San Francisco Opera (2003)
Ruggero Leoncavallo I Pagliacci
... Catherine Naglestad suavely took command of Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci."
Through a combination of vocal prowess and theatrical finesse, this remarkable
soprano put the plight of Nedda, the lone woman in a troupe of travelling
comedians, squarely at the center of the opera. Naglestad followed her
unforgettable debut last season in the title role of Handel's Alcina with
a performance of vocal brilliance and theatrical cunning. She never let
you forget that Nedda, even when on stage, is trapped in her loveless
marriage, or that escaping is much more than a matter of simply finding
a man and running off. Her singing, especially in her apostrophe to the
free-flying birds was silvery, beautiful and achingly precise.
San Francisco Chronicle
... too did Catherine Naglestad dominate the Pagliacci, although in a
much more subtle way, as befits the opera and character. Naglestad, though
singing through a cold, delivered a beautiful sung, heart-rending performance
as Nedda. After her stunning debut last season in Handel's Alcina, Naglestad
proved herself capable of great singing in an entirely different style
of music. With a rich middle register and an easy, focused top, her "Stridono
lassu" was superbly sung. Furthermore, it was a richly drawn portrait
of a woman trapped in a loveless marriage yearning for freedom. Naglestad
is as much an accomplished actress as she is a singer and her stage presence.
She has a natural, compelling presence and easy grace on stage. ConcertoNet
The Classical Music Network
Catherine Naglestad brought a silvery soprano to Nedda's bird song and
a dangerously sensuous manner to the duet with Silvio. Opera
Expressing best the love and hate that got everyone in "Pagliacci"into
trouble was Sacramento's Catherine Naglestad as Nedda. One of the most
dependable and lustrous sopranos performing today, she took what can be
a thankless No. 2 role and made it the most interesting and exciting of
the evening. Through deft acting, intelligent movement and rock-solid
use of her voice, she stole the show ... The Sacramento Bee
The chief pleasures of these two one-acts were in the opportunity to hear
a handful of fine singers. I particularly liked Catherine Naglestad as
Nedda. San Diego Magazine
