"Karen Hall has the good sense, and the good direction, to play Curley's
Wife not as a hardened slut but as a sensuous innocent, and her dewy
soprano masters the high tessitura with staggering purity and ease." Martin
Bernheimer,
Los Angeles Times
"Karen Hall's voice is just
absolutely perfect for it (Passages). Two weeks ago she did a
beautiful job with the Scarlatti cantata Su le Sponde del Tebro
that we did on our Baroque series. It's interesting to see someone who is
from Seattle who has grown so tremendously and is so versatile to be able
to do something like the Scarlatti cantata which is so difficult and then
something in its own way very different and also very difficult like the
Zwilich." Gerard Schwarz, Principal Conductor - Seattle
Symphony, KING Radio InterviewTimes
"The Amour, Karen Hall, was at once
playful and authoritative, apt emblem of ways that Love at once frivolous
and determinant can alter the course of lives." Andrew Porter,
The New Yorker
"Karen Hall's brilliant, pinspot-focused
sound is unusual but effective for Love." (Amour, Orphee
et Euridice) Roger Downey, OPERA
"...Karen Hall's scintillating
forest bird,...were other outstanding performances in a Ring
ensemble..."Village Voice
"Karen Hall's Amour (Orphee
et Euridice) combined playfulness with authority - apt emblem of the
way in which apparently frivolous and arbitrary Love can change the course
of lives." London Financial Times
"The performance featured the
remarkably trumpet-like voice of Karen Hall, who thrilled the audience
with her delicately flourished interpretation." (Su le Sponde del
Tebro). Seattle Times
"She sings with no strain.
Absolutely at ease with her voice. When she opens her mouth, she's there! Seattle
Artsline Magazine, review of the Metropolitan Opera Northwest Regional
Auditions
"A real bear in Siegfried was
followed by an enchanting vision of the Forest Bird, first as a
patently artificial prop, then as graceful soprano Karen Hall holding the
prop bird and leading Siegfried to Tamino-like trials. Opera News
"But Karen Hall as his wife is
another Hidden Valley 'find'. Her bright open soprano is perfect for the
role, and she manages tortuous musical lines with finesse and apparent
relish. At the same time, she creates a special version of Steinbeck's
tart that is credible in its unheeding cruelty." Monterey
Peninsula Herald
"Soprano Karen Hall in her Capital
Region debut had a light, accurate voice, ideally suited to Purcell. In
"Full Fathom Five" she excelled in the spirited magic of
Shakespeare's world. Her "Halcyon Days" was exemplary baroque
coloratura singing." Times Union, Albany, NY
"...Karen Hall, sprightly and sweet
as the shepherd boy Jano...(Jenufa) Martin Bernheimer,
Los Angeles Times
"The quartet in the second act (Peter
Grimes) composed of Teresa Kubiak, Willene Gunn, Karen Hall and Noralee
Bush, was among the most sublime moments all evening. The individual
timbres of their voices were wonderfully matched." Seattle
Post-Intelligencer.
"Of great pleasure, the Amour of
Karen Hall was a blend of sprightliness and lyricism." Opera Oggi
"The Wood Bird (Der Ring
des Nibelungen) that leads Siegfried to Bruennhilde is not only visible
but flown around the stage at the end of a pole by the singer of the part,
herself a vision any man would follow." Oregonian
"Karen Hall, as Curley's Wife,
sports another strong voice, confident, exceptionally well-projected, and
of sufficient coloratura to easily negotiate the often tortuous and always
expressive lines she is given. Her vanities and the trouble they raise are
dramatically true and vivid, though she too maintains a palpable
vulnerability." KBOQ Radio, Marina, CA
"Soprano soloist Karen Hall gave a
richly-colored performance ending in a dramatically lovely climax." (Flower
of the Mountain). Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Things to remember:...Karen Hall's
delightful Forest Bird (Ring)." Bellevue Journal
American
"The Lux Aeterna, [ Rutter Requiem]
flowing under Karen Patton Hall's limpid soprano, was quite
gorgeous." The Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY
"When the God of Love (Karen Hall,
in a sparkling performance) descends in a gorgeous little cloud chariot,
reclining in red and rhinestones upon her divan, she waggles her hand
briefly at Orpheus as if to say, "Yes, I'm really here.' The moment
is amusing, but not overplayed, not silly." Seattle Times
"The writing for Curley's Wife, who
plays a significantly larger role than in the stage play, is so erratic
with tremendous leaps and register shifts that it gives an impression of
desperate cries from this lonely character. Soprano Karen Hall sang this
role with an even, beautiful tone and remarkable agility." Coasting,
Carmel, CA
"Karen Hall's Forest Bird
was excellent." The Weekly, Seattle
"In the lead role, (Maria,
West Side Story) the young Seattle soprano sang with clarity and
power...Hall reined in her voice to blend, so the critical duet, 'Tonight'
came off just beautifully. It was a real weeper." Seattle
Post-Intelligencer
"Karen Hall (Jano) was
strong in her supporting role." (Jenufa) Opera News
"Karen Hall's Barbarina was
fresh and youthful." Seattle Times
"Karen Hall as the maid Adele
was marvelous. Her coquettish looks, darting eyes and strong dramatic
capabilities brought the character alive. Her voice, equal to her stage
presence is a joy to hear." Daily Record Chronicle, Renton, WA
"Karen Hall is especially good as Curley's
Wife, whose slinky vocal lines mirror her swivel-hipped walk."
San Jose Mercury News
"Karen Hall, who played Maria
(West Side Story), is a superb singer." Seattle Times
"In Karen Hall Civic Light Opera
has a performer of operatic stature and musical comedy attractiveness. She
can sing the role (Maria) easily and well, while looking the part
every minute." Washington Cascade Voice
"Karen Hall gave the drama a spark
of shattered innocence with her Jano, the shepherd boy." (Jenufa)
Northwest Arts
"As Curley's Wife, soprano
Karen Hall has the remarkable ability to twist and bend her lovely voice
into nuances of coquetry, malice, and spitefulness." The Carmel
Pine Cone
"Karen Hall's acting ability is
equally matched by her impeccable musical interpretation of the role of
the farmer's daughter." (The Gypsy Baron) Tacoma News Tribune
"Karen Hall sang beautifully as the
Forest Bird." Seattle Times
"Karen Hall as Curley's
tantalizing, promiscuously inclined wife is a real score. She sings
beautifully and keeps the steam judiciously under lid." Santa
Cruz Sentinel
"Her clear, high voice had an
excellent quality for the part, and triumphed splendously as she sang the
solo climax just before the choral and orchestral climax." (Soprano
soloist, Carmina Burana). Eagle, Bryan-College Station, TX
"Karen Hall in the title role (Madame
Altina in La Divina) is captivating. She has an attractive
coloratura voice, and she moves about the stage with petulant
authority." Seattle Times
"Karen Hall proved an appropriately
bright-voiced Amour, descending from the heavens in a dazzling
cloud chariot." Opera News
"But the real star of the evening
was soprano Karen Hall. Hall is a first rate singer, with an unusually
pure tone; she uses less vibrato than most operatic sopranos, and there is
no scooping or sliding between pitches. This made for an extraordinarily
effective entrance at the beginning of 'Domine Deus, Agnus Dei,' with its
treacherous octave leap into the stratosphere." The Weekly,
Seattle
"Amphitrite's air, "Halycyon
Days," as sung by guest soprano Karen Hall near the end, was
absolutely stunning, as was the duet between Amphitrite and Neptune which
follows, "No Stars Again Shall Hurt You." Hall was outstanding
in the roles of Ariel and Amphitrite. She handled the challenging
coloratura role assigned to her wonderfully." Schenectady
Gazette, Schenectady, NY
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