Otello in OTELLO
LOS ANGELES OPERA
“At L.A. Opera, Russell Thomas is an Otello for our time. He is a compelling Otello who brings a sense of inner torment. His burnished tenor brings a heartbreaking beauty even to big, overwrought emotions. There was ringing beauty to his tenor and focus to his projection that allowed him to be heard and, better still, understood.”
–Los Angeles Times
“This was an evening of near matchless singing. No Otello has been as anguished as Russell Thomas. He managed the declamatory parts of the role with ease, but it was in the middle of his range and, above all, in the higher but quieter realms of his voice that Thomas was truly impressive. In the taxing passages toward the end of the love duet, his tenor projected both the enthrallment of his love for Desdemona and a distinct foreboding of the death to come. Thomas’s painstakingly represented descent into delirium intimated that the frightening nullity of Iago’s vision in the Credo was an actuality.”
–Opera News
“As Otello, Thomas delivered a magnetic performance that had the audience in the palm of his hand. During the tender moments, his voice displayed beautiful timbre and impressive control. Thomas’s wonderful acting skills portrayed the complexities of Otello’s passionate outbursts with depth and authenticity. The way he portrayed Otello’s descent into madness and jealousy was particularly gripping.”
–Stage and Cinema
“Russell Thomas has grown in stature and vocal command. He is an Otello who has the vocal merits and musical intelligence to stand up to the greatest Otellos of the past. The role calls for a tenore di forza, but even as a lyric-spinto tenor, Thomas, singing mezza voce in “Dio! Mi potevi scagliar”, managed to convey the depth of Otello's inner anguish and the sense of a noble soul struck down by jealousy.”
–ClassicalVoice
“Thomas gives one of the best performances in LA Opera’s history. The dramatic tenor and artist in residence immerses himself without pause. Thomas handily paces his every action, calling forth a range of his emotions to tell the anguished protagonist’s arc with an intensity that seethes in late Act II/early Act III (before it becomes piercingly resolute). Those who lament that opera performers are lacking in the acting area should look no further than the astute Thomas; he has an uncanny ability to make one believe his persona is truly being torn asunder by uncertainty. Combined with his remarkably expressive timbre, Thomas elevates John Cox’s original production and punctuates his scenes with a fiery intent that must make director Joel Ivany immensely proud.”
–LA Excites
“Thomas has been the face of the company now for years, bringing his liquid tenor sound and poised presence. Thomas has some heft in his lyric tenor and he is a good actor…providing moments of genuine illumination.”
–Opera Magazine
“Russell Thomas, known for his powerful tenor voice showcased in Norma and Aida, inhabited the role of Otello with conviction and vocal prowess, capturing the complexity of the character’s inner turmoil and the tragic journey he undertakes. Thomas’s vocal range and dramatic interpretation were particularly notable, conveying Otello’s descent from a lauded military leader to a tortured soul consumed by jealousy.”
–Indulge Magazine