PETER VOLPE
Select Review Excerpts
Judge Turpin
“As Turpin, Volpe uses his
strong bass voice to display his conflicted feelings toward his ward Johanna,
in a song of verbal self-flagellation: He lusts after Johanna, but he can't
help feeling - at least initially - that this might be wrong.”
--New Orleans Advocate
Don Carlo
The standout performer of the
evening was Peter Volpe as King Phillip. His stage presence and deep bass were
captivating.
--Austin Post
Aida
“Peter Volpe, too, was a
commanding presence and his Ramfis was vocally solid down to the lowest notes.”
--Opera Japonica
Armida
“Idraote (the stentorian bass Peter Volpe) is in on the plot to win the sympathy of the knights and infiltrate their ranks.”
--The New York Times
“brief but booming bass”
--The
Carmen
“Peter
Volpe is an audience favorite and his Zuniga was handled to perfection.”
--NewJerseyNewsroom.com
Dead Man Walking
“Peter Volpe is impressive as the warden...”
--The
Don Giovanni
“Peter
Volpe, as the Commendatore, has a strong bronze voice that was quite
effective…”
--The
“Peter Volpe's handsome figure and aristocratic bearing made for good casting as Giovanni. His virile bass caressed “Deh vieni alla finestra” sensuously…”
--Opera News
“The Don stands at the center of everything… Peter Volpe set the tone. His relaxed, commanding singing and unaffected swagger gave us a Don who knows exactly who he is and what he wants. The easygoing verve with which he pursues it makes the scoundrel irresistible.”
“As
the Commendatore, bass Peter Volpe sang with the requisite strength and steely
purpose.”
“Peter Volpe brings good looks, a practiced strut and a rich bass voice to the title role…not merely a dark vocal color but also sweetness and grace to the opera’s famous melodies, including the enchanting duet between Don Giovanni and Zerlina.”
--Journal
Star (
“Peter Volpe cut a dashing figure in the title role. His tall, broad shouldered physique, long locks, beard, and mustache gave him a commanding presence. His characterization of the legendary rake was top notch, as he was obviously very familiar with the role. His dark, edgy voice underscored the character’s insidious nature. Even when he tried to sweetly woo Zerlina in “La ci darem la mano,” the timbre of his voice betrayed his dishonorable intentions.”
“Veteran bass, Peter Volpe was a sonorous Commendatore.”
--Opera
Today, 3/14/2016
http://www.operatoday.com/content/2016/03/az_opera_presen.php
Eugene Onegin
“Peter Volpe,
looking younger than many who take on the role of Prince Gremin, managed to
create in his single aria and scene an impressive dignity. His full-bodied bass
and great candor of tone, together with his intelligent interpretation, won him
a well-deserved ovation. “
--Opera News
“characters are all sung to a turn…particularly bass Peter Volpe's magnificent Prince Gremin.”
--The
“Peter Volpe was a Gremin of depth as well as éclat.”
--Opera News
“Bass Peter Volpe's Prince Gremin was soldierly and touching when he sang of his love for Tatyana...”
“The second act was almost stolen by the menacing charm of Peter Volpe's bass.”
Faust
“Peter Volpe's Mephistopheles was debonair, comic and sinister in the right proportions, while his rich voice poured forth like molten brimstone.”
--Opera
“bass Peter Volpe, proved to be an excellent Mephistopheles, both vocally and dramatically, shining from his first big moment - Le veau d'or est toujours debout - onward. Volpe balanced the demonic and comic elements of his character, and the audience responded to his sardonic wit with outbursts of laughter.”
“Bass Peter Volpe as Mephistopheles seemed in constant motion for each new manifestation of his trickery... his vocal resources are impressive.”
--American
Record Guide
“With a darkly resonant voice, Peter Volpe is a perfect Mephistopheles. His self-confidence allows him to add a touch of crudity to his voice when the dramatic action calls for it.”
--The
Des Moines Register
“Evil is seductively portrayed in the magnificent performance of basso Peter Volpe as Mephistopheles…Gifted with a commanding presence, a wicked comic sense and a robust voice, Volpe dominates every scene…”Le Veau d’Or…is irresistibly outrageous.”
--
“Volpe was a revelation. He dominated the production with his flashing eyes, his sonorous, burnished brass bass voice and his powerful stage presence. His Act II “Le veau d’or” and his Act IV scene II “Vous qui faites l’endormie” were exceptional.”
--Kenneth
Blount,
“Bass Peter Volpe brings Mephistopheles to life with a richly honed voice and plenty of demonic swagger, and adds touches of drama with exploding balls of fire onstage.”
--The
Tampa Tribune
Hamlet
“Bass Peter Volpe tolled the ghost's relentless monotones with
sepulchral force.”
-- The
Il Matrimonio Segreto
“Peter Volpe uses his dark bass with a bravura blend of light agility and powerful resonance in his comic turn as Geronimo, thundering when he needs to be the tyrant, drawing back to a lilting bounce in his patter ariosos.”
--The Record
“Volpe
was superb as the blustery ruler of the house.
His lengthy aria in the beginning of the piece, in which he sings the
praises of Elisetta’s good fortune, was a vocal
--The
Daily Gazette
“Peter Volpe (Geronimo) dominates the family with his powerful bass,”
--Times
La Bohème
“Peter
Volpe (Colline) were also sympathetically drawn....”
--Opera
Magazine
“Peter Volpe, a robust bass also making his debut, was a solid Colline.”
--The
New York Times
“Peter Volpe gave Colline comic business with singing that made a strong effect. His overcoat aria sounded right for the mood in that final scene.”
--The
“Peter Volpe (who shined in his Overcoat aria) was effective as Colline...”
--Rocky
Mountain News
Les Huguenots
“Peter Volpe gave a terrific performance as the querulous old soldier Marcel, incisive and endearing; the decibels he produced were impressive.”
--Opera News
“The two most consistently impressive singers were the highest and lowest voices — coloratura soprano Erin Morley as Marguerite de Valois and bass Peter Volpe as the crusty but loyal Protestant retainer Marcel…Volpe’s rich rolling basso was the only really heroic sound, and his imposing stage presence compelled the audience’s attention.”
--
“Peter Volpe brought a sonorous bass to the role of Raoul’s friend and loyal retainer Marcel, the uncompromising Huguenot soldier who intimidates a roomful of celebrating aristocrats with the Lutheran anthem, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.””
--The Wall Street Journal
“the bass Peter Volpe brought a robust voice and charismatic presence to Marcel, the count’s stalwart protector.”
--The New York Times
"Peter Volpe brings a hearty bass to Raoul’s comically stern retainer Marcel"
--Financial Times
“Among the lower male voices, Peter Volpe stood out as the crusty old Protestant Marcel, ascending to lyric eloquence as he prepared for martyrdom.”
--The
“the solid-as-a-rock bass Peter Volpe as Marcel.”
--Times
Macbeth
“an impressive
adversary in Peter Volpe's Banquo. In his excellent solo, which begins almost like a funeral dirge
and builds to a broad river of sound, Volpe sang generously and with splendid
resonance.”
--The
Oregonian
“Banquo, sung by bass Peter Volpe, was awesome.”
--The
Manon Lescaut
“Peter Volpe (Geronte) had stage presence to spare. His voice matched his acting and rang out with authority.”
--The Post and Courier
“bass
Peter Volpe's Count Des Grieux dominated every scene he was in.”
--American
Record Guide
“As befitted the role's new leading-man status, Peter Volpe made a
strong impression as Geronte.”
--Charlotte Observer
Rigoletto
“As the assassin Sparafucile, Peter Volpe commanded the stage with his splendid bad-guy bass, all darkness and low notes.”
--Oregonian
“Peter Volpe's sonorous basso
was perfect for the malevolent Sparafucile.”
--
“In the crucial supporting role of the professional assassin, Peter Volpe was the Sparafucile of one’s dreams (or perhaps nightmares), with a steely gaze and a low register that seemed to go off the charts.”
--Austin360.com
“Peter Volpe's Sparafucile had solid low notes...”
--The New York Times
“The best performances came from...Peter Volpe as a dark-toned Sparafucile...”
--The
Financial Times
“delights came in bass Peter Volpe, his superb low register enhancing Sparafucile's creepiness.”
--Hartford-Courant
“Making his AOC debut, the production's Sparafucile, Peter Volpe, was likewise the real thing. Now this is a bass! Big, solid and earth-shaking, the handsome assassin's voice had the ominous aura one always wishes for but too seldom finds.”
--Tucson Citizen
“Bass Peter Volpe's sound, like organ pedals, imbued the character of the assassin Sparafucile with delicious evil.”
--The
“The evening’s other delights came in bass Peter Volpe, his superb low register enhancing Sparafucile’s creepiness.”
--The
Romeo et Juliette
“Proficient work, vocally and
theatrically, came from Peter Volpe as Frère Laurent.”
--Opera News
“With a crafty glint in his eye, Peter Volpe sang Friar Lawrence (and, briefly, the Duke of Verona) with an agreeable Francophone legato — where the tail of one note is smoothly connected to the head of another .”
--
“Peter Volpe as Friar Lawrence, rolled out his voice in magnificent bass style. I first hear Volpe, I believe, as Comte Des Grieux in Manon is Sarasota about 10 years ago, and have been impressed ever since by this singing. I don't recall ever hearing this role as well sung as Volpe sang it last night.”
(Publication unknown)
The Bartered Bride
“Bass Peter Volpe, as Kecal, gave his role great personality and
style, even as he sang brilliantly.”
--The Post-Star (Queensbury)
Turandot
“bass Peter Volpe sang it [Timur] to great effect, making one wish that Puccini had given him an aria or two of his own.”
--Ottawa
Citizen