“What a Thaïs we have here!”
Concerto Net
“What a Thaïs we have here!”
Concerto Net
“She portrays a genuine and endearing Thaïs, who, beneath her sumptuous attire and cascading jewels, seems to be waiting for a revelation.”
Classy Keo
“She portrays a genuine and endearing Thaïs, who, beneath her sumptuous attire and cascading jewels, seems to be waiting for a revelation.”
Classy Keo
“Following in the footsteps of other great American sopranos who have distinguished themselves in the title role (such as the creator of the work, Sibyl Sanderson, in 1894), Rachel Willis-Sørensen has established herself as a great Thaïs. Her musicality and fantastic technique allow her to handle a wide range and project powerful, stratospheric high notes, all with a beautiful mastery of French prosody.”
Bach Track
“Rachel Willis-Sorensen sings one of the most demanding roles - Massenet wrote it for her muse, the Californian singer Sibyl Sanderson, an exceptional voice with three octaves. But the American soprano is one of those few, who have weapons in hand. At 41, she is at the zenith of her voice, a voluptuous medium, beautiful lower voice, but also impetuous middle voice which…calls for admiration and respect.”
Le Monde
“The final duet in the opera, set in the convent where Thaïs breathes her last, is all the more heartbreaking because the performers are of the highest caliber. Following in the footsteps of other great American sopranos who have distinguished themselves in the title role (such as the creator of the work, Sibyl Sanderson, in 1894), Rachel Willis-Sørensen asserts herself as a great Thaïs. Her musicality and fantastic technique allow her to manage a wide range and project powerful, stratospheric high notes, all with a beautiful mastery of French prosody. But her dramatic soprano sometimes seems a little too generous for a role where one might imagine more fragility.”
Le Monde
"The object of these adversaries’ desires, Leonora, is here portrayed by American soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen. A well established and outstanding soprano of some repute, she devours this role with relish and is seemingly improving in it the more she performs it. Additionally, she appears to accrue a special stage presence just for this role, filling the empty stage with gravitas. Her full-bodied upper register slides majestically into a rich, lower; encompassing expressive and sweet pianissimos. She paints her phrases with the trills and ornaments of her coloratura. Her ‘Tacea la notte placida’, where she engages with her confidant, Ines, declaring her love for the Troubadour, is tangibly endearing. Her final act when she sings a moving, “D’amor sull’ali rosee” was positively entrancing. I have already alluded to her duet “Miserere” where she further pledges her love to Manrico beneath the tower where he is imprisoned; she sings here with delicate phrasing and restraint, allowing the distant vocals of Manrico to filter through and blend."
OperaWire