Reviews
LOHENGRIN
Copenhagen 2001
”One can only marvel at the wealth of talent the Royal Danish Opera has at hand. As Lohengrin, Johnny van Hal is a true "Heldentenor" with a beautiful glowing tone and an effortless sense of line. Van Hal was excellent at conveying Lohengrin's semi-divine nature through a nobility of poise and demeanour, subtly relaxing them to bring out his human side.”
THEATRE WORLD
TOSCA
Jyske Opera 2001
”Johnny van Hal is simply marvellous. His brilliant, heroic tone has attained a new mellowness and suppleness, a genuine and personal beauty, that is an continuous enjoyment, and does not seem to give any hindrances to the finesses of delivery. Alert and intelligent, he melts music and text together from the first appearance’s republican confidence to the despair of the tower aria.”
POLITIKEN
TRISTAN AND ISOLDE
Copenhagen 2009
”Johnny van Hal makes his debut as Tristan with success ... an intense, dramatic rendering of the character's emotions.”
SKANSKAN
”... sings outstandingly good ... ” KRISTELIGT DAGBLAD
”Johnny van Hal shines through as a powerful heroic tenor ...” HELSINGBORG DAGBLAD
”With the part as Tristan, Johnny van Hal climbs a alpine peak in a tenor’s repertoire, in volume, staying power and beauty. His performance of the ecstatic hallucinations in the third act is simply stunning.” SYDSVENSKAN
”For Johnny van Hal, Tristan is the expected break-through. With an impressing control of technique in this enormous part, he has a precise and infallible clarity of tone.” GregersDH.dk
SIEGFRIED
Riga 2008
”Neben van Hals nie aufgesetzt wirkender Darstellungsvielfalt hat der in Schweden aufgewachsene Holländer auch noch Stimmreserven auf Lager, die bruchlos anspringen, souverän differenzieren zwischen Power und Sensibilität und mit strahlender müheloser Höhe und baritonalem Timbre seine Partie vom ersten „Hoiho!“-Auftritt bis zum „Lachenden Tod“ ohne jede Spur von Ermüdungserscheinungen ausfüllen.”
DAS OPERNGLAS
KAFKA’S TRIAL
Copenhagen 2005
”Among some first-class voices, Johnny van Hal's Joseph K ... were quite outstanding.”
THE INDEPENDENT
”Tenor Johnny van Hal sounded gorgeous in the dual role of Joseph K./Franz Kafka.”
OPERA NEWS
Opera News named Johnny van Hal as one of opera’s «most valuable players» in their 2006 Best of the Year awards, for his lead part on the recording of Kafka’s Trial.
SIEGFRIED
Copenhagen 2006
”Siegfried is genially portrayed by Johnny van Hal ... Johnny van Hal debut in the part is top quality. One can hardly hear too much of this man’s voice. He even adds plenty of humour to the part, due to his excellent body language.”
KULTUNAUT
TOSCA
Copenhagen 2006
”Johnny van Hal brings his generous silvery clarity to Puccini’s cold harmonies, and his Cavaradossi is wonderfully filled with gestures of love.
He received very well deserved bravos.”
WEEKENDAVISEN
SIEGFRIED
Essen 2009-10
”BESTER SÄNGER: Johnny van Hal als Siegfried in Wagners "Siegfried" am Aalto-Theater Essen.»
DIE WELT / RHEINISCHE POST in choosing the regions top opera performances
”Der Siegfried von Johnny van Hal durchlebte in den drei Akten auch drei Phasen des Erwachsenwerdens und analysierte diese Entwicklung ... in darstellerisch ernsthaftem Stil. Konditionell bewältigte er die Kräfte zehrende Partie mit bewundernswerter Disziplin. Als klassischer Heldentenor bewegte er sich souverän in der dröhnenden Bögen des schwerfälligen Schmiedeliedes, gestaltete Attacke und gut gestützte Spitzentöne und fand auch für die innigen Momente ... schöne und lockere Lyrismen.”
DAS OPERNGLAS
”Das Zentrum ist Johnny van Hal, der die gefürchtete Partie des Siegfried wirklich singen kann. Die Stimme ist schön timbriert, hat eine sichere, offene Höhe. Und der Sänger gibt der Rolle, die so oft durchgebrüllt wird, schwingende Linienführung, beinah lyrische Gestaltung, differenzierte Klangfarben, eine kluge musikalische Interpretation. Es gibt sie also doch, die angeblich ausgestorbenen Heldentenöre.”
DEUTSCHLANDSRADIO KULTUR
”Johnny van Hal ist ein lyrischer strahlender, seine mörderische Partie sehr gepflegt singender Siegfried, der auch optisch überzeugt”.
DEUTSCHE PRESSE-AGENTUR
”Allein der Energie, dem Mut, dem Rieseneifer und der guten schauspielerischen Leistung des Johnny van Hals als Siegfried in dieser stimm-mordenden Rolle - der schwierigsten Opernpartie die es gibt - muß uneingeschränkt Respekt gezollt werden.”
DER OPERNFREUND
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS
Copenhagen 2009
”The tenor Johnny van Hal performs the part of Bacchus with seducingly good singing and acting”
KPN.DK
”Johnny van Hal’s Bacchus was sung with warmth and sensitivity”
SKANSKAN.SE
SIEGFRIED
Weimar 2008
”The performances are again, exceptional; Johnny van Hal ... is superb – his voice is magnificent ... and he effectively sings his way through the transition from boy to dragon-slayer.”
AUDIOPHILE AUDITION
“Johnny van Hal ... bringt seine Rolle konditionsstark zu ende und besitzt auch die nötige Ruhe für eine poetische Waldszene.”
DAS OPERNGLAS
”Johnny van Hal ... displays not only a broad smile but a lusty, loud, smoothly produced tenor that could easily reach the last balcony seats.”
AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE
”Johnny van Hal is very convincing with his very lyrical heldentenor voice.”
TIDSSKRIFTEN OPERA
LULU
Copenhagen 2010
”Johnny van Hal as the well-meaning composer Alwa is reason enough to see the opera.”
KPN.DK
”In diesem Vergnügungspark standen auch die allesamt soliden, aber wenig charakteristischen und charismatischen Sänger auf verlorenem Posten: Allen voran Sine Bundgaard als Lulu, Johan Reuter als Dr. Schön und Johnny van Hal als Alwa.”
DIE WELT
”Not only does his heroic tenor voice fit the part, but he is very much present as an actor, and he carries the role extremely well.”
CONCERTONET.COM
”Johnny van Hal has never sung and acted better as in the role of the self-centred composer Alwa.”
KPN.DK
”Johnny van Hal with his powerful and lyrical tenor voice is an Alwa possessed by his role as an artist, and is uncommonly successful in giving shape to this difficult part.”
TIDSSKRIFTEN OPERA
”Alles beeindruckend sicher und präzise, voran für ... den an Alban Berg angenäherten Komponisten Alwa Johnny van Hals.”
DEUTSCHLANDFUNK KULTUR
”Bravo dottor Schön di Johan Reuter, l’ Alwa di Johnny van Hal.”
CORRIERE DELLA SERA
”Johnny van Hal stands strongly as the self-destructive Alwa.”
INFORMATION.DK
”A gorgeous role, that fits this dramatic tenor surprisingly well.”
GREGERSDH.DK
DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN
Copenhagen 2011
”... Johnny van Hal’s excellent performance in the important part as The Emperor.”
POLITIKEN
”Johnny van Hal has impressive control of his voice and his stage character.”
GREGERSDH.DK
”Johnny van Hal (emperor), heroic tenor, sang with a strong and well-modulated voice, and his tall patrician figure was a good match to his counterpart Sylvie Valayre”
CONCERTONET.COM
”... Johnny van Hal gave significant weight to the part of the rootless emperor.”
KPN.DK
Johnny van Hal is named as one of Opera’s most valuable players in Opera News’ Best of the Year awards for his Kafka, and chosen by Die Welt as the winner of the category Best singer for his part as Siegfried. Read on to discover what the critics wrote about his recent performances:
