| |
| Helsinki National Opera – Götterdämmerung - SIEGFRIED |
| Daniel Brenna (the only non-Finnish by the way !) is a youthful muscleman with tenoral steel and huge, allways comprehensible emotions. |
| Orpheus 04/2024 / Stephan Knies |
| The entire piece is based on Daniel Brenna in the title role. He succeeded in presenting a nuanced declamation and sang with varied intonation, singing with a semi, hazy, falsetto or full voice, depending on the situation. Ha has a unique body language. For one thing he is able to move easily, childlike and playfully like a giant baby, then again he acts almost exaggeratedly expressive. |
Der Opernfreund
deropernfreund.de |
| Daniel Brenna as guest sang a powerful and commited Siegfried. |
Online Merker
onlinemerker.com |
| Finnishe Nationaloper Helsinki - Siegfried - SIEGFRIED |
| Daniel Brenna doesn’t always convince with melodiousness but his tenor metal is surely truly persuading ( which is the most important requirement of a career as Siegfried) and a huge persuasion in acting.
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| Orpheus Mai/Juni 2023, Stephan Knies |
| The entire piece is based on Daniel Brenna in the title role. He succeeded in presenting a nuanced declamation and sang with varied intonation, singing with a semi, hazy, falsetto or full voice, depending on the situation. Ha has a unique body language. For one thing he is able to move easily, childlike and playfully like a giant baby, then again he acts almost exaggeratedly expressive. |
Operapoint
operapoint.com |
| Brenna was a tireless Siegfried. I recall my impression of him in San Francisco was rather mixed but here, in a more intimate house, Brenna was able to ping out on high with ringing volume and fresh, youthful tone, even five and a quarter hours later. His tenor was in tremendous shape tonight, the vibrations even, the sound bright and penetrating, with easy amplitude. Brenna’s stage presence, was similarly indefatigable, throwing himself into everything Kelo asked of him. |
operatraveller.com
operatraveller.com |
| Staatsoper Stuttgart - Siegfried - SIEGFRIED |
| In particular Daniel Brenna, an perfect Siegfried both vocally and regarding his stature. In his white t shirt, with his name printed on it, which gets more and more covered with bloodstains in the course of his treacherous murders and with his long blond hair, he perfectly looks like a naughty daredevil, that somehow has remained a child. His clear tenor voice has melodious high tones, that sometimes tend to get a little flamboyant, and the necessary foundation in the middle and lower registers.… |
| Der Neue Merker, 12/22 Udo Klebes |
| Daniel Brenna is a Siegfried, who does not only give a trenchant portrayal of the impetuous poltergeist in the first act but also a longingly touching „Waldweben“ in the second act, turning the „Selige Öde“ in the third act into a lovely lyrical scene of self-revelation and waking Brünnhilde with heroic brilliance. |
| ORPHEUS November/December 2022, Dr. Jörg Riedlbauer |
| Grand Opéra de Genève – Jenufa – LACA |
| Daniel Brenna impresses as vindictive and yet enamored Laca. |
| Der neue Merker, Marcel Burkhardt , 6/2022 |
| Also Laca (sung by Daniel Brenna with fervent contributions) doesn’t match her. He is far too rudely dumb, too blunt and also way too aggressive. Already before he cuts the red cheek, which Steva likes so much about Jenufa. |
| OPERNWELT 7/22, Jürgen Otten |
| Daniel Brenna (Laca) with full physical presence and a stout tenor voice... all marvellously exploit this full of temper and with great agility. |
| Eleonore Büning, OPER 6/2022 |
| But both the lead male roles were admirably casted with…… and American Wagnerian tenor Daniel Brenna his diligent and honourable half-brother Laca. |
London Unattached
www.london-unattached.com |
| Opéra de Monte Carlo – Wozzeck - TAMBOURMAJOR |
| Heroically tenorizing the drum major of the American Daniel Brenna drags along his male sovereignty. Here, he does so in a very histrionic way, with ravenous organ and high tones which are composed like sharp razors, yet covered by rust scraping. |
Olyrix
www.olyrix.com |
| Also excellent the drum major by the tenor Daniel Brenna. |
Conessi all`Opera
www.connessiallopera.it |
| With authority in his voice and stage presence Albert Dohmen convinces in his role as the Doctor. As does Daniel Brenna in the role of the drum major. |
Forum Opera
www.forumopera.com |
| GöteborgsOperan - Göttterdämmerung – SIEGFRIED |
| In this opera also, Daniel Brenna’s Siegfried was both boyish and belligerent, sung with a golden heldentenor voice, that communicated both warmth and volume. His confrontation with Brünnhilde in the 2nd act had an ardent emotional intensity and made Brümmhilde’s betrayal of his only vulnerable spot clearly transparent to Hagen. In the 3rd act Brenna achieved a wonderfully lyrical Narration and a poignant death of the hero. |
| Das Opernglas 2/2022 , N.Smith |
| ...Daniel Brenna performs the character as an easily manipulable nature-boy, singing with a tireless, word-perfect heldentenor voice, secure in the high registers. |
| Opernwelt 2/2022 , Peter Krause |
| Göteborgs Operan - Siegfried - SIEGFRIED |
| With his beautifully sung, lyrically accentuated phrasing in the “Forest Mumrmurs” and the “Awakening of Brünnhilde” Daniel Brenna as Siegfried knew how to inspire. Besides, his „Forging Songs“ in the first act were powerful, yet not overflowingly smashing so that his performance can be truly considered an overall success. |
| DAS OPERNGLAS 5/2021 – S.Barnstorf |
| San Francisco Opera – Götterdämmerung – SIEGFRIED |
Cascades of soaring violins and shape-shifting brass accompany us as we romp with the young girlish/boyish lovers, Brünnhilde and Siegfried on their rock, Iréne Theorin and Daniel Brenna playing out their affections with aplomb, and vocal charm. Each one defers to the other in words and gifts, their voices matching in piquancy and ardor. Siegfried gives Brünnhilde the ring and Brünnhilde gives Siegfried her horse, Grane, each gift dear to the giver and meant to symbolize the height of love.
…The accelerating music, the increasing volume of instruments included – there are 89 in the orchestra as a whole – heighten the tension we feel that the conflict escalates; Wagner’s inclusion of a potion to turn Siegfried from even his naïve course into powerless victim centerstage, escalates the downfall. Siegfried’s willful stubbornness to hold on to his point of view is strangely believable, Brenna dramatizing how insisting that he must see others with the face of trust. The potion complements this...
..Her cry to the gods about how she suffers came through with strong conviction, just as Brenna’s painful awareness beams from him as he dies. The two convince through their art of singing and acting; we remain in rapture and strengthened by their increased awareness of who they are in fact; their earlier expressions of love a light touch compared to these moving expressions. |
Opera Wire
www.operawire.com |
| …he sings with appropriate power and has all the notes bar that ungratefully written top C that Wagner tosses in at the end of Act II. Dramatically he creates a respectable portrait of a half-formed adolescent trying – and failing pretty spectacularly – to find his way in the world. If it comes across as one of the less sympathetic readings of the role, that fits in with Zambello’s panoply of men behaving badly. |
Limelight
www.limelightmagazine.com |
| In his SFO debut, tenor Daniel Brenna was superb as Siegfried, a role he has sung in Europe, Asia and the U.S. Though he didn’t boast the biggest of voices, he had clarity and energy, and acting chops, his character illustrating a compelling love for Brünnhilde.
|
SF Examiner
www.sfexaminer.com |
| Brenna created a compelling Siegfried who unknowingly gets duped by the Gibichungs into winning Brünnhilde for Gunther. Brenna’s singing reached incandescent heights all the way to his character’s last breath.
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Northwest Reverb
www.northwestreverb.blogspot.com |
| Opéra de Dijon – DER TRAUMGÖRGE |
| Daniel Brenna sings the title hero with a lyrical reverie-like voice, which is at the same time capable of truely dramatic outbursts. |
| Opernwelt 12/20, Sabine Weber |
| The role of Görge is an extremely demanding one. Is there a better singer and actor to portray this role? The heroic tenor Daniel Brenna, who already repeatedly enthralled in Dijon, plays the part of Görge. His singing is powerful, clear in the high registers and perfectly articulated. He knows how to use registers, colors and mezza voce to express the humanity and the complexity of a character. His consistently perfect play leads us in a dramatic and musical truth, which truly moves us. |
Forum Opera
www.forumopera.com |
| All by himself, the heroic tenor Daniel Brenna , who plays the role of Görge, connects the duality of the work, which is a a revolutionary dream. With a warm and soft breath, his vocal middle and lower notes caress his dream universe and his dream love. His heights are uncoupled, powerful and accentedly marked unto vocal tense. Whenever the immense vocal outbursts, required by this difficult role, are tense, they fill the entire auditorium and finally develop into extremely powerful, lyrical peaks, which push back the rebllious pack. |
Olyrix
www.olyrix.com |
| Opéra de Lorraine Nancy – Der TRAUMGÖRGE |
| Effortlessly, Daniel Brenna feels at ease in the role of the enraptured, moony and rather naïve Görge. Where the extremely shrill notes are tense and the vocal line sounds quite pressed, he knows how to enlighten them and give the figure complexity and humanity by the perfect use of Mezza Voce or vocal color. His all-Wagnerian endurance is remarkable and enables him to sing this overwhelming role securely until the final note. |
ResMusica
www.remusica.com |
| Opernhaus Zürich – Wozzeck - TAMBOURMAJOR |
| New member of the cast is Daniel Brenna as drum major, a caricature as military boogeyman, who sings with his tenor voice the eternally horny soldier. |
Online Merker
www.onlinemerker.com |
| Recasted was also the role of the drum major by Daniel Brenna, who confidently performed, not only in his vocal expression but also with his fascinating acting confidence on the small foodbridge. |
Das Opernmagazin
www.opernmagazin.de |
| Staatstheater Kassel – Siegfried - SIEGFRIED |
| ... a Siegfried, that producer Michael Dietz outlines as a young man somewhere in between a rebellious postpubescent, constantly demonstrating his power and a totally naïve boy. With Daniel Brenna Dietz has found a singer, who superbly realizes this concept. After his initial, slightly forced entry in this huge role, he soon acts on equal footing, singing absolutely delightfully. ... |
| Orpheus Nov/Dez 2019 -Claus-Ulrich Heinke |
Daniel Brenna is a reliable Siegfried. He already succeeded in this very role in Tatjana Gürbacas’ three-part Ring in Vienna and in Tobias Kratzer’s “Götterdämmerung in Karlsruhe. Currently, he is one of the best. Solid, enthusiastic and with clear diction. All of this, he is also as young Siegfried. Now in Kassel…
Although it suited his role as brawler in shorts, it was very unfortunate: in the third act Brenna Brenna appeared bandaged, with an obviously injured leg.
Yet, he only figuratively played with clenched teeth. His impressive singing performance wasn’t at all affected by his little accident on leaving the stage in the second intermission.
Either way, his bandage wasn’t part of his costume, it was indeed a first aid treatment of an injury.
Highest respect for so much team spirit and stamina.
Brenna was the top of the high level, first class Wagner ensemble. His amazing vocal splendor showed right from the beginning, as Siegfried skirmishes with his foster father at home.
As Siegfried palpably gets to know his Brünnhilde in the third act and finds out that it isn’t a man but a woman, Brenna …not only lets his timbre- rich in all registers- blossom. In the final duet he also gives a very touching play portrayal of awakening sense of manhood. |
| Joachim Lange in OPER! November 2019 |
| Daniel Brenna, physically a rather anti-hero, also became a popular figure of a not quite undisputed character, which is deeply rooted in our mythical Germanness. The young American’s heroism lies in his voice; a heldentenor who is, due to his vibrating voice and his dynamic differential power in every phase, adequate to the enormously demanding role. Even his accident on his way to the dressing room in the second intermission couldn’t keep him from climbing the steep Brünnhilde-rock He did so with powerful voice, although he had severe injuries and pain in his left leg: one of the great hopes in the rather small market of appropriate Wagner singers. |
| K.G.v. Karais in Opernglas November 2019 |
| Yet it was strange that, as the singers came on stage after the second act to receive their well-deserved applause, Siegfried was missing. But Daniel Brenna just had met an accident. When he unpacked his Brünnhilde in the third act, to be surprised to see that the person dressed in metal wasn’t a man, but a woman, his visibly injured left leg was bandaged and he had great difficulty to hide his pain. Nevertheless, there weren’t any vocal losses, whatsoever – a true professional brilliant performance. His brilliant timbre, stoutly rich in all registers, his physical condition onto the final duet, despite harsh conditions, but also his agility as an actor and his dramatic persuasion, all of this was just overwhelming. |
NMZ
www.mnz.de |
| Especially for Daniel Brenna as Siegfried in short trousers. His dark-timbred, powerful voice and condition were most impressive and his exuberantly youthful play was really ravishing. On leaving the stage at the second intermission, his leg was badly injured. As a result of that, he looked visibly damaged with his bandage in the third act. But he absolutely heroically covered up his pain, which one sometimes noticed in his face, never however in his voice. Greatest respect! |
Concerti
www.concerti.de |
| Musically, this was an entirely convincing performance. This is primarily due to the cast, which is predominantly experienced in Wagner roles and already played them on several major international stages. Even though Daniel Brenna, who recently sang Siegfried in San Francisco, needed some time to sing himself free on the night of the premiere, he has just the right type of voice, which a young Siegfried needs. He managed to convince with metallic-brilliant peaks as well as with magnificent piano passages. As a result of a fall on stage, he returned in the second act with his leg bandaged, but he continued singing and playing, which was most admirable. Brenna rapidly accustomed as an actor in this role and the direction. |
Online Merker
www.onlinemerker.com |
| Bard Summerscape Festival – Das Wunder der Heliane – DER FREMDE |
| Daniel Brenna’s Stranger is given a tremendous amount to sing in Act one, seemingly singing full out — heroically — for the entire act. He handled that challenge well. And when the score calls for passion and lyricism, he faced those moments with a steady confidence and power. |
OperaWire
www.operawire.de |
| Staatstheater Wiesbaden – Jenufa - LACA |
| We were particularly pleased to see Daniel Brenna again in the role of Laca, which he had already sung in Dijon. The tenor jumped in for the indisposed Paul Mc Namarra. Once again Brenna gave a powerful, perfectly projected portrayal of the role. |
ConcertoNet
www.concertonet.com |
| Daniel Brenna portrayed the important role of Laca, jumping in on short notice for the indisposed Paul Mc Namarra, showing no sign of uncertainty at all. He marks the counterpart to the exhilarated Steva and according to the role, he initially seems starchy and introvert. His voice, however sounds amazingly relaxed and perfectly guided. |
| Der Opernfreund -01.12.2018 |
| … even in the tragic situations he becomes the most popular figure. This also has to do with the empathic capacity of his tenor voice, which is free of any kind of harshness. … His silently sung ‘Wie ich sie doch liebe’ in the second scene of the first act, seems immensely tragic. |
klassik.com
www.klassik.com |
| Daniel Brenna, a brilliant cover who immediately took part in the intense happenings. |
Frankfurter Rundschau – Judith von Sternburg
www.fr.de |
| A real god’s end concerning the acting intensity was Daniel Brenna, who jumped in as Laca for the indisposed Paul McNamara. |
Wiesbadener Kurier
www.wiesbadener-kurier.de |
| Originally Paul McNamara was intended to sing Laca. As he was indisposed, Daniel Brenna jumped in. Brenna, hwo has already performed the role at the MET gave a respectable performance. Showing presence as an actor and impressing by his extensive singing. |
Online Merker
www.onlinemerker.com |
| Daniel Brenna as Laca Klemen, with his expressive voice jumped in for the indisposed Paul McNamara. Brenna has a huge, heroic voice, which is secure in the high registers and has a perfect ductus. Besides, he was one of the vocal and acting highlights of the evening. Daniel Brenna definitively has the potential to sing more heroic parts in future. |
Online Merker
www.onlinemerker.com |
| Götterdämmerung - CD bei NAXOS – Neuerscheinung |
| Daniel Brenna holds his own in this cast, impressively singing the impossibly demanding part of Siegfried. |
Rafael´s Music Notes
www.rafaelmusicnotes.com |
| Opéra de Dijon – Jenufa - LACA |
| In love Laca, the rejected lover, angered, jealous, with a frightening propensity for violence, finds a way to conquer hate in order to become a gentle, comforting being. Laca is portrayed by Daniel Brenna, an overwhelming Wagner tenor, who plays the role with extraordinary power and total dedication. Shortly, he will portray this role once again at the MET. |
Classiquenews
www.classiquenews.com |
| Daniel Brenna in the role of Laca, the unloved. Angered, authoritarian, pitiful in his jealousy, he suffers. He is jealous of Stewa, who is loved by all. Outstanding singer Daniel Brenna ‘s play is touching: impulsively, passionately and proudly, he gives a true, real interpretation of the role. Both in his rebellion, love and tenderness. So it’s hardly surprising that he will also portray this very role at the MET. |
Forum Opera
www.forumopera.com |
| Both male actors are fantastic:…and Daniel Brenna, ex-Siegfried in Laurent Joyeux’ s trilogy, is a marvelous Laca. His suffering is so huge, the Dijon auditorium seems to be too small for such an outburst. His diction is perfectly clear from the fist note til the end. The American tenor sings with a very “Czech” verve, always remaining melodiously. |
ResMusica
www.resmusica.com |
| San Francisco Opera - SIEGFRIED |
| Though dubbed the “American” Ring there is nothing specifically American about this Siegfried except maybe the Siegfried — Wisconsin born Daniel Brenna, a veteran of the Washington D.C. Ring who has sung Siegfried in Budapest, Karlsruhe and Dijon as well…..
….Of youthful visage and fine young voice tenor Brenna well embodied Wagner’s ideal of pure and indeed powerful nature. This innocence served him well through his almost joyful murders of Fafner and Mime and prepared him for his monumentally guileless encounters with the god Wotan and Wotan's once immortal daughter Brünnhilde. |
Opera Today
www.operatoday.com |
| San Francisco Opera – Götterdämmerung – SIEGFRIED |
| Tenor Daniel Brenna’s Siegfried perservered through it all to make, finally, his scene with the Rhine maidens one of the memorable moments of the entire |
Opera Today
www.operatoday.com |
| This Siegfried is still a creepy frat boy – chugging blood, embracing the Gibichungs’ misogyny, and lusting after every woman in sight – but at least he adores Brünnhilde. Brenna sang with bright high notes ...His voice flowed most smoothly during his final scene, for his boastful storytelling and soaring death aria |
Backtrack
www.bachtrack.com |
| Oper Bilbao - Salome - HERODES |
| “...Daniel Brenna’s Herodes, sung with a powerful voice that could be heard even from the back of the stage. Scenically he played an absolutely pschotic Herodes, full of anxiety and cowardice , afraid of any detail that could be considered a bad omen” |
| Rememberingstars. 22.2.2018 |
| « Fitting perfectly to the soprano’s impeccable performance were the tenor Daniel Brenna in the role of Herodes and the bass baritone Egils Silins as Johanaan, both singing on a very high level. Brenna stands out with his enticing, brilliant voice which has great expressivity, transmitting with transparency the character’s entire complexity.” |
| Nora Franco Madariaga - Gara, 19.02.2018 |
| Coming back to the vocal part, we must highlight the Herodes by Daniel Brenna, who undertook his histrionic role with audacity, nothing to do with those harsh voices, many already declining, that sometimes are casted for this character, as playing a vicious role should therefore imply as well an equivalent singing. That wasn't the case of Brenna, who knew to understand Strauss' score and translate it in an always clean singing, with power and excellent projection. |
Platea Magazine, Javier del Olivo, 18.2.18.
www.plateamagazine.com |
| Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Götterdämmerung SIEGFRIED |
| American heldentenor Daniel Brenna played Siegfried a role he has sung in Washington, Vienna, Budapest and Denmark. In 2013, he sang both Siegmund and Siegfried in a shortened Ring cycle for Opéra Dijon, and later this year sings Siegfried in Siegfried and Götterdämmerung for San Francisco Opera. Even in the concert setting for Hong Kong, his performance captured the characters gung-ho, impulsive, boyish truculence, then his naivety and growing confusion at Hagens betrayal, and he sang with clarity and lyricism, his top notes particularly stirring. |
Limelight
www.limelightmagazine.com |
| Theater an der Wien Ring - SIEGFRIED |
| Also vocally Daniel Brenna was appealing as boisterous Siegfried. |
| Opernglas 2/2018 T. Rauchenwald |
| Daniel Brenna was an enchantingly naďve young Siegfried, bursting with enthusiasm. The fact that he is no Heldentenor, as some Wagnerians niggle, hardly touches me. Windgassen was reproached the same. And yet it is due to him my love to this opera arose, because he was a real Siegfried: naďve but also emotional, charming and beautifully singing a child of the gods, which to me was crucial. Hans Beirer was a Heldentenor but no Siegfried because vocal power only just isnt enough. Stephen Gould is a Heldentenor with a fantastic voice and a convincing Siegfried. Daniel Brenna however, with his smaller yet enjoyable voice manages to sing the part and brilliantly play the role : a handsome, lean, agile boy, disgusted by his foster fathers obtrusiveness. Enchantingly, the way he mucks around with his mentor. Yet, he is also visibly touched by his parents destiny and in a moving way he befriends the female forest bird, who accompanies him to the selige Öde, where Brünnhilde is waiting for him. Even in the smallest gestures or mimic reactions we can see the portrayal of a truly lonely young man, whom the sympathy of the audience is for sure - as it was Wagners intention. There can be no doubt the native American ( with an extraordinary biography see interview!) truly understood every word he sang. |
| Der Neue Merker (01/2018) - Dr. Sieglinde Pfabigan |
| Daniel Brenna as Siegfried was also beyond compare. Seldom has one heard the barbarously difficult Schmiedelieder sung in such an exuberant and sovereign way. Brenna however sang them with an almost tantalizing nonchalance and still had the power for the final scene "Heil dir, Sonne! Heil dir, Licht".
. one can truly call Brenna a discovery; it would be interesting to see (and hear) them in a big opera house. |
Evolver
www.evolver.at |
| Daniel Brenna as Siegfried is a beguilingly fleet-footed hero
Elegantly and effortlessly he jumps into a rocky landscape made out of plastic, conceived as a burlesque to meet the waiting Brünnhilde. |
NMZ
www.nmz.de |
| Ravello Festival Italien SIEGFRIED in Siegfried /SIEGMUND in Die Walküre |
| Da encomio per espressivitŕ, intonazione e potenza č stata la prestazione di Daniel Brenna, un Siegfried da antologia che anche in Siegmund ha saputo porgere una linea di canto legato, ma con incisivitŕ di accento, virtů che sanno coesistere solo in tenori di primissimo ordine." |
| Corriere della Sera, Luglio 2017 |
| Sankt Gallen Theatre - Annas Maske - ALOYS OBRIST |
| "One sits up and listens attentively, when Obrist (Daniel Brenna) reaches Puccini-like and almost kitschy cantilenas..." |
Musikzeitung
www.musikzeitung.ch |
| "Also a godsend is her opponent Daniel Brenna as Aloys Obrist: his erratically controlled, loud and lachrymose play is so superb, that right from the first tone, one believes he is capable of murder out of jealousy." |
Tagesanzeiger
www.tagesanzeiger.ch |
| "Daniel Brenna as Aloys Obrist inspires by the vocal directness and the amazing stringency, with which he plays Anna's love-crazed admirer.." |
Tagblatt
www.tagblatt.ch |
| "metallicly passionate (Daniel Brenna)" |
NZZ
www.nzz.ch |
| Edmonton Opera - Elektra - AEGISTH |
| "To have a tenor of the quality of Daniel Brenna in the small role of Aegisth was a bonus." |
Edmonton Journal
www.polifonicagrimaldi.it |
| Metropolitan Opera New York - Jenufa - LACA |
| "In the role of Laca, Jenufa’s ever patient suitor, Daniel Brenna made good use of his profound tenor. He spent the evening channeling John Vicars, which was thrilling. |
| www.polifonicagrimaldi.it |
| "Daniel Brenna (a Laca with a walloping tenor)" |
| www.newyorker.com |
| "Daniel Brenna as Laca ist simply impressive,if not exuisite." |
| www.forumopera.com |
| "Daniel Brenna had punchy power as his hapless half brother Laca" |
| mobile.nytimes.com |
| Daniel Brenna....sang with a youthful rambunctiousness and acted with commitment to the production. |
| www.huffingtonpost.com |
| Budapest Wagner Days - SIEGFRIED |
| With great success Daniel Brenna sung Siegfried at the third evening . It's a pity his Tannhäuser performances in Prague were cencelled (because of illness). He is very young-looking , has an excellent voice quality and a natural sense of acting. |
2016 ElegantClassics, Czech republic - All rights reserved.
Chief editor : Miloš Bittner
|
| Washington Opera House - SIEGFRIED |
The undoubted star of this production, however, was tenor Daniel Brenna who sang the role of this opera’s eponymous hero. Wagnerian singers generally traverse a long and difficult road to develop the kind of voices that can still retain some lyrical quality even as they must develop extraordinary volume and accuracy in order to soar above this composer’s massive symphonic accompaniments. Not infrequently, such voices don’t achieve that peak power until Wagnerian singers are in their 50s, which makes their portrayal of much-younger characters seem a bit odd in today’s musical theater scene where acting as well as physical appearance and believability hold great importance.
Mr. Brenna is a notable exception to this rule. Though now in his early-to-mid-40s, he possesses great physical vigor; and even better, still possesses the look and the attitude of a cocky late teen or early 20-something, which is absolutely perfect for the role of Siegfried. His brash, almost clueless hero’s swagger, his lack of tolerance for the boredom of normal life and his sudden gob-smacking by the awesome power of an intense first love are all made entirely believable by this still-youthful tenor. None of this would be enough, though, if Mr. Brenna didn’t also possess the enduring vocal power and finesse needed to sing Siegfried effectively and well. But he does.In the opening scenes, we weren’t entirely sure. Siegfried’s vocal lines are short and clipped in the early part of Act I, so we weren’t quite able to ascertain how Mr. Brenna would develop his character later as Siegfried’s vocal lines and emotions lengthened and grew.But, like many an athlete, it’s clear that Mr. Brenna was gathering his vocal forces so that his instrument would peak when it needed to peak, in that grand finale, during his extended dueling duet with Brünnhilde. It was the right answer, leading to a brilliant and fulfilling conclusion to this third installment of what is fast becoming one of the truly defining moments in the history of the Washington National Opera. |
Commdiginews
www.commdiginews.com |
| There are a lot of ways to parse a “Siegfried,” and Francesca Zambello’s production, with Philippe Auguin’s conducting, continues to offer D.C. audien¬ces a particularly rich ride. But one bottom line remains the two leads, and both Foster and Daniel Brenna, the Siegfried, were largely unknown quantities until Wednesday night (although Brenna sang the part of Alwa in the Metropolitan Opera’s “Lulu” last fall). Both proved more than respectable: Brenna, in particular, showed a savvy use of his voice, resisting oversinging in the first act, when he sounded pushed and bland, so that he was doing his best work in the third, unleashing a robust sound that made it clear that this singer is definitely someone to watch. |
The Washington Post
www.washingtonpost.com |
| The scenes presented in Act One, showed the young Siegfried (Daniel Brenna) brooding about his place in the world and questioning his parental upbringing. Mr. Brenna’s lustrous tenor voice vividly matched his character’s myriad moods as he very aptly conveyed his character’s youth, idealism, defiance, and callowness. It was a pleasant casting decision to watch a Siegfried who truly had a boyish, raffish, and endearing air of defiant nonchalance about him (rather than much older singers that have played this part). Brenna’s interpretation of the character was invigorating and refreshing throughout. |
DC Metro Theratrearts
www.dcmetrotheaterarts.com |
| When our hero Siegfried returns, singer Brenna has his voice anchored securely and from here on demonstrates why the Wagner Society and others who have showered prizes upon him have staked their hopes in the “best young Siegfried out there.” Brenna has the Wagnerian vocal chops for sure and is developing the release of his instrument and the dramatic passion to drive even this toughest of roles. He may be a young “freak of nature” now but he is tipping into being darn near sensational. |
DC Theatre Scene
www.dctheatrescene.com |
| Siegfried, the fresh-faced Daniel Brenna, was the epitome of the rebellious adolescent – a post World War II American invention after all, with a touch of James Dean about him. He has anger issues, but was still endearing, and not every production succeeds in making him so. Brenna’s voice wasn’t the biggest imaginable but he communicated energy and passion throughout. |
Bachtrack
www.bachtrack.com |
| Washington National Opera - Götterdämmerung - SIEGFRIED |
| Daniel Brenna, a young Washington National Opera first-timer, with a rich, brassy tenor is terrific as Siegfried, playing him less as a hero and more a bratty kid. |
| www.washingtoncitypaper.com |
Brash American tenor Daniel Brenna pulled out all the stops as the Ring’s swaggering and occasionally oafish hero, Siegfried, portraying him as an almost recklessly brave fellow to whom heroics are second nature. But, unschooled in subtlety, he can’t ferret out the duplicity of his apparently genial hosts in this final Ring opera, leading to the inadvertent disgrace of his beloved Brünnhilde and ultimately to his own destruction.
Mr. Brenna sang like a swashbuckling hero early on in the opera as he made the acquaintance of the scheming Hagen (Eric Halfvarson), his half-brother Gunther (Ryan McKinny), and Gunther’s lovelorn sister Gutrune (Melissa Citro). But later, as he slowly succumbs to Hagen’s treacherous attack, the truth of it all dawns on his character, Siegfried. The versatile Mr. Brenna responded to the moment with a completely different vocal approach, singing with great tenderness and love as Siegfried remembers, in his dying moments, his magical time with Brünnhilde. |
| www.commdiginews.com |
| Daniel Brenna’s Tenor exuded a natural and earthy charm as he sang gloriously of his past victories and conquest to the hunting party. Brenna is simply amazing in every facet of this role. |
| www.dcmetrotheaterarts.com |
| Daniel Brenna’s Siegfried represented an important conceptual step forward from the 2011 staging: still raw and brash, but no longer a completely unlikable lout, with a strong voice and an ability to convey his character’s heroism in — especially — his death scene, standing upright for longer than seemed humanly possible, and singing with the same promise he showed in Wednesday’s “Siegfried.” |
| www.washingtonpost.com |
| Daniel Brenna meanwhile, is every inch a Siegfried-the bold, heroic but terminally dumb hero of the cycle. |
Broadwayworld
www.broadwayworld.com |
| Daniel Brenna continued his eminently likeable Siegfried - still the boy-man, wearing his mother's sky-blue scarf. From his moving love-scene with Brünnhilde where each outdid each other in protestations of love, to his rustic faux-pas in the sleek Gibichung domain, from the guileless expansiveness of his male camaraderie, to his heartbreaking end, his last gesture an attempt to reach the hand of his 'blood-brother', Brenna captured the character's central magnetism, that is to say the magnetism of his innocence. While others in it for something - some for the Ring itself, some for a bit of status, dreaming of real glory among their leopard-print cushions - only Siegfried is in it, as it were, for the jolly, becaus he happens to be alive. Only he has always been free of the desire for power or wisdom; theonly thing he wanted was to learn fear, and he never quite managed that. |
| Fullsizerender |
| Scala di Milano - Die Soldaten - DESPORTES |
| Daniel Brenna knows how to portray a ambitious and despicable Desportes |
Il Corriere Musicale
www.ilcorrieremusicale.it |
| Daniel Brenna as Desportes is a cynic, a false villain, who doesn't posses the charme of a womanizer, only his despicable dissipation, increased by the rudeness of his behaviour and his morals. The extremely difficult part is brilliantly sung, the high notes sustained by an important and constantly controlled falsetto. |
Classical Online
www.classicaonline.blog.tiscali.it |
| Metropolitan Opera New York - Lulu - ALWA |
| Especially in the dramatic 2nd part Daniel Brenna definitively improved . He credibly, almost pitiously, conveyed the awkwardness of Dr. Schön's son. |
| Der neue Merker 01/2016, Susanne Resperger |
| With his strong tenor voice Daniel Brenna made his successful debut as Alwa. |
| Orpheus, Hans Bernd Zimmermann, January/February 2016 |
| Daniel Brenna has a gorgeous voice and he brought a wonderful vocal bloom to the lyrical duets with Petersen in Act 2. |
Seen and Heard International
www.seenandheard-international.com |
| As Alwa, the son of Schon, Daniel Brenna initiated his performance with a sense of composure, his singing measured and relaxed. But once his passion for Lulu started to take over, Brenna sang with increasingly unbridled passion, escalating with his eventual demise. |
Latin Post
www.latinpost.com |
| His son Alwa - also one of Lulu's victims - was sung with the necessary helden-tenoral power and a slight baritonal timbre by Daniel Brenna. He also perfectly mastered the lyrical passages of his role, above all the "hymn" on Lulu's body in the second act , which he sang with legato and sustained tones. |
Der neue Merker
www.der-neue-merker.eu |
| Alwa, sung by the American tenor Daniel Brenna in his Met debut is compelling as the pathetic composer, who becomes dependent on her, though he knows she is out of his reach (With his big voice, it's not surprising to read that Brenna will be singing the leading role in SIEGFRIED shortly). |
| Broadway World |
| 'Daniel Brenna, an American tenor in his Met debut, brings a robust voice to Schön's son, Alwa, an impressionable composer who also yearns for Lulu.' |
The New York Times
www.mobile.nytimes.com |
| '... and Daniel Brenna imprressed with a dark, muscular tenor in his debut as Alwa' |
New York Classical
www.newyorkclassicalreview.com |
| 'Daniel Brenna's Alwa was sung with great attention and vivacity.' |
| Bachtrack
|
'In his Met debut young American daniel Brenna as Alwa disclosed a healthy, baritonal tenor.' |
Parterre
www.parterre.com |
| '...and the doctor’s son Alwa (the gorgeously fragile Daniel Brenna)...' |
Vulture
www.vulture.com |
| 'Daniel Brenna is a puppyish, but vocally hearty Alwa.' |
The New Yorker
www.newyorker.com |
| The Dutch Opera Amsterdam - Lulu - ALWA |
| 'Truely great were also Daniel Brenna (Alwa) and...' |
| Het Parool |
| 'On stage there were some real top singers (such as Mojca Erdmann, Jennifer Lamore, Johan Reuter and Daniel Brenna), who had not only an eye for the formal aspect of Berg's music. They also knew how to express it's passionate warmth. These singers do not only have impressive vocal qualities, the also act damn well.' |
| Theaterkrant |
| 'Daniel Brenna is an impassioned, virile Alwa...' |
| Musicalamerica |
| 'Daniel Brenna brought vocal heft and dramatic intensity to the composer Alwa.' |
| Bachtrack |
| Scala di Milano - Die Soldaten - DESPORTES |
| 'Daniel Brenna is an excellent Desportes, not lacking in selfishness or cruelty.' |
Opera Online
www.opera-online.com |
| "Daniel Brenna has the same asset, which enables him to effortlessly change from the high registers into falsetto with an imoressive speed." |
Forumopera
www.forumopera.com |
| 'Daniel Brenna portrays a raging, detestable Desportes.' |
| www.ilcorrieremusicale.it |
| "Tenor Daniel Brenna depicted Desportes appropriately as a mean villain" |
The Opea Critic
http://theoperacritic.com |
| "Daniel Brenna packed a punch with a steely tenor perfect for the unforgiving Desportes" |
Bachtrack
http://bachtrack.com |
| Munich State Opera - Die Soldaten - DESPORTES |
| 'The male parts were also perfectly casted with Daniel Brenna as Desportes...' |
Vlaams Wagnergenootschap
vlaamswagnergenootschap.blogspot.de |
| ‚Even Desportes, a role that is mostly just screamed by some used tenors, was perfectly sung by the tenor Daniel Brenna’. |
Opera Magazine
opera-magazine.com |
| "As Baron Desportes, American tenor Daniel Brenna managed to sail into the extremities without making a musical travesty of the role." |
Opera news
www.operanews.com |
| "The extremely high noted vocal part in toto perfectly suits tenor Daniel Brenna's (Desportes) voice" |
| Opernglas |
| 'The outstanding principals humanized the stylized approach, especially .... and Daniel Brenna (Desportes), recently announced as the Siegfried in Washington's National Opera's upcoming Rang Cycle. A challenging evening, but what a dramatic and vocal tour de force! As strong as the cast was....' |
| Classical Voice America |
| Daniel Brenna [excellent in Salzburg in the same role], ...Daniel Brenna, where have you been 'hiding'?! A superbly talented opera singer/actor! |
Classissima
http://www.classissima.com |
| "...little by little she falls under barone Desportes' (Daniel Brenna) gleaming high peaks ..." |
FAZ
http://www.faz.net |
| 'Though optically uniform, Daniel Brenna is unique as the cool seducer Desportes, because of his precise articulation.' |
Opernnetz
http://opernnetz.de |
| 'Moreover, the soloists in the play are alltogether vocally and performingly brilliant. Not only the fascinating Hannigan as Marie, but also Michael Nagy (Stolzius), Daniel Brenna (Desportes) and Okka von der Damerau (Charlotte). Even the smallest roles are played outstandingly.These Soldaten truely ensure a rewarding sound impression.' |
Bayerische Staatszeitung
http://www.bayerische-staatszeitung.de |
| "Daniel Brenna, who effortlessly meets the teoral demands of Desportes' part" |
Drehpunktkultur
http://www.drehpunktkultur.at |
| "Daniel Brenna in the role of baron Desportes convincingly sings and plays this brutal psychopath" |
Wiener Zeitung
http://www.wienerzeitung.at |
| "Daniel Brenna portrays the „nobleman“ with a diabolically seductive falsetto over a metallic tenoral core." |
NMZ Online
http://www.nmz.de |
| "Excellent: Marie's men ... Daniel Brenna's Desportes inspired by the Tambourmajor" |
Operalounge
http://operalounge.de |
| "Once again Daniel Brenna gave an impressive portrayal and his German has equally improved since his Salzburg performance." |
Capriccio
http://www.capriccio-kulturforum.de |
| "...and Daniel Brenna (Desportes) cope much better with Zimmermann's extreme vocal demands as his prodecessors in previous performances." |
Abendzeitung München
http://www.abendzeitung-muenchen.de |
| "Her Marie is a musical- artifcial sensation. This also applies for Daniel Brenna as Desportes - he too succeeds in turning the ludicrously exposed shifting between the registers into a fascinating expression of an emotional perversion." |
Die deutsche Bühne
http://www.die-deutsche-buehne.de
|
| Dortmund Opera House - Tannhäuser - December 2013 |
| 'The american tenor Daniel Brenna as Tannhäuser was an excellent choice. Not only did he sing a thoroughly thrilling part, he also convincingly got into the chartacter of the Christ-Tannhäuser, as conceived by Voges.' |
| Choices |
| 'Daniel Brenna as the title character got better and better in each act, in a remarkable display of stamina. Covered in blood by the final scene, his torment was of the highest intensity when he attached himself to the cross at the news of his redemption.' |
| Bachtrack |
| Opéra de Dijon/Auditorium - Der Ring - SIEGMUND and SIEGFRIED - October 2013 |
| ‘ The performance has some sensational surprises in store like the tenor Daniel Brenna, who enjoys the luxury of singing both Siegmund and Siegfried. His undisputed qualities as a Wagner singer and actor, combined with his stamina, make it clear that he will soon be dominating the big stages.’ |
| Le Bien Public |
| ‘Daniel Brenna’s Siegmund and Siegfried are marked by a remarkable dynamism and provided with the most various psychologic aspects. Without any difficulties his well balanced voice keeps the vocal line at all times.’ |
| ResMusica |
| ‘With a powerful, beautifully timbred and perfectly placed voice Daniel Brenna first sings a great Siegmund and immedately afterwards Siegfried….’ |
| Forum Opera |
| Daniel Brenna is a solid Siegfried’ |
| Classique d’aujourd’hui – Bruno Serrou |
| 'But an even more remarkable piece of shape-shifting came from Daniel Brenna. The peerless hero Siegmund of yesterday was turned into the delinquent teenager Siegfried with aplomb, his entire demeanour transformed and his voice lighter and clearer. Very few tenors attempt both roles at all (I have heard one excellent Siegmund declare that he will definitely never sing Siegfried in his career); to pull off both roles in a week-end is extraordinary. The awakening and love scene in which Brenna’s Siegfried rouses Sabine Hogrefe’s sleeping Brünnhilde was sublime, Siegfried’s initial terror and gawkiness giving way to pure beauty in the blending of the two voices.Brenna’s singing was equally fine in the long first act which (in this production) he shares only with Mime, and Florian Simson once more sang a fine Mime. The highlight was the sword forging scheme, which Brenna sang with immense power and which the orchestra played to perfection, |
| The Bachtrack |
| ‘The young tenor Daniel Brenna’s Siegfried, an equally convincing partner ar Brünnhilde’s side, perfectly fits into the producer’s concept. … the tenor’s singing is exemplary in clarity of diction and of A shining youthfulness. What a difference between the eternal performances, in which, too often, the heaviness of the sword seems to press down everything. The ‘Awakening Scene’, in which Siegfried calls on Brünnhilde to wake up, is one of the most impressing musical achievements we have ever witnessed.’ |
| Classique news |
| ‚An adolescent Siegfried goes through a learning processof anxiety and desire, helplessly surrendered to the euphoria of ‘finding himself’ and ‘loosing himself in his sweetheart’s love’. Rarely, the duet with Brünnhilde touched and moved us in such a way… all the singers live up to the production, especially the young tenor Daniel Brenna, who plays both Siegmund and Siegfried. He portrays both father and son with flying colors.' |
| Télérama |
| ‘.. Sensational in their light-heartedness and naturalness: Daniel Brenna’s Siegmund and Siegfried.’ |
| Altamusica |
| ‘…and a few very interesting voices… the extremely promising tenor Daniel Brenna as Siegmund and Siegfried.’ |
| Le Figaro |
| Hessisches Staatsthetaer Wiesbaden - Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny - JIM MAHONEY |
| "Daniel Brenna's Jim Mahoney sometimes comes close to a Wagner hero, sonorously intoning many a phrasing with great dynamic. This fits quite well with the somewhat naive boy from Alaska, who doesn't quite know what's happening to him in the sophisticated city of Mahagonny" |
| Opernglas/6 - L.E. Gerth |
| The Soldiers – DEPORTES – Salzburg Festival– August 2012 |
| „But the highlight of the performance seems to be Daniel Brenna as Desportes. The heldentenoral demands of this part are simply gigantic. But he always souns suggestive, hardly ever forced. Equally interesting: his voice suddenly turning into a well heard falsetto register. His 'love duet' with Laura Aikin in the hay bales is absolutely unbelievable. This estatic duet with its erotic component and extreme contortions is beautiful singing.” |
| Der neue Merker |
| „The American tenor Daniel Brenna as the nobleman Desportes handles his insanely difficult part just as well. Impressive: his vividly sung cynism shortly beore his death by poison was incredible.” |
| Südtirol online |
| “...and the tenor Daniel Brenna`s bright, penetrating voice served to characterize Desportes.” |
| New York Times |
| “Laura Aikin and Daniel Brenna hadle their hair-raisingly demanding solo parts with aplomb and stand out from the uniformly good soloist ensemble.” |
| Salzburg 24 |
| “Daniel Brenna’s incisively high tenor voice perfectly suits Desportes’ role profile.” |
| Salzburger Nachrichten |
| “Also Daniel Brenna as the "nobleman" , who schmoozes and finally destroys Marie, profoundly masters his part.” |
| Der Standart |
| “... whereas Daniel Brenna plays a Desportes, whose self-confidence is based upon clear snobbishness..” |
| Neue Zürcher Zeitung |
| “Daniel Brenna en Desportes: a smooth talker, secure in the upper registers.” |
| Wiener Zeitung |
| Siegfried –SIEGFRIED -Longborough Festival – July 2011 |
| "Where the cast was concerned, there was not a weakness. Truly exciting was the Siegfried of the American tenor Daniel Brenna. A stocky figure, he perfectly characterized the callow youth who bullies Mime (the excellent Colin Judson), sang with such tenderness of the mother he has never known, and was ardent in the final duet. I could not believe that he would maintain the volume and intensity of his tone in Act 1 right through to the end of Act 3, but he did (and it is not often that he would be expected to sing the role four times in eight days). Would he sound as impressive in a larger theater? Yes, I believe he would. In engaging him Longborough has made a thrilling find ... ." |
| Opera |
| “…by the fearless Siegfried (an impressive debut in the role by American tenor Daniel Brenna). The glorious, ecstatic duet, during which their mutual love is acknowledged and their union sealed with the Ring, was superbly handled” |
| The Oxford Times |
| „But the real surprise was the young American tenor Daniel Brenna, whose Siegfried was among the best I have ever witnessed. Presenting the boy as a hefty, amiable, brainless jock, he sang firmly and cleanly in tune throughout. One never knows how long these things will last, but on his Longborough showing, Brenna is a contender.” |
| The Telegraph |
| “In Daniel Brenna, Longborough has a young Siegfried of irrepressible physical and vocal energy. Tall and impetuous, his journey from petulant youth towards manhood and love was wholly confident.” |
| The Guardian |
| „Vocally, too, this is a remarkable evening. The young American tenor Daniel Brenna looks and acts the callow hero impressively and his tone remains convincing to the close." |
| The Stage |
| „At its head is a young American Siegfried, Daniel Brenna who as far as I know is completely new to the British stage. From his first “Hoi-ho” it’s instantly apparent that he’s a Wagner tenor of outstanding promise, a natural with a brilliant, easy top to the voice that half-recalls Melchior, strong projection throughout the range, excellent German and a completely unforced stage presence. His acting is still raw, and he needs more disciplined direction than he gets here. But it’s great to hear this difficult, taxing music sung so uninhibitedly, and without a trace of exhaustion to the very last phrase of his final-act duet with Alwyn Mellor, who herself sings Brünnhilde with radiant tone and vivid dramatic intensity.” |
| The Arts Desk |
| “The casting of the central role in Siegfried, a headache for any opera company these days, is a considerable challenge for a small house like the Cotswolds-based Longborough Festival Opera. What a coup if they could not only cast it but unearth a new tenor who will go on to shine in the role around the world. They might just have done that….The paradox of the role is that the voice needs maturity, which Brenna’s bright, sweet sound will gain over time but, in the meantime, how refreshing to have a Siegfried who actually looks as though he could be Brünnhilde’s nephew rather than her father….a new, genuinely youthful Siegfried has arrived and it’s something to be celebrated.” |
| What's on Stage |
| “ The American tenor Daniel Brenna, making his debut in this role, looks the part, brims over with youthful impetuosity, and sings superbly…. Moreover, Daniel Brenna's true-to-life portrayal of a mixed-up youth progressing to manhood suggests that a new Wagnerian star has been born.” |
| This is Gloustershire |
| “Daniel Brenna is American, and must be one of the youngest and most convincing Siegfrieds around. He´s the very epitome of the naive and puppy-ish young lad who knows no fear, and has only the creatures of the forest for his friends. Brenna´s steady heroic tenor seems for most the the evening effortless, indefatigable. And his embodiment of the tantrum-prone youth, his body movements resembling those of his ursine friends, is irresistible.” |
| The Times- Hilary Finch |
| “The first act of this opera is long, and can sometimes drag with a middle-aged Siegfried mocking his guardian Mime before finally re-forging the mighty sword. One can yearn for Act II where Alberich and Fafner reappear from earlier in the Ring, but here at Longborough I wouldn’t have wanted Act I to last a minute less, because Daniel Brenna and Colin Judson were riveting as Siegfried and Mime. It seemed incredible that a mere twenty-something could be singing Siegfried, though Daniel Brenna is in fact in his early to mid-forties despite his brilliant portrayal of a rambunctious young man. His enunciation of the words was so strikingly good that I needed no surtitles — it was as though he were merely speaking, yet with excellent pitch and an admirable heroic tone. … But the main attraction in Act II was Siegfried himself. His soliloquy when he muses about his mother is one I’ve heard beautifully sung before, but Daniel Brenna gave it a real sense of emotion, particularly in his crescendo on the word Mutter when he wishes he could see her.” |
| Markronan Wordpress |
| "For 'Ringheads', as Wagner fanatics have come to be known, Mr. Brenna was the long awaited youthful-looking, athletic, stroppy, rebellious tormented angry young man who failed to learn the meaning of fear." |
| Stratford Herald - Clive Peacock |
| Moses und Aron - ARON – Zurich Opera House - May 2011 |
| 'DANIEL BRENNA agiley played the role and was almost a Mephistopheles, almost a Goebbels, but also a clown, a media-clown of our times. Vocally he performed the miracle of singing this horrendously difficult tenor part beautifully.' |
| Der neue Merker |
| „'And the young american Daniel Brenna lends to the contrasting figure of Aron his very precisely placed, capable of all bel canto melting, tenor voice.” |
| Basler Zeitung |
| Moses und Aron – Gala concert – ARON - National Philharmonics Budapest |
| „'The audience gave Kocsis and the other participants, among them the german baritone Wolfgang Schöne as Moses and the american tenor Daniel Brenna as Aron, prolonged applause. ...Despite a feverish cold, Daniel Brenna mastered the seductive of Aron.” |
| Berner Zeitung |
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