FAUST
Sydney Opera House, Sydney
February-March | 2020
"Conductor Lorenzo Passerini led the Opera Australia Orchestra achieving a full and well-blended brass tone, allowing the wind and wind string solos to blossom like flowers."
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THE SYDNEY MORING - Peter McCallum
"The conductor Lorenzo Passerini and the elegant, refined and balanced accompaniments of the orchestra lingered lovingly on the numerous lyrical passages without ever underestimating the moments of dramatic intensity."
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THE AUSTRALIAN - Murray Black
"Director Lorenzo Passerini showed energy, flair and a keen judgment on time and momentum, making sure this three and a half hour journey never dragged on."
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THE DAILY TELEGRAPH - Steve Moffatt
"The Orchestra had a long and difficult score to deal with, but skilfully led by Lorenzo Passerini it played in tune and with enthusiasm."
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JWIRE.COM.AU - Victor Grynberg
“The whole opera was swept away by the brilliant orchestra under the direction of Lorenzo Passerini. I turned around and enjoyed watching him direct on the reporting monitors (which are placed for the benefit of the cast).
A nice finishing touch was the choir entering the audience to sing from the top seats of the balconies, left and right of the theater. Maestro Passerini had to direct by leaning his neck back in order to be seen by the cast. It was a work really stretched to the limit."
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STAGEWHISPERS.COM.AU - David Spicer
"The musicians under the direction of Lorenzo Passerini were exceptional, both in the many solos and in the sparkling tutti they played at the beginning of the fifth act."
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BACHTRACK.COM - David Larkin
"If this production has taught us anything, it is that the Opera Australia Chorus and the Opera Australia Orchestra, conducted by Lorenzo Passerini and led by first violin Jun Yin Ma, should be declared national treasures. There is ample symphonic material that it makes the instrumentalists shine, and the orchestra excels at many solo moments, supporting both the dancers and the singers."
SOUNDSLIKESYDNEY - Shamistha de Soysa
"The conductor, Lorenzo Passerini, was in absolute control. He managed to convince the entire cast - orchestra, choir and soloists - to perform with dynamic variations, musicality and compelling emotional contrasts. It is no exaggeration to say that the his orchestral interpretation of Gounod's disturbing opera is one of the best of Opera Australia's last years. Bravo!"
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THEATRETRAVELS.ORG - Priscilla Issa
"The orchestra of Opera Australia, under the expressive direction of Lorenzo Passerini, played with great finesse."
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AUSTRALIANSTAGE - Nicholas Routley
"On his Australian operatic debut, flamboyant Italian conductor Lorenzo Passerini maintained impressive control of his resources from the first ominous chord of the overture. While leaving his soloists the space to shade the interpretation, he achieved dynamics. and exciting balances from the orchestra and huge choirs, especially at the end of the opera, where the choir was positioned in the theater, on the third level balconies, high above the audience."
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CANBERRA CRITICS CIRCLE
"Lorenzo Passerini conducts the ever refined orchestra of Opera Australia with energetic expression."
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THE PLUS ONES - Alicia Tripp