Reviews Listed Chronologically, page 1“Of
the soloists, tenor Robert Breault gave the most polished performance; his
laser-focused pianissimos were most impressive, and his use of ornamentation
was always tasteful.”
Salt Lake Tribune
(Reese Newton)
“Utah Voices sings ‘Messiah’ with spirit conviction”
December 13, 2011
Utah Voices, Messiah, Handel.
“The
ardent vocal quartet was grounded in Richard Zellner’s stentorian baritone and
capped by Heidi Grant Murphy’s gleaming soprano. Mezzo Suzanne Mentzer and
tenor Robert Breault, who was the incisive tenor soloist in the Symphony’s 2009
performance of the Ninth, matched the strength if not the bright colors of the
outer voices.”
SanDiego.com
(Herman)
“John Nelson
Conducts Beethoven’s Ninth with
Symphony
An exuberant, compelling account”
December 12, 2011
San Diego Symphony,
Ninth Symphony, Beethoven.
"When
Bass Richard Zeller opened the vocal section, his voice filled the hall.
Symphony Hall is a tough venue for soloists but this quartet marshaled their
voices and ‘painted the back wall’. Robert Breault handled the impossible tenor
solo as well as could ever be expected. It is a brutal piece of music to sing.”
San Diego Reader
(Harris) December 12, 2011
San Diego Symphony,
Ninth Symphony, Beethoven.
Adelaide is a wonderfully lyrical piece, and Breault
captured the character of the music in his nuanced account. His singing was
expressive and fluid. The same was also true for An die ferne Geliebte.
The yearning and tenderness expressed in the words and music was brought to the
fore in Breault’s treatment. His singing was beautifully phrased and delivered,
and both he and Price brought out the nuances of the music in their perceptive
and thoughtful collaborative interpretation. Reichel Recommends (Reichel)
November 13, 2011
Nova Concert
Series, Salt Lake City, Adelaide
and An die ferne Geliebte,
Beethoven.
Tenor
Robert Breault, with Jeffrey Price at the piano, brought his usual
professionalism to the song “Adelaide” and the song cycle “An die ferne
Geliebte (To the Immortal Beloved).” The latter set of songs, addressed to the
mysterious woman Beethoven considered the love of his life, poignantly balances
longing and resignation — and the sensitively phrased performance by Breault
and Price delivered both these qualities.
Salt Lake Tribune
(Reese Newton)
November 13, 2011
Nova Concert
Series, Salt Lake City
Adelaide
and An die ferne Geliebte,
Beethoven.“The soloists were superb. Tenor
Robert Breault got the first spotlight and delivered a warm interpretation
throughout, with a warm and sweet tone which was absolutely pleasing.”Orlando
Philharmonic Orchestra Examiner (Meneses)
October 24, 2011
Florida Bach
Festival, Requiem, Verdi.
“Baritone Daniel Lichti and tenor Robert Breault also contributed several well sung solos and duets”
Orlando Sentinel, March 1, 2010
Florida Bach Festival, B Minor Mass, Bach.
“Tenor Breault sang with bright-toned clarity that never sounded strained.”
San Diego News Network (Scher), December 5, 2009
San Diego Symphony, Ninth Symphony, Beethoven.
“The vocal soloists — Theodora
Hanslowe, mezzo-soprano; Robert Breault, tenor; and Daniel Mobbs,
bass-baritone — sang their solo and ensemble pieces with character and
clarity.”
New York Times (Kozinn) April 13, 2009
New York City Opera, Pulcinella, Stravinsky.
“Dorian Wilson, sixth of the
music-director candidates to conduct Masterworks concerts with the
Richmond Symphony, is joined by a onetime University of Michigan
classmate, tenor Robert Breault, in one of the most striking selections
in the orchestra’s current season: "Les Illuminations," Benjamin
Britten’s song cycle on poems of Arthur Rimbaud.”…In the second of
three performances of "Les Illuminations," Breault, positioned above
and behind the strings, projected forcefully and sounded thoroughly
immersed in both the spirit and imagery of Rimbaud's strangely
evocative texts. Expressively, the French language was no barrier to
the listener's understanding. Breault was a clarion narrative voice in
"Villes" and "Royauté." In more impressionistic texts, such as
"Antique" and "Being Beautious," his tone was softer, more misty, and
his inflection more poetic. His consistency of tone production, up to
some very high notes, was remarkable. In all, he delivered an absorbing
performance.
Letter V (Clark Bustard) March 8, 2009
Richmond Symphony, Les Illuminations, Britten.
“…But songs like “Where‘er you
walk” are more matter-of-fact and clean. Their emotional heft relies
more on clarity and phrasing than booming, sing-to-the-cheap-seats
firepower. That’s exactly what tenor Robert Breault gave the song, with
beautifully sensitive accompaniment by the Florentine Orchestra,
conducted by Jane Glover.”
Milwaukee Magazine (Kosidowski) March 3, 2009
Florentine Opera (Milwaukee), Semele, Handel.
“The singers commanded the music
from a place high enough to allow them to focus, first, on the
emotional shadings rather than the thousands of notes and, second, on
stylish acting and nuanced comedy….Tenor Robert Breault's Jove is a
smooth operator, in the way he sings and the way he moves.. His
rendition of the lyric aria "Wherever You Walk" would melt any woman's
heart.”
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Strini) February 28, 2009
Florentine Opera (Milwaukee), Semele, Handel.
“Tenor Robert Breault, last seen
here in 2004 as Almaviva in "The Barber of Seville," capably makes the
transition from lyric to spinto for the heavier role of the painter
Mario Cavarodossi. Breault brought vigor to the character and sang with
velocity. His cries of "victory" could punch holes in the plaster, and
his third act aria, "E lucevan le stelle," was brawny as well as
beautiful.”
The Grand Rapids Press (Kaczmarczyk) November 8, 2008
Opera Grand Rapids, Tosca, Puccini.
“Of the soloists, tenor Robert
Breault - singing with a bad cold - was most memorable, bringing
genuine excitement and keen focus to his solo passage.”
Salt Lake Tribune (Reese Newton) September 13, 2008.
Utah Symphony, 9th Symphony, Beethoven.
“And despite having a cold,
Breault triumphed Friday evening, singing his demanding solo ("Froh,
wie seine Sonnen fliegen") with conviction.”
Deseret News (Reichel) September 13, 2008
Utah Symphony, 9th Symphony, Beethoven.
“….brought a telling ping to Edgardo's betrayal and an appealing lyricism to the final scene.”
Opera News (Ketterson) August, 2008.
Madison Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizetti
“Breault's showpieces from Bizet's "Carmen" and Puccini's "La Boheme" were sung with power and charisma”
Detroit Free Press (Stryker) August 4, 2008
Detroit Symphony, Night at the Opera with Leonard Slatkin.
“Robert Breault turned in a witty,
commanding portrayal as the meddling “Pandarus.” Whether nailing the
fussy melismas, making musical sense of the angular and long-winded
phrases, or pouring out some plain ol' fine lyric tenor singing, he
commanded the stage every moment with his thoroughly engaging
performance.”
Opera Today (Sohre) July 6, 2008
Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Troilus and Cressida, Walton (Pandarus).
“Tenor Robert Breault makes an
endearing campy-uncle figure of Pandarus, Calkas' brother and Troilus'
confidant. It's a plausible conception, and his expressive tenor evokes
memories of Peter Pears, for whom the role was written.”
The Dallas Morning News (Cantrell) June 23, 2008
Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Troilus and Cressida, Walton (Pandarus).
“Some of the most remarkable
singing comes from tenor Robert Breault as Cressida's fey uncle
Pandarus, whose attempts to unite the lovers are undone by royal
politics. The role was written for and first performed by Peter Pears
and it's hard not to hear echoes of the great British tenor's
wide-ranging, flexible voice (to say nothing of the music of his
partner, Benjamin Britten) in the role's florid vocal lines. Breault -
a late substitution for Stanford Olsen, who was sidelined by a torn
tendon - negotiates the many difficult passages with ease and is a
solid comic actor.”
KDHX (Lavazzi) June 25, 2008
Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Troilus and Cressida, Walton (Pandarus).
“Most of the cast were vocally and
physically well-suited for their roles, if, too often, dramatically
stiff. The exception to the stiffness rule was the eminently watchable
Pandarus of Robert Breault (substituting for Stanford Olsen, who tore a
tendon shortly before staging began), having a splendid,
just-campy-enough time as the lovers' tres-gay go-between.”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Sarah Bryan Miller) June 22,2008
Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Troilus and Cressida, Walton (Pandarus).
“This is a gorgeous opera, but
difficult to sing. The vocal lines are strung through long sweeping
melodies that stretch tonality. Director Lawless' cast is well suited
to the task….But the two standout performances are delivered by
Elizabeth Batton, the lustrous, creamy mezzo-soprano who plays
Cressida's double-crossing servant Evadne, and Robert Breault, who has
a great time as Pandarus, the delightfully sleazy "fixer."”
The Riverfront Times (Prince) June 25, 2008
Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Troilus and Cressida, Walton (Pandarus).
“Tenor Robert Breault captured the
desperate comedy of Pandarus with his high tenor; another standout was
mezzo Elizabeth Batton aa Evadne.”
Wall Street Journal (Waleson) July 5, 2008
Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Troilus and Cressida, Walton (Pandarus).
“Mark S. Doss and Robert Breault were strong as Diomede and the comic figure Pandarus.”
Financial Times (Loomis) June 30, 2008
Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Troilus and Cressida, Walton (Pandarus).
“Robert Breault, another first-timer, was a delightful
Pandarus, providing some comic relief as he filled in nobly for the
injured Stanford Olson, who bowed to the opera's setting by tearing his
Achilles tendon.”
KWMU (Pollack) June 27, 2008
Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Troilus and Cressida, Walton (Pandarus).
“…the artistry of the excellent vocal solo¬ists, primarily
mezzo-soprano Isola Jones and tenor Robert Breault, contributed
mightily to the sometimes overwhelming inner tremors experienced in
hearing this extremely emotional music."
Bulletin of the Art Renaissance Initiative (Dimitri Drobatschewsky) July/August 2008
(World Premiere) Guadalupe, Our Lady of the Roses, James Demars (Juan Diego).
“All the performances are strong….In the end, of course, it's
the voices that carry the performance. Breault and Ketelsen are veteran
Madison Opera performers of which we can never hear enough.”
The Capitol Times (Muckian) May 10, 2008
Madison Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizetti.
“As intensely emotional as Lucia is her love, Edgardo, (was)
sung by Robert Breault with conviction…..Breault has a solid lyric
tenor voice and acted well.”
The Wisconsin State Journal (Aehl) May 10, 2008
Madison Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizetti
“As the bad guy, Grimoaldo, tenor Robert Breault brought vivid
authority and amazingly produced high notes to his eye-patched
character."
The Oregonian (Stabler), February 11, 2008
Portland Opera, Rodelinda, Handel.
“…in Act Three, Mr. Breault was totally vindicated with a
memorable and moving reading of his big scena of doubt and redemption.
Amazingly fine.”
Opera Today (Sohre), February 18, 2008.
Portland Opera, Portland Opera, Rodelinda, Handel.
“The cast of the opera is truly stellar; Robert Breault has a
giant voice with a top register which he is able to open to the skies
with no visible effort at all, to soar above orchestra and everyone
else, furthermore, he is a fine actor. His character has little
action-he pines away from love which is not returned- and he made us
care about him, right to the last note.”
The Post Journal (August 2, 2007) and Chautauqua Daily (Plyler), August 6, 2007
Chautauqua Opera, Werther, Massenet.
“I’ve heard many famous singers as Werther, but other than
Alfredo Krauss, Breault gave the most complete portrayal musically and
dramatically. Though no beginner, (he) proved much more credible as a
youthful Romantic poet than Krauss (seen at age fifty-eight in San
Francisco). Besides a ductile tenor that allows him to negotiate a full
dynamic span, from silvery head tone to ringing forte, even within a
single phrase, Breault has superb diction putting across the not always
felicitous Norman Tucker translation with great aplomb. Alert to
colleagues’ words, Breault brought every moment of the role to life.”
The Chautauqua Daily (Shengold) ‘Tenor Breault scores in Chautauqua Opera’s fine Werther’, August 9, 2007
Chautauqua Opera, Werther, Massenet
(See also a similar review in Opera News listed above!)
“Tenor Robert Breault provided a comic turn as the Roasting Swan, the high notes much to his liking.”
The Orange County Register (Mangan), June 9, 2007
Pacific Symphony, Carmina Burana, Orff.
“The fine tenor Robert Breault captured the opera's first
telling moment, singing Hal's "I promise thee" and ending on a
pianissimo high G……Breault made Hal's rejection of Falstaff
devastating, his tenor lancing in clarion tones, his lines alternately
pianissimo and raging forte.”
San Francisco Classical Voice (Commanday) May 22, 2007
Orquesta Sinfonica Sinaloa de las Artes, Mazatlan, Mexico, Plump Jack, Getty.
“Supporting Terfel were tenor Robert Breault, singing the role
of Obadiah with consummate sensitivity and intelligence as usual…”
Salt Lake Tribune (Reese Newton) May 12, 2007
Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Elijah, Mendelssohn.
“World-renowned baritone Bryn Terfel, who has sung the role of
Elijah numerous times and has also recorded it, joined the choir and
orchestra along with soprano Othalie Graham, mezzo-soprano Adriana
Zabala and tenor Robert Breault. They were a well-matched quartet,
bringing lyrical beauty, power and drama to the performance….superb”
Deseret News (Reichel) May 15, 2007
Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Elijah, Mendelssohn.
“Sam Polk (the wonderful tenor Robert Breault who was convincing as a well-meaning, sympathetic drunk…”
The Arizona Daily Star (Burch), “Arizona Opera's 'Susannah' poses moral question with a Southern accent,” April 30, 2007
Arizona Opera, Susannah, Floyd.
“There were some standout performers: Robert Breault as
Susannah's older brother did the best job of creating a character with
multiple dimensions.”
The Arizona Republic (Nilsen), 'Susannah' appealing even if facts all wet,” April 21, 2007
Arizona Opera, Susannah, Floyd.
“Local favorite Robert Breault was a marvelous Edgardo. He,
too, brought feeling and emotional energy to his role. His strong tenor
has the right qualities for bel canto roles. His singing was lyrical
yet forceful, and in duets with Lucia his singing was both passionate
and wonderfully expressive.”
The Deseret News (Reichel), “Lucia vocals, acting exceptional,” March 13, 2007
Utah Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizetti.
“Utah's own Robert Breault portrays Edgardo, Lucia's beloved
but her brother's sworn enemy. This is the tenor's first real "good
guy" role with Utah Opera, and he sang it with lyric sweetness and
dramatic heft. His big aria in the final scene, after Edgardo learns of
Lucia's breakdown and death, was powerful and poignant.”
The Salt Lake Tribune (Reese),. “Beautiful singing dominate ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’,” March 11,2007
Utah Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizetti.
Robert Breault gave dynamic breath to the piece, especially in the aria “If with all your hearts ye seek me.”
Jacksonville Times-Union (Dryden), November 18, 2006
Jacksonville Symphony, Elijah, Mendelssohn
“Somewhat
lost in the avalanche of praise for New York City Opera's new Semele
was the performance of tenor ROBERT BREAULT. He gave a witty, touching
account of Jupiter (with overtones of John F. Kennedy); somehow he took
STEPHEN LAWLESS's rather pointlessly busy stage direction and gave the
most committed performance on the stage. (His lovely rendition of
"Where e'er you walk" was also the vocal highlight of the afternoon.)
He has been around New York a bit: he sang Carmen and Traviata with
City Opera and also turned up in Tancredi with Opera Orchestra of New
York a few seasons ago. But this was, I believe, the first time I had
heard Breault, and I left the State Theater with one of the great
feelings you can have as an audience member — a sense of discovery.
Breault cut his teeth on Handel, singing Messiah with NICHOLAS
MCGEGAN and the Philharmonia Baroque. "When discussion came for this
year at City Opera," he says, "Semele was one of the possibilities, and
I asked my agent to push for this. This is something I used to do and
hadn't been doing. I don't see myself as the next Villazón or anything
like that. But this really fit into the career track that I wanted to
explore."
Breault believes that acting should inspire singing. "The clue to
every single scene is the music. That's something that we all as
singers need to remind ourselves. I had a tabula rasa in terms of
ornamentation. I didn't come in with any of them pre-written; I wanted
them to be written because of what was devised onstage. [Conductor]
ANTONY WALKER was great about that. The ornaments I'm doing almost
every night are a little bit different, and based on the staging."
A native of Marinette, Wisconsin, Breault sang in the Met Auditions
when he was twenty-one. "I came in singing the Prize Song," he
remembers, "and I changed it to 'Una furtiva lagrima,' and everyone was
laughing, and I had no clue why. One judge was LORNA HAYWOOD, who ended
up being my mentor at the University of Michigan. Now I'm married to
her sister. Instead of going out and having to live in New York and
doing temp jobs and the things that singers do when they're in their
twenties, I started teaching. I continued to learn. Now I'm behind, in
the sense of what I'm doing in New York. A lot of people are like, 'Who
the hell is this guy? What's he doing here?'"
Since 1992, Breault has taught on the voice faculty at the
University of Utah. (His students include CELENA SHAFER.) "I find that
I can almost predict where they're going to end up by the amount of
curiosity they have," he says. "They think if they have a great voice,
they're going to have a great career. But I'm very excited with these
iPods. It's made it possible for students to sort of own records again.
They can find a GEORGES THILL recording and pull it offline and share
it with everybody. I'm trying to use this new technology to inspire
them to be more curious than their predecessors perhaps have been."
Opera News (Kellow) November, 2006
New York City Opera, Semele, Handel
“The singers perform everything asked of them with good nature,
and musical standards are high under conductor Antony Walker’s alert
baton. Robert Breault (Jupiter)… never less than (an) elegant stylist.”
New York Magazine (Davis) October 2, 2006
New York City Opera, Semele, Handel
“This kind of singing - along with Genaux's nifty double-act as
Juno and Semele's sister Ino, and Robert Breault's keenly focused tenor
as the presidential Jupiter - made what could have been "Handel for
Dummies" emerge as devilishly clever and disgracefully successful.”
New York Post (Barnes) September 14, 2006
New York City Opera, Semele, Handel
“Portraying Jupiter and Apollo, Robert Breault managed to be sly, heroic and vulnerable, as needed.”
The Financial Times (Bernheimer) September 14, 2006
New York City Opera, Semele, Handel
“Tenor Robert Breault ranged well across Jupiter's ardent and anguished moods, a touch of distinguished gray in his hair.”
The Newark Star-Ledger (Bambarger) September 15, 2006
New York City Opera, Semele, Handel
“Tenor Robert Breault was Tosca’s equal in every way, singing
an insouciant, fiery, demanding, and very romantic Cavaradossi. His
early aria about his love for Tosca, “Recondita armonia” was elegant as
well as fervent. And his duet with her that followed “Qual’occhio al
mondo?” was passionately phrased. Mr. Breault’s Mario also understood
Tosca’s weaknesses, the tenor calmly reasurring her “Mia Tosca,
idolatrata,”, then warning her against Scarpia “Taci!”, yet stinging in
accusation “Tosca, hai parlato?”. Nor is this Mario easily defeated by
Scarpia and his henchmen, Breault boldly facing them with an incisive,
“Vi sfido” and then pealing out a fanatical “Vittoria! Vittoria!” when
informed Napoleon’s forces have won, delivered with such ringing
intensity and glorious tone, there were gasps from the audience.
But Breault was just as vocally profligate in his Act Three,
rendering “E lucevan le stelle, And where the stars once shone...” with
deeply affecting melancholy as he struggled to write his last letter to
Tosca. The artist was awarded with prolonged applause.
Breault is also a fine actor, rushing into Tosca’s arms when she
has come to free him, his body as animated with joy as his voice for
their concluding duet was death bitter “ Amaro sol per te m’era il
morire”. He was equally riveting when nervously standing before the
“mock” firing squad, his body then spasmodically jerking from the
bullets, and falling into a bloody heap at Tosca’s feet. And thus her
run to the parapet and jumping off with the fierce cry, “O Scarpia,
avanti a Dio!” seemed as inevitable as Puccini had wished.”
San Francisco Classical Voice (Keolker) July 8, 2006
Festival Opera, Tosca, Verdi
“Tenor Robert Breault was a smooth-voiced Idomeneo, perhaps a
little too calm at times considering his predicament….Even in concert
form, with elegant dances, this "Idomeneo" came alive with more drama
and intensity than you're likely to find in any formal opera house.”
The Washington Post (Huizenga) June 5, 2006
“A Grand 'Idomeneo' From Ambitious Little Lafayette”
“OPERA MVP—Tenor Robert Breault, director of opera studies at
the University of Utah, sang the role of Don Jose in the Orchestra and
Chorus of Sandy City’s concert version of Carmen as a warm-up for
performances elsewhere. Breault’s riveting performance made everyone
around him sing and play better.”
Salt Lake Tribune (2005-The Year in Arts), December 25, 2005
Sandy City Orchestra, Carmen, Bizet
“Tenor Robert Breault had a communicative manner…”
Philadelphia Inquirer (Stearns), December 13, 2005
Philadelphia Orchestra, Messiah, Handel
“A characterful singer, tenor Robert Breault had a nice
ring….One of the finest sets of soloists I’ve heard over the years…each
of the soloists arose to play a role….each was immersed in the story as
he or she stepped forward. Recitatives were wonderfully speechlike in
rhythm and diction.”
Ann Arbor News (Nisbett), December 5, 2005
University Choral Society and the Ann Arbor Symphony, Messiah, Handel
“A rich sounding tenor with a brilliant high C”
Fort Worth Weekly (Eureka), November 23, 2005
Fort Worth Opera, La Traviata, Verdi
“The Alfredo of Robert Breault was sung with pleasant timber, agility and self assurance”
Dallas Morning News (Chism), November 13, 2005
Fort Worth Opera, La Traviata, Verdi
“Tenor Robert Breault as Violetta’s beloved Alfredo held his
own particularly in the second ballroom scene; his voice was powerful
at the right moments.”
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Gay), November 12, 2005
Forth Worth Opera, La Traviata, Verdi
“Breault displayed a powerful voice”
The Arizona Republic (Drobatschewsky), October 9, 2005
Arizona Opera, Carmen, Bizet
“One of the great songs for a tenor is his intense lament upon the tomb of his ancestors, and Breault does not disappoint.”
The Chautauquan Daily (Bannon), August 8, 2005
Chautauqua Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizetti
“Tenor Robert Breault did win the audience’s hearts as a heroic Edgar”
The Post Journal (Plyler) August 5, 2005>br>
Chautauqua Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizetti
“The concert boasted a wonderful cast, led by tenor Robert
Breault as Don Jose. He gave a stunning performance, capturing his
character's anguish and descent into desperation caused by Carmen's
fickleness, and which, ultimately, leads to her death at his hands. In
his Act II "Flower Song" and in the duets with Carmen and Micaela,
Breault showed his vocal and acting talents to the fullest. Breault
isn't heard locally as often as could be wished. He is a consummate
artist who brings a vibrancy and strength to his performances that is
all too often missing with today's singers. Even though this was a
concert performance, Breault nevertheless fleshed out his character and
made him three dimensional.”
Deseret Morning News (Reichel), May 25, 2005
Sandy City Orchestra, Carmen, Bizet
“Tenor Robert Breault, who portrays Don José, is the obvious
headliner. ….his example clearly inspired the other musicians. Besides
being spot-on musically, Breault did an amazing job capturing Don
José's disintegration with his voice alone while standing in one spot.
The final confrontation with Carmen was gripping.”
Salt Lake Tribune (Reese-Newton), May 23, 2005
Sandy City Orchestra, Carmen, Bizet
“Tenor Robert Breault sang Roland with sweet, dapper urgency,
most affecting in some soft passages in Act 3 that exuded a poignant
mixture of ache and ardor. ….(the cast was) fully at home in the French
language, with the ability to caress shades of phonemes as well as to
express literal meanings.”
Washington Post (Page) April 11, 2005
Washington Concert Opera, Esclarmonde, Massenet
|
