Acclaim

“Doyle’s translation, as expected, relays Da Ponte’s razor-sharp text in a version of Dublinese – Tara Erraught’s Donna Elvira promises to offer Don Giovanni ‘pure hell’, and that she’ll ‘tear away his heart’, while the champagne aria starts to ‘fill them with vino’. There are exclamations of ‘Jesus!’ and references to bastards and worse. Funnily enough, however, it only reminds us how surprisingly well Hibernian English can relate to 18th-century Italian. More to the point, the words carry easily from the singers’ lips, with surtitles only needed occasionally. Communication is immediate, showing the real power of a workable singing translation. More than most operas, Don Giovanni jumps rapidly from comedy to horror to disgust to melancholy and back again, and the text simply takes us there. Erraught’s Elvira is a pleasure to watch and listen to, and she brings tremendous vibrancy and energy to her voice in this role.” (Don Giovanni, Opera Theater Company)

Goldenplec.com
03 October 2016

“Tara Erraught as Donna Elvira, his most conflicted lover, brings her velvet mezzo voice and high wattage charisma to the role.” (Don Giovanni, Opera Theater Company)

The Independent October 1, 2016
01 October 2016

"Irish Mezzo-sopran Tara Erraught, a bright star in her guild since she triumphantly jumped in at the Nationaltheater for Vesselina Kasanove in 2011, has some of the cleanest coloratura in the game, an enviably large range, and body language that draws one diretly into the mood of each song."
Opera News October 2013
01 October 2013

Rising star shines in Canadian debut

Acclaimed young mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught shows intelligence and complexity in Vancouver recital

“...a succession of arias by Handel and Rossini showed what this impressive new singer is really all about. Having established her vocal and interpretive credentials in the earlier part of the recital, here, at last, she cut loose with roulades and ornaments galore, agility, irrepressible verve and obvious joy in performing. With co-recitalist — indeed, co-conspirator — Jonathan Ware at the keyboard, Erraught delivered an ultra-flashy rendition of Dopo notte from Ariodante, then the famous, exquisite Lascia ch’io pianga from Rinaldo. Her lithe virtuosity unleashed, the recital went into overdrive, ending, at least officially, with a hilarious rendering of Una voce poco fa from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. … In all, this was a convincing demonstration that, once again, Vancouver audiences have heard a true rising star …." (North American Recital Tour, Chan Centre,Vancouver Recital Society, Vancouver, Canada)

The Vancouver Sun April 25, 2013
25 April 2013

MESMERIZING IRISH MEZZO TELLS STORIES IN WEILL SONG RECITAL

"…She has an exciting and excellent top …and she has great facility and ease with the German language. …The first half ended with Brahms’ “Gypsy Songs.” Op 103. …Brahms arranged Nos. 1 to 7 and 11 for solo voice and piano in 1889, and these eight were sung by Ms. Erraught with brilliance of tone, vibrant shimmering high notes, and exciting dynamic contrasts. Coming back for the second half wearing a royal blue Grecian-style gown, Ms. Erraught sang six of Wolf’s “Morike Lieder.” …Again, in singing a group with wide demands in terms of range, color and dynamics, I heard in Ms. Erraught an accomplished, elegant, tasteful, and perceptive performer. …Saving the best for last in Handel and Rossini arias the singer, as they say, knocked it out of the park. “Dopo notte,” from Ariodante, could not have been a bigger contrast from the Wolf miniatures. With jaw-dropping agility and speed, loads of clean, accurate trills, impressive evenness of scale from top to bottom (and back up again and again and again), it was a total showpiece. …“Una voce poco fa” from Rossini’s Barbiere di Siviglia is sometimes considered a ‘warhorse,’ but it’s always an aria where a singer can prove her bonafides and bid to be added to the list of greats who have gone before. There’s no doubt, Tara Erraught is fast. Furiously fast. Think Cecilia Bartoli-fast. At that point, the audience was more than ready to express their appreciation with a standing ovation, which earned them the pleasure of two encores. (2013 North American Tour, Green Music Center, Sonoma, CA)

Classical Sonoma April 21, 2013
21 April 2013

“Dublin-born mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught made her American recital debut with the Harriman-Jewell Series on April 12, adding her name to the long list of distinguished singers who have first performed as recitalists on the local series. She revealed herself to be a masterful actress, utilizing a wide variety of expressions and gestures to plumb the emotional gamut of a both songs and opera arias. …The program was heavy with German interpretations, as might be expected from a singer of the Bavarian State Opera who has made her mark in such German-speaking musical capitals as Munich and Vienna. Her first series of songs, by the Czech composer Antonin Dvo?ák but sung in German, found her best engaged in the painfully tortured “Ám Bache,” about a river which, flowing onward, carries away the flower of youth. … In a series of gypsy songs by Johannes Brahms, she was the master of all dynamics, from the fiercely declamatory to light and almost impressionistic phrases.” (2013 North American Tour, Harriman-Jewell Series)

KCMetropolis.org April 16, 2013
16 April 2013

“Throughout the evening, Erraught projected a warm, engaging stage persona that served her well in the wide musical variety of the first half's program choices. She's only 26, but Tara Erraught already has a classic, surprisingly mature mezzo voice: it's big, strong, dark and rich. …True to show-biz convention, the fireworks came at the end in Handel’s aria “Dopo notte” from his 1735 opera “Ariodante” and in “Una voce poco fa” from Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville.” The Handel’s fearless, impeccable performance deserved its standing ovation and chorus of Bravos! from the audience, as did the Rossini.” (2013 North American Tour, Harriman-Jewell Series)

- The Kansas City Star April 13, 2013
13 April 2013

“The evening, however, belonged to the young Irish mezzo Tara Erraught as the put-upon Angelina. With her accurate, fleet divisions and sweet disposition she won the audience’s hearts completely.” (Wiener Staatsoper, Rossini, La Cenerentola)

Opera (UK) February 2013
01 February 2013

“Neue Königin des Belcanto” – “New Queen of Belcanto” (Wiener Staatsoper, Rossini, La Cenerentola)

Frankfurter Allgemeine January 31, 2013
31 January 2013

"Der Charme der Trockenhaube"

“The singer in the title role is a genuine find. Tara Erraught plays Angelina lively and touching, her mezzo is capable of pearling coloraturas and clear high notes.” (Wiener Staatsoper, Rossini, La Cenerentola)

Kurier January 28, 2013
28 January 2013