Appleby and Hopkins in Sparsely Attended Recital

Charles T. Downey, WNO singers’ pre-‘Magic Flute’ recital is charming but uneven
Washington Post, April 8, 2014

Washington National Opera will perform a new English translation of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” next month. On Sunday evening, the company presented a recital by two of the lead singers from its production, tenor Paul Appleby and baritone Joshua Hopkins, in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello promised that it was the first of a new series of such concerts to introduce audiences to some of its young artists.

Appleby has a pretty, sometimes powerful voice and considerable charm in his stage presence, but previous recitals in the area have showcased a regrettable taste for... [Continue reading]

Paul Appleby (tenor) and Joshua Hopkins (baritone)
With Natalia Katyukova, piano
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

CONCLUDING THOUGHT:
As a response to the idea that an opera company needs more of this kind of thing, the empty seats in the half-filled house hopefully speak louder than anything a critic might write.