Classical Music Performance – September 25, 2013
Critic’s choice: Soprano Audrey Luna in Fort Worth Opera’s Ariadne auf Naxos
As Zerbinetta, the youthful leader of a traveling circus troupe trying to revive a sobbing, self-pitying Ariadne, Luna tackled one of opera’s most outrageous coloratura extravaganzas in the second act and hit everything right on. All of the vocal pyrotechnics –– runs, trills, leaps, and anything else the composer could think of –– were amazingly accurate, and noodling around above high C measure after measure didn’t seem like a big deal to her. It was a great few minutes of just showing off. Luna is also a persuasive actress, adding dimension to her performance.