"Cuban-American soprano Elaine Alvarez also made her company debut as Elisabetta... Her voice gleamed with power, but she could also moderate that volume with subtlety, matching beautifully with Chacón-Cruz’s lighter sound in their Act I scene. That more plangent side of her tone gave poignancy to delicate arias, like “Non pianger mia compagna” in Act I. The tragic duet with Carlo at the opera’s conclusion ached with anguish. . .
Mezzo-soprano Catherine Martin, remembered fondly from her time in WNO’s Cafritz Young Artists program, made a fiery Princess Eboli. She was flirtatious in her “Veil Song” and then just as venomous when she learned she was not loved by Carlos, unleashing a wave of sound in the striking Act II scene with Carlo and Rodrigo. Her Act III showpiece, “O don fatale,” featured blistering high notes of rage."
"Verdi’s Don Carlo requires six strong soloists for the roles of Carlo, Elisabetta, Philip, Rodrigo, Eboli, and Grand Inquisitor. MDLO’s six main soloists were stellar and buoyed by eight excellent supporting singers; all were excellent in singing and acting. . .
Soprano Elaine Alvarez sang beautifully as Elisabetta. Her voice has a rare endearing quality, so effective at conveying the emotions of the troubled Queen. Mezzo-soprano Catherine Martin provided perhaps the only light-hearted moment of the opera with her Act I aria about mistaken identities, which was a delight. She further impressed with a beautiful and emotionally searing aria in Act III expressing her shame and regret over her actions."
