Some reviews from my performances as Arkel in @theromeocastellucci ‘s gorgeous new production of Pelléas et Mélisande @teatroallascala “John Relyea’s resonant Arkel was impeccable”
-La Vanguardia
“John Relyea brings a prodigious, powerful bass timbre to Arkel”
-Huffington Post
“John Relyea lent his beautiful, deep-toned bass to the role of Arkel,with touching phrasing”
-Corriere Della Spettacolo
“In the role of Arkel, John Relyea’s deep and monumental bass perfectly embodies the wisdom - but also the helplessness - of the old man.”
-Concertonet.com
“John Relyea, with his velvety and powerful instrument, gives Arkel the right authority, also supported by the solemnity of his stage presence.”
-Operalibera
“John Relyea favors the breadth of phrasing, a burnished timbre, and a long breath which restore the nobility of the king of Allemonde.”
-Première Loge
“John Relyea balances iron-willed authority and empathy as King Arkel.”
-Financial Times
Photo credit: Monika Ritterhaus
#operasingersofinstagram #pelléasetmélisande #basso #debussy operahous
Another evening with Ponchielli’s La Gioconda. A splendid debut by Michael Fabiano as Enzo Grimaldi and by John Relyea as Alvise.
In the cast, Gabriele Viviani was as impressive as he was villainous. A wonderful evening—every singer gave their best and the success was significant…
A standing ovation @salzburgerfestspiele with @nezetseguin conducting Act 1 of Die Walküre with @viennaphilharmonic and my stellar colleagues @elzasoprano and @stanislasdebarbeyrac . It really doesn’t get any better than this!
This will be a memory to truly treasure.
#gratitude #operasingersofinstagram #wagner #greatperformances #salzburg #walküre
Announcing opera engagements for the upcoming season!
These are highlights- dates and more; including concerts to follow on my website.
Photo credit: Nirah Sanghani
#operasingersofinstragram #bass #ópera #puccini #debussy #tchaikovsky
We recently opened Parsifal @glyndebourne and it has been a wonderful experience to say the least. Not to mention a great honor, as this is the very first time this opera has been mounted in Glyndebourne Festival’s 90 year history.
Just as it was when I sang King Mark in Tristan and Isolde here in 2021, performing Wagner in a venue as intimate as this brings so much to life between the characters and becomes a powerfully immersive experience for the audience.
I share the stage with a remarkably talented cast:
@danieljohanssontenor@kristinastanek@auduniv@speedogreen John Tomlinson @liambonthrone@dingleyandell
All of whom have put their hearts and souls into this project, supporting each other in a beautiful way. The result speaks for itself.
Gurnemanz is one of my very favorite roles, one that I look forward to performing much more in the future. I’m flattered by the many glowing reviews.
Many heartfelt thanks to the wonderful Robin Ticciati for his gorgeous conducting of the @londonphilharmonicorchestra ,the fantastic Glyndebourne chorus , and for his incredible collaborative spirit. Also to our director Jetske Mijnsen for bringing us all together into this wonderfully play-like, human interpretation of the work.
#ópera #wagner #operasingersofinstagram #basses #operasingers #parsifal #gratitude
Photos:
Glyndebourne Productions Ltd Photos: Richard Hubert Smith.
SO excited to be back @operadeparis for Tobias Kratzer’s brilliant production of Gounod’s Faust. We were so close to performing the first run in 2021, but Covid stopped us 😖. So now, FINALLY I’m back to really do it!!
My performances are Oct 8, 12, 15, and 18. 🎶🎉
#operasingersofinstagram, #faust, #bass, #basso, #mephisto, #gounod, #opera, #devil
Taking this opportunity to send all a heartfelt greeting for 2024! 🎉. Here’s to a new year bringing happiness and health. I am profoundly grateful for my wife, sons, friends, colleagues 🤗. Life is a roller coaster.. peaks, valleys..Success and happiness can be mere snapshots in time. Let’s help each other make them into full-length features!
🎊
I would also like to give my thanks to @opera_roma for bringing me here for my first appearance of 2024 in Die Zauberflöte, as well as my previous operatic outing last month in Mefistofele, which was an exhilarating, fun, and rewarding experience!
Buon Anno e auguri a tutti! #buonanno #roma #operasingersofinstagram #bassi #bass #gratitude #opera #flautomagico #magicflute #mozart #unity #opera #happynewyear #mefistofele #friendship #family
Review highlights from my performances as Filippo II @royaloperahouse :
“John Relyea was magnificent as Phillip ll..” -The Article
“John Relyea is a revelation as King Phillip ll, with his strong and secure bass possessing the right level of nuance, and his demeanor suggesting a man who is genuinely weighed down by the burdens that come with his position and personal circumstances.”
-opera-online.com
“…his ‘Ella giammai m’amo’ was superb and even brought back memories of Boris Christoff in his prime!”
-Edinburgh Music Review/Slippedisc
“…John Relyea was extraordinarily powerful here, but so fully-rounded had his singing been that the portrayal of this Philip that emerged was one of astonishing depth.”
-operatoday.com
“King Phillip, played by John Relyea, has great depth with moments of tyrannical fury contrasting with an intimate portrayal of loneliness”
-London-unattached.com
“…John Relyea, a growly, majestic Philip..”
-Culturewhisperer.com
“…anyone would be cowed by John Relyea's cavernous bass as the King, matched by noble presence and the ability to let his regal mask slip and then regain dignity.”
-Gramophone.uk
“John Relyea's dark-toned Philip II conjures up a plausible picture of an embittered, cruel monarch..”
-The Guardian
“Canadian bass John Relyea plays a very austere, King Philip Il, moving with just the right amount of brooding menace. His lustrous, smooth, dark timbre convincingly portrays his rancorous persona, and he is downright ruthless, if not cruel, in the effecting of his duties as both King and husband. However, he gets to inject some beautifully dulcet qualities into his fourth act aria “Ella giammai m'amò" where he laments that the Queen never loved him. He utters the final phrase "No, quel cor chiuso m'è, amor per me non ha!" with such heartfelt conviction that it is impossible not to sympathize with his plight.”
-Operawire.com
“John Relyea, the gravelly magnificence of whose tone was deployed also to suggest his human (albeit self-pitying) side.”
-Yahoonews.com
#operasingersofinstagram #basso #KingPhillip #Doncarlo #Doncarlos #operacanada #canadianoperasingers #operareview #operasingersoninstagram #verdi #verdiopera
Just finished an exhilarating run of Rhinegold with the wonderful ENO in my role debut of Wotan!
Reviews:
“…The most impressive Wotan fielded by this company since Norman Bailey in the early 1970s.” - The Evening Standard
“John Relyea is a Wotan of world-class vocal and dramatic quality..” -The Arts Desk
“The abyssal bass-baritone of the Canadian John Relyea (Wotan) is downright breathtaking.”-Klassik Begeistert
“Canadian John Relyea is a luxurious Wotan..” -The Telegraph
“John Relyea was a formidable Wotan, his plush, dark bass-baritone filling out Wagner's vocal lines with an outpouring of rich, noble sound.” -Musicomh.com
“John Relyea's cavernously dark-toned Wotan is also very much the singer for the role.” -The Guardian
“…led with gravitas by John Relyea's Wotan, who's unflagging and powerful bass is ideally suited to this role.” -Planethugill.com
“..John Relyea is an equally excellent Wotan, whose bass is perfectly suited to the role..”
-opera-online.com
“Canadian bass John Relyea is a powerful Wotan, his dark-grained, chocolaty voice blending nobility with anguish.”
-Musical America.com
“..His vocals are crisp and booming but interwoven with a contemplative tension..”
-Broadwayworld.com
“…John Relyea's commanding, eloquent Wotan..”
-The Spectator
“John Relyea sang and acted the part of Wotan with great authority…”
-Express.co.uk
“John Relyea's Wotan captured, in another strikingly mature portrayal, so many of the nuances and contradictions in the god's complex, world-winning (perhaps) personality.”
-Operatoday.com
“John Relyea's Wotan was a far more nuanced character than we often see, distanced and dreamy as often as he was bullying or devious.”
-Bachtrack.com
“…his soft-grained voice told us of Wotan’s dreams, mainly delusions, in a sumptuous opening phrase for Scene two..”
-Operawire.com
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#operasingersofinstagram #wagner #ringcycle #wotan #bass #bass-baritone #valhalla #opera #operareviews #Canadianoperasingers #Johnrelyea
♠️ I Have been truly relishing my role debut of Sparafucile @metopera . It came as a surprise 😳 as I was asked to jump in during last week of rehearsals. But it’s been a great fit, and will top off what has been one of my most truly exhilarating seasons here. ✊🏻
These shots were taken by the brilliant makeup artist @valentinacelada345 who has helped bring so many of my characters to life. She clearly has a gift for photography too !📸
#Operasingersofinstagram #johnrelyea #johnrelyeabass #metopera #operaphotos #rigoletto #verdi
Tonight’s closing performance of Brett Dean’s Hamlet brings a bittersweet feeling… I am so proud and happy to have been part of this amazing new work, and my cast is full of the most talented, dedicated performers one could ever ask for, who also, btw, happen to be incredible people. 🌹
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I will truly miss them, and will hold these memories among the fondest of my career. I thank @metopera@metorchestra@metoperachorus@metoperaactors for this beautiful experience. ❤️
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#opera #metopera #shakespeare #closingnight #gratitude #johnrelyea #johnrelyeabass
