Role Reviews
Rosalind Plowright gives another of her impressive performances as her rival the Princess of Bouillon. Rupert Christiansen - Daily Telegraph
It is especially delightful to hear Rosalind Plowright, as the Amneris-like villain in stupendous vocal form, and looking and acting as a great star. Robin Holloway - The Spectator
But the honors of the evening undoubtedly go to Rosalind Plowright as the evil Princess de Bouillon, Adriana’s rival. Her voice is enormous, but she uses it with spine-tingling intensity, creating a haunting portrait of a soul in torment. Warwick Thompson - Metro
As the Princess who dispatches her rival with a bowl of poisoned violets, Rosalind Plowright - a stage legend, having outfaced Janet Baker in Maria Stuarda - looks a killer from the start, and singing to kill for, too. Roderic Dunnett - The Independent
Rosalind Plowright is wonderful at capturing the princess’s fury and fading glamour. Tim Ashley - The Guardian
The night took off in Act II as the princess (Rosalind Plowright, an explosion of passion in slinky killer black) waited with alarmingly genuine yearning for Maurizio to appear - a display of vocal power, note-bending and curdles that shifted the evening up several gears. ………and it is worth going for Miss Plowright alone. Robert Thicknesse - The Times
In the role of her rival, the Princess of Bouillon, Rosalind Plowright has all the poise and vocal caliber one could wish for. It’s a commanding performance. Barry Millington - Evening Standard
Rosalind Plowright repeated her Opera Holland Park success. Both she and Miricioiu sang off the book, which made a great difference to their performances. It enabled both singers to fully engage with the audience and project supremely well-rounded portrayals. It didn't matter that there was no scenery, Plowright chewed it any way, projecting the character's jealousy and anger with remarkable vehemence. But Plowright doesn't bawl and her voice is in superb condition, so that she was a pleasure to both watch and listen to. It is a testament to her vocal health, after her change to mezzo-soprano, that she can sing Fricka and Klytemnestra and still sing other operatic roles so beautifully. Robert Hugill - Musical Vision
Ideally cast opposite her was Rosalind Plowright as the Princesse de Bouillon, a performance of gripping intensity in which the character's extreme jealousy was powerfully conveyed via a voice still capable of both deep expression and strong projection even over a large orchestral palette. Dominic McHugh - Musical Criticism - 16 Feb 2009
