor Stjepan Franetović (Fool Klaus),bas Siniša Štork (pesant) and Ozren Bilušić as narrator who takes us into a magnificent finale,the singers who stood out especially with their singing craft and dramaticly sugestive interpretation of the text,were the german tenor guest Michael Robert Hendrick and our opera champion,mezzosoprano Dubravka Šeparović Mušović

POVIJESNI DOGAĐAJ U LISINSKOM

Uz orkestre i zborove HRT-a, Opere zagrebačkog HNK i Muzičke akademije, među solistima su briljirali Michael Robert Hendrick i Dubravka Šeparović Mušović

Uz lijepo ispjevanu veliku rolu sopranistice Adele Golac Rilović u ulozi Tove, te solidne "epizodiste" tenora Stjepana Franetovića (Luda Klaus), basa Sinišu Štorka (Seljak) i Ozrena Bilušića kao pripovjedača koji nas uvodi u zanosni finale, pjevačkim umijećem i dramatično sugestivnim tumačenjem teksta osobito su se istaknuli gostujući njemački tenor Michael Robert Hendrick i naša operna prvakinja mezzosopranistica Dubravka Šeparović Mušović.

Marking his MO debut, Michael Robert Hendrick’s deeply compassionate portrayal of the hulking Lennie, described in today’s kinder, gentler terms as a person labeled with an intellectual disability, perfectly balanced his character’s raw emotional vulnerability with volatile, brute strength. Hendrick resisted all temptation to fall into easy stereotypes, while also nailing Floyd’s wide dissonant leaps and melting lyricism as he sang of “living off the fat of the land,” projecting both heartbreak and eternal hope.

Steinbeck's Tale of Depression-Era Dreams Rngs True Today in Powerful pPoduction

If there is one reason to see this show, it must surely be Michael Robert Hendrick’s deeply compassionate portrayal of the hulking Lennie. In his MO debut, the American tenor perfectly balanced his character’s emotional vulnerability with volatile, brute strength. It would be so easy to fall prey to mere stereotypes, but Hendrick was wholly believable without ever becoming disingenuous. He also nailed all of Floyd’s wide, dissonant leaps that melt into lyricism as he sang of "living off the fat of the land," projecting both heartbreak and eternal hope.

"Salome is an adolescent girl showing her erotic charisma to stepfather Herod (excellent with cutting character tenor Michael Hendrick) specifically in the veil dance, not only to the entire court."

Deutsch: "Salome ist ein heranwachsendes Mädchen, die ihre erotisierende Ausstrahlung auf Stiefvater Herodes (exzellent mit schneidendem Charaktertenor: Michael Hendrick) und den gesamten Hofstaat nicht nur im Schleiertanz gezielt einsetzt."

"Michael Hendrick with his radiant tenor plays Herod's instinctive desire and, later, the horror of Salome's handling of Johanaan's head, superbly."

Deutsch: "Michael Hendrick mit seinem strahlenden Tenor spielt Herodes’ triebhafte Verlangen und später das Entsetzen über Salomes Umgang mit Jochanaans Kopf ausgesprochen souverän."

"The Herodes and Herodias team was also excellent. Michael Hendrick's tenor's gamut ranges from the buffoonesque to the fully powerful and dramatic."

Deutsch: "Hervorragend auch das Gespann Herodes und Herodias. Tenor Michael Hendrick verfügt über buffonesk leichte bis kraftvoll-dramatische Stimmlagen."

"Michael Hendrick presents a vocally powerful, characteristically defined and gross, decadent Herodes."

Deutsch: "Das Umfeld steht ihr in nichts nach. Michael Hendrick präsentiert einen stimmgewaltigen, profiliert charakterisierenden und feist dekadenten Herodes."

SALOME: WUPPERTAL Michael Hendrick and Dubravka Husovic excelled as a quarrelsome couple Herod and Herodias.

Deutsch: Michael Hendrick und Dubravka Musovic brillierten als zerstrittenes Ehepaar Herodes und Herodias.

"Michael Hendrick is the lustful, delightfully greasy Herod."

Deutsch: "Michael Hendrick gibt den lüsternen Herodes herrlich schmierig."