REVIEWS

"Particularly strong is Riccardo Simonetti as the sullen and devious king, always on the lookout for a means to replace the rejected Anna; Simonetti's pithy, centred baritone has just the dark incisiveness required for Henry's regal villainy."
Enrico: Anna Bolena / English Touring Opera / The Guardian

"As Enrico, Riccardo Simonetti is perhaps slighter than the historical character, but this did mean that Enrico was rather more personable and believably sexually attractive than a more historically accurate portrayal. Simonetti has an attractive dark grained voice and made a fine Enrico."
Enrico: Anna Bolena / English Touring Opera / MV Daily

"...gamely supported by Julia Riley's promising Jane Seymour, Luciano Botelho's winsome Percy and Riccardo Simonetti's manly Henry VIII."
Enrico: Anna Bolena / English Touring Opera / The Observer

“Riccardo Simonetti, a singing actor of considerable subtlety, is a slimily elegant, velvet–toned Malatesta.”
Malatesta: Don Pasquale / English National Opera / Opera

"The singers enter into the spirit with gusto too: Peter Savidge, in loud Wodehousian checks and spats, makes a crisp Dulcamara, Riccardo Simonetti a suave Belcore."
Belcore: L'elisir d'amore / Opera North / The Daily Telegraph

"...Riccardo Simonetti is every inch the swaggering Italianate baritone as Belcore.
Belcore: L'elisir d'amore / Opera North / The Guardian

"Riccardo Simonetti captures the macho charms of the fickle Belcore..."
Belcore: L'elisir d'amore / Opera North / Independent on Sunday

"Riccardo Simonetti makes his sprightly, jack-the-lad Belcore believable (in a later life he will be Puccini's Lt Pinkerton), keeping the swagger within credible bounds."
Belcore: L'elisir d'amore / Opera North / Music & Vision Daily

"Riccardo Simonetti's smugly debonair Belcore and Susanna Andersson's pert Giannetta throw in further colour."
Belcore: L'elisir d'amore / Opera North / Opera

"...Riccardo Simonetti is every inch the swaggering Italianate baritone as Belcore."
The Guardian

“Riccardo Simonetti was an engaging Papageno…”
Papageno / The Magic Flute / English National Opera

“Simonetti had the fullness of tone to carry the role of the Count, providing the most memorable thrills of the night.”
Count Almaviva: The Marriage of Figaro / Opera 2005 / The Guardian

“In a cast of equal level, I specially enjoyed Riccardo Simonetti’s subtle, amusing Papageno, Mary Nelson’s deeply musical Pamina, and Paul Austin Kelly’s energetically sustaining the narrative as Tamino.”
Papageno: Die Zauberflöte / Oxford Philomusica / Oxford Times

“Riccardo Simonetti did not just sing the role of Sharpless, he was the Consul, a most convincing appearance, vocally and dramatically.”
Sharpless / Madama Butterfly / Lyric Opera, Dublin / Sunday Tribune

“Riccardo Simonetti was a nicely euphonious Pish–Tush.”
Pish–Tush / The Mikado / English National Opera / Evening Standard

“Riccardo Simonetti’s Eddy was an archetypal Jack the Lad, always on the make and sailing close to the wind. There was much of the spiv in his singing, too, which was smooth and keenly alive to Turnage’s rapidly–changing demands, not least in his closing aria of self–discovery.”
Eddy / Greek / London Sinfonietta / Opera

“…at the centre of the action, Riccardo Simonetti as the pseudo–king shows us how it should be done, with stylish wit and elegance…”
Belfiore: Un giorno Di Regno / Buxton Festival / The Independent