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DOROTHEA HERBERT
Soprano
"(...) Dorothea Herbert masters the vocal interpretation of the role both technically and dramatically“
Opernwelt (Jürgen Otten)
"(...) And Dorothea Herbert sings the title role with a tireless voice, sometimes blending into the waves with her lush soprano, sometimes standing out from them. Captivating until the long final monologue.“
Braunschweiger Zeitung & Harzer Kurier (Andreas Berger)
"(...) In addition, there were consistently excellent performances from all singers: First of all, Dorothea Herbert should be mentioned in the excessively demanding title role. She was tasked with portraying Salome, who was returning to the family - contrary to what was intended in the libretto - as a woman who already had a whole range of different experiences, which she succeeded brilliantly. The way she mastered the many crazy intervals of her part cleanly and with absolute confidence in the pitch with her powerful soprano was really on a very high level.“Der Opernfreund (Gerhard Eckels)
"(...) In the Baden metropolis, Dorothea Herbert is a captivating singer who oscillates between hysteria and mystical enlightenment. With a beautiful soprano voice, she masters the highly dramatic accents of her role as well as the dreamy, lyrical cantilena. Her Ballade “Johohoe“ becomes an experience."
Die Deutsche Bühne (Eckehard Uhlig)
"Senta's ballad - the beautiful seed of this opera - glows with multifaceted colors of Dorothea Herbert‘s dramatic soprano."
Badische Neueste Nachrichten (Isabel Steppeler)
"Dorothea Herbert masters the difficult role of Senta almost perfectly with a straight and beautiful voice."
SWR (Bernd Künzig)
"(...) Dorothea Herbert takes her place and mastered the role as a guest excellently. Body language, diction, intonation, everything worked perfectly. She plays a seemingly passionate Rusalka until she realizes that she is only half human."
Der Opernfreund (Peter Heuberger)
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"(...) her shining voice, the drama in her voice (without any sharpness) her slender lyrical vocal tone and her shimmering high notes leave nothing to be desired."
Pamina Magazin
"(...) as Dorothea Herbert shows in her multifaceted interpretation which brilliantly illustrates the parts' emotional richness."
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Guido Holze)
"Peter Sonn (Lohengrin) and Dorothea Herbert (...) seem - on the director's prescription, of course - sterile and sleek, and are vocally brilliant."
Frankfurter Rundschau
"Dorothea Herbert enthuses as Elsa with an impressive and profound onset and strong and dramatic depth."
Darmstädter Echo (Axel Zibulski)
''Every "Salome" production stands and falls with the Salome. That's why it's not so easy to perform this one-act play by Richard Strauss, although of course all roles are essential and all details are essential for success. It takes an outstanding dramatic soprano.
Dorothea Herbert shines as the vocally outstanding Salome.
The Salome of the theaters in Krefeld and Mönchengladbach is Dorothea Herbert. As she proved again at the premiere of the opera at the Theater Krefeld - the production started in Mönchengladbach in 2019 - she can currently be considered one of the great discoveries in her field. Congratulations to opera director Andreas Wendholz for the excellent choice. Herbert was rightly engaged to Prague as Senta (“The Flying Dutchman”), will sing in Lohengrin (Elsa) in Darmstadt and even in Dresden in 2023 in Die Walküre (still only as Gerhilde) under conductor Christian Thielemann. Vocally outstanding even without the slightest doubt, she copes with this thoroughly draining role as Salome with vocal and musical interpretational sophistication, with a vocal substance that never gets tired - sparkling high notes.''
Westdeutsche Zeitung (Christian Oscar Gazsi Laki)
''From the very beginning, Dorothea Herbert lets her audience feel how inadvertently connected Sieglinde feels to her twin brother in her smooth tone, with clear diction in the recitative parts and flowingly with legato in her voice in the arias."
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Guido Holze)
''There is a tremendous house debut from Dorothea Herbert as Leonore, who finds her way to Florestan‘s cell disguised as a boy, and reveals herself in music of passionate intensity; she has the necessary wide range and power at the top and bottom of the register'' The Telegraph (Nicholas Kenyon)
''Thank goodness for the terrific singing and musicianship. Both German soprano Dorothea Herbert and English tenor Adam Smith are making House debuts and do so with impressive vocal composure and emotional impact. When Herbert stands alone in front of the prison walls and began to sing ‘Komm Hoffnung’, for the first time in the evening the audience are united in their focus – drawn into Fidelio’s conviction that she can rescue her husband. Herbert’s beautiful, shining soprano is captivating, and that beauty is allied with strength which sees her rise to the top of Beethoven’s sometimes discomforting vocal lines with flexibility and ease.'' Opera Today (Claire Seymour)
''The singing was accomplished, and in the case of Dorothea Herbert, the German soprano playing Leonore, outstanding, passionate, soaring.'' The Observer (Fiona Maddocks)
''The performances, though, carry us through. Herbert is a tremendous Leonore, warm-voiced and splendidly accurat'' The Guardian (Tim Ashley)
''Newcomer Dorothea Herbert is a find as Leonore, a lyric-dramatic soprano of radiant vocal security who delivers her dialogue with native know-how.'' The Sunday Times (Hugh Canning)
''Glyndebourne has done well with its two leads. Dorothea Herbert is up for the challenges of Leonore, feisty whenever necessary, but with enough of a lyrical quality in the voice to take her over the hurdles of the aria.'' Finacial Times (Richard Fairman)
''In the pivotal role of Leonora, German dramatic soprano, Dorothea Herbert (who sang the role for the first time in Chemnitz last year) was superb. Her strong and well-controlled voice was radiant and a joy to listen to especially in the confines of Glyndebourne’s comfy auditorium boasting such excellent acoustics. In fact, Ms Herbert (surely, a Brünnhilde in waiting!) has realised a cherished ambition on her Glyndebourne début as she has yearned for years to perform here following being de-selected for the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus during her student days.
However, if she sings from the heart, she also speaks from the heart. "It’s a dream come true to sing a role that is so precious to me at Glyndebourne," she said. "I’ve wanted to sing at this wonderful place for so many years. There’s really no words for it other than to say that I’m over the moon!" Planet Hugill (Robert Hugill)
''The German soprano Dorothea Herbert was an absorbing Leonore who, to Wake-Walker’s directorial credit, eschewed a diva’s spotlight and instead allowed her character to live and breathe within the ensemble.'' Musical America (Mark Valencia)
''No quibbles, however, about the Leonore, Dorothea Herbert, who has both precision and fervour.'' The Times (Richard Morrison)
''In the title role, Dorotea Herbert disclosed a shing soprano to match her compelling stage presence; she has all the amplitude required, at least in a medium sized theatre, holding the stage in 'Abscheulichert!' yet also bringing plenty of subtlety to her vocalism.'' Opera Magazine (John Allison)
“The actors are terrific: Dorothea Herbert is a Sieglinde, before whom one would like to kneel. With a big, warm-timbred voice and intimate play, she evades the demands of her husband. Lost she cares for the sword, polishes it and wraps it in cloth. It has long been forgotten that the disinfection of props is also owed to the Corona protective requirements. The glow that the strange guest elicits from her, and the radiance when she recognizes the lost brother in him, is implemented with vocal brilliance.”
RP online
“… as much a stroke of luck as Dorothea Herbert. A Sieglinde with a lot of culture in the sound - a lot of passion in a voice that also shines very charmingly, which has warmth in the middle but also glows beautifully. The soprano, who knows about her material, created lively heights.”
Westdeutsche Zeitung
“Dorothea Herbert certifies the psychological intensity of her Sieglinde entirely from the intimate atmosphere of this production through touching piani and delicate glow.” Theater Pur
“Dorothea Herbert embodies Rusalka with fine nuances and a lot of vocal passion”
Westdeutsche Zeitung
“With Dorothea Herbert (as a guest in the title role) a soprano with a strikingly beautiful timbre could be won, who not only knew how to impressively sing her famous "Song to the Moon", but also convinced throughout the evening with a wonderful balanced voice.” Opernmagazin
“Dorothea Herbert is a Rusalka who grows in her urge for being human. Her diamond-pure voice unfolds all her strength and beauty in the heights, which touches in the elegiac vows of love with the prince.”
RP
“The mythological mermaid Rusalka, wonderful soprano Dorothea Herbert, crippled and in a wheelchair, wants to get out of the deep universe of the waters in which she lives and go up to the mainland... the Czech interpretation of The Song of the Moon is incredibly sensitive in Dorothea Herbert's extraordinarily well-spoken voice.” Mundoclassico
"Dorothea Herbert gave her house debut in Chemnitz with Fidelio’s Leonore. What a stroke of luck! The young soprano has a very flexible voice, which responds well in both lyrical and dramatic passages. She masters the uncomfortable tessitura confidently. In addition, she lends her top notes an enormous luminosity, which she sings effortlessly, flawlessly and well focused! She convinces us with her intelligent and unobtrusive playing." Der neue Merker
“Dorothea Herbert as the Soprano soloist (Beethoven 9th) who […] already amazed the audience as Salome in Gladbach, outshined her colleagues with her crystal clear noble soprano voice.” RP online
“Dorothea Herbert as Salome in Mönchengladbach gives a brilliant debut. Erotic seething in the pit and singer’s throat. Dorothea Herbert sings a rousing title role“Aachener Nachrichten
“For the title role, opera director Andreas Wendholz has brought Dorothea Herbert, a wonderful Strauss interpreter, into the ensemble. Her Salome shines in wonderful shining registers. The devilishly demanding part never seems endangered. On the contrary, the Munich soprano apparently increases at will the emotional power of the daughter of Herodias which drives the court society with her pubertal sensuality to lose any kind of countenance.” Aachener Zeitung
"Dorothea Herbert in the title role as Salome is the equally pampered, emotionally neglected and disorientated teenager without any restrictions. Vocally, she masters the stresses and strains of the role almost perfectly and effortlessly.” O-Ton
“The dreamy Agathe by Dorothea Herbert did not leave any desires unfulfilled: shimmering piano heights, soft flowing legato and soulful lines.” Das Opernglas
”Dorothea Herbert impresses as Agathe, acting naively between whore and saint, with an almost perfectly intonated, crystal clear soprano voice and very little vibrato. In Mönchengladbach she recently impressed as Salome and will be seen in a new production by Christof Loy at the Theater an der Wien.”
Online Merker
“For the ladies section, Dorothea Herbert (Donna Anna) deserves the crown: vocal culture, animated coloraturas, gripping drama.” Mannheimer Morgen
"There were, however, powerful performances in both acts – particularly from Dorothea Herbert as the mad Scarlett." Lynda Nash
“Dorothea Herbert makes her Krefeld debut as Rusalka. With her voice and her power of representation she is a remarkable asset for our stage. In the “Song to the Moon” she keeps the balance between her longing and the coolness of the sung moon with her voice. So beautifully sung that you turn the sound up a bit.” Rheinpfalz
“With Dorothea Herbert in the title role Rusalka, who already achieved a sensational success this season as Salome and should be on the brink of a really great career.”
Neue Ruhr Zeitung
“Keyword brilliantly, right in the first act of the opera it also becomes clear that the role of Rusalka with Dorothea Herbert, who was already convincing as Salome in Mönchengladbach, is wonderfully cast, you don't hear such a wonderful soprano every day.”
Der Opernfreund
“Save yourself the tons of money for a Salzburg ticket. I'm pretty sure that the giant discovery Dorothea Herbert as Salome will be seen on the big stages of the world in a few years. And then it will be expensive. Therefore dear opera fans from Germany: Hurry to the beautiful theater at our gorgeous Lower Rhine. It is worth the longest journey!”
Der Opernfreund
“The soloist, a heroine with a brunette bob in a silvery shimmering sequin dress, is the discovery of the evening. Dorothea Herbert fires missiles with her explosive, yet supple voice, whose huge ambitus overwhelms upwards“ RP-online
“Anthony Pilavacchi draws the Salome as a thrilling thriller between fin de siecle and modernism very close to the libretto and the extremely playful ensemble sings with a great actress at an excellent level.“ OMM
"Dorothea Herbert convinces brilliantly in the large, demanding part of Salome: With good articulation (central to all Richard Strauss operas) and especially in high pitches overwhelming soprano Dorothea Herbert creates excitement, curiosity and fascination in the audience from the very beginning.” Ioco
''With so much parody, with so much satire, with so much big theater, it was almost lost that you could discover something that evening in Karlsruhe. We had never heard the singer of Agathe, Dorothea Herbert. She surprised and enchanted with her - let's say in the language of the feuilleton lyric - such beautiful, 'bell-clear' voice. When she sings Agathe's two cavatinas, Weber suddenly sounds really 'romantic,' and 'intimate,' not the least triste… One wishes to hear this singer again soon, perhaps as Euryanthe, perhaps as Elsa and Elisabeth, perhaps as Ariadne. In Karlsruhe, we have discovered a new star for us'' Zerlina von Faninal
"Consistant in this context is the much praised young Senta. Dorothea Herbert plays up as the "foolish" child, who can only articulate her opposition with a pink bed, stylish ripped jeans, a retro shirt and dreadlocks. On top of this she has a lot of very beautiful notes." Concerti
"Strauss’s Four Last Songs saw the appearance of the evening’s soprano soloist, Dorothea Herbert. The piece calls for some lengthy and challenging melisma throughout, which the soloist executed beautifully with great sensitivity and purity of voice. The sense of each song was well reflected in her dynamic range. [...] Dorothea Herbert rejoined for the 4th movement, once more treating us to her profound interpretation of the text and balance with the orchestra, bringing the symphony to a perfect and moving close."
Henry Raschen
"The role of Scarlett, the seductive and unbalanced sister-in-law, was impressively well performed in all respects by Dorothea Herbert; she alone had a lengthy and demanding solo, and made me want to see her in something I know." The Spectator
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