SEPTEMBER, 2006

musicOMH.com, 19, 21.09.06: "La Juive"
The role of Rachel was taken by the staggeringly talented marina Poplavskaya. It's hard to believe that she is a Jette Parker...because her vocal capabilities are considerable. Her act II aria was one of the highlights of the evening..this performance of La Juive will be broadcast on Radio 3 BBC on Saturday 11 November at 6.30 PM..

financial times, 21, 09.06:
..what gave this performance (repeated tonight) its class was the casting of Marina Poplavskaya as Rachel and Cabell as Eudoxie. Both sopranos are on the springboard of a great career.Despite poor French both communicated a sense of drama.. Poplavskaya is heiress to the Varady repertoire- febrile, on-the edge, intuitive, pure, her soaring line as distinctive as her soft singing.

daily telegraph, 21.09.06:
...vocally it was ladies' night. Nicole Cabell was a ravishing Christian princess, and Marina Poplavskaya, a young Russian soprano on contract to the Royal Opera, who looks as gorgeous as she sounds, confirmed her star potential as Rachel. A trilling evening, rapturously acclaimed.

the guardian, 21.09.06:
..The great performances come from Marina Poplavskaya, who scales tragic heights of great complexity as Rachel and Dario Schmunk, all vapid elegance and suitably unreliable charm as Leopold..

evening standard, 20.09.06:
.The Russian soprano Marina Poplavskaya, a Jette Parker...as Jewess ...her dramatic intensity and vocal power were mesmerising..

Anthony Holden Sunday September 24, 2006
.." the real discoveries of the evening, beyond this unjustly neglected score, were the two sopranos both after the same man. In the title role, Russian Marina Poplavskaya proved herself more than ready to take on Donna Anna later this season.."

The INDEPENDENT (extra) ..Edward Seckerson, Friday 22, September 2006:
Casting was strong.Marina Poplavskaya, the Jette Parker..in the role of Rachel for once made clear why an opera so fixated on the tenor role of Eleazar is called La Juive ( the Jewess). What a future this striking-looking and sounding younger singer has. Her conviction is extraordinary, her inwardness special and she has the perfect vocal balance for the lirico-spinto repertoire- a big, vibrant sound capable of myriad refinements. She can spin truly rapt pianissimi, but there's sufficient steel in the voice to dominate in extremis. Mark my words, star-dom bekons..."

THE STAGE, George Hall, Thu.21 September 2006:
"..The revelation of the evening is Marina Poplavskaya's mesmerishing reading of the title role, to which she brings a full armoury of vocal and dramatic skills. Fully inside the horriffic plight of Rachel, she provides a genuine star-is-born moment for the audience, which hands on her every phrase.."

The Sunday Times September 24, 2006
But the big news on Tuesday night was the joint appearance of two young stars-in-the-making, the delightful American soprano Nicole Cabell ..and even more so the sensational Marina Poplavskaya, still a member of the RO▓s Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, as the Jewess, already display- ing the voice, musicianship and temperament of a great diva, with a few rough edges to be ironed out before she launches herself in the world. This must be the most exciting soprano voice to have emerged from Russia since Galina Gorchakova 15 years ago. There▓s thrilling potential here.

PRIMI DIVI, Monday, Sep, 25, 2006:
..." This was just a boring opera and it only got "2 stars" because the singing was so good..Maria Poplavskaya is a Young artist at the ROH and she is just brilliant as well as being hot. She sang Rachel, the female lead, I thought she was lucky to get that but WE WERE LUCKY TO GET HER, she has a well good voice, nice sound and all the technical stuff seemed really easy for her and you did at first feel kind of just slightly interested in the character.."
little more from the same article:
Then we had 2 really good tenors which isn't something you often get on the same stage, Dario Schmunck (that's a well funny name) was Leopold, I think he's a bit dodgy running around with Rachel when he's married but he can still really sing. Then there was Dennis O'Neill, who was Rachel's dad, he's getting on a bit but his voice is still all there..They also a lots of basses who can sing in tune..Nicol Cabell was Leopold's wife Princess Eudoxie, what kind of name is that? 2 words, babe.Deed. Poll. She was okay but there was loads of coloratura and it seemed a bit forced, she's best at liryc stuff...The end was good when they died in bowling water.."