Reviews
Recital, Solo, and Opera Concert Reviews
-
A Festival Brings the Obscure to the Fore, With a Global Touch
Ellen Hargis and Mireille Asselin, sopranos; Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano; Mr. McStoots, tenor; and Mr. Williams, bass-baritone - gave a robust performance in which the sense of text was paramount.
Allan Kozinn, The New York Times - June 20, 2011
-
Significance of Early Music Performance
With The Newberry Consort at the Boston Early Music Festival: "Ellen Hargis sang (always a joy)…"
Tamra Hestrin Grader, The Boston Musical Intelligencer - June 19, 2011
-
In Concert with the Newberry Consort
Soprano Ellen Hargis brought artful artlessness to such salon and fireside fare as "Beautiful Dreamer," "Sweet Betsy From Pike" and "The Girl I Left Behind Me."
Chicago Tribune - November 6, 2009
-
In Concert at the September Prelude Festival, Raleigh and Chapel Hill, NC
Soprano Ellen Hargis gave a stellar performance with superb diction and phrasing and an evenly supported, warm-toned voice across its range…The clarity and precision of Hargis's French in the recitatives and airs was amazing. Her care for words and meaning came across in every phrase. Above all, she and her colleagues….displayed the prized French qualities of elegance and precision."
Classical Voice of North Carolina - September 11, 2009
-
In Recital with Paul O'Dette, Rochester, NY
"Hargis's resplendent voice, which she wields with consummate authority, ran the expressive gamut from the desperation of Alessandro Scarlatti's Orfeo and Barbara Strozzi's haunting ground-bass lament L'amante segreto, to the impassioned and coquettish episodes in Cesti's cantata."
17th-Century Music - Fall 2009
-
In Recital with Lutenist Paul O'Dette, Vancouver Early Music Festival
"It would be hard to imagine the queen in possession of better musicians than the ones we heard... Hargis's soprano rang clearly and eloquently. There were two songs in particular that were shattering: Flow My Tears and In Darkness Let Me Dwell. Hargis in her singing was moving beyond words. The house was deservedly full."
Vancouver Sun - August 7, 2007
-
In Recital with Paul O'Dette at New York City's Morgan Library
"Soprano Ellen Hargis and the lutenist Paul O'Dette, who performed at the Morgan on Tuesday, have unimpeachable Boston credentials. Ms. Hargis, who sings with a clear tone and minimal vibrato, brought a hint of introspective drama to Monteverdi's 'Ohimè ch'io cado' and 'Quel sguardo sdegnosetto.' Between them she gave a palpably forlorn account of 'Si dolce è'l tormento.' Much of Ms. Hargis's expressive charm is in her flexibility, a quality heard to best effect in three songs by Barbara Strozzi. Her thoughtful pacing and the ease with which she moved through the gentle chromaticism of 'Respira, mio core' and the increasingly florid writing in 'L'amante segreto' gave these songs a monumental quality, as if they were operatic fragments.."
New York Times - May 18 2007
 Full list of performance reviews (PDF) |
 Press Kit available in Press |
Duo Concert Reviews
-
Recital in Rochester, NY
"Friday evening's entertainment, a recital by well-known soprano Ellen Hargis and lute virtuoso Paul O'Dette was voted by many the most stimulating concert…Hargis's resplendent voice, which she wields with consummate authority, ran the expressive gamut from the desperation of Alessandro Scarlatti's Orfeo and Barbara Strozzi's haunting ground-bass lament L'amante segreto, to the impassioned and coquettish episodes in Cesti's cantata. The exceptional acoustics of Kilbourn Hall meant that not a note was lost in O'Dette's exquisitely paced renditions of music by Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger and Alessandro Piccinini… the duo left us with a beguiling rendition of Tarquinio Merula's Folle e ben che si crede."
17th-Century Music - Fall 2009
-
In Concert With La Cetra
"Concert brings the Elizabethan to Life: Vancouver Early Music Festival performance reconstructs historic with impressive results"
"It would be hard to imagine the queen in possession of better musicians than the ones we heard, especially O'Dette, who was faultlessly fluent on his lute. Hargis's soprano rang clearly and eloquently. There were two songs in particular that were shattering: Flow My Tears and In Darkness Let Me Dwell. Hargis in her singing was moving beyond words. The house was deservedly full."Vancouver Sun - August 7, 2007
-
In Recital at New York City's Morgan Library
"Soprano Ellen Hargis and the lutenist Paul O'Dette have unimpeachable Boston credentials. Ms. Hargis, who sings with a clear tone and minimal vibrato, brought a hint of introspective drama to Monteverdi's Ohimè ch'io cado and Quel sguardo sdegnosetto. Between them she gave a palpably forlorn account of Si dolce è'l tormento. Much of Ms. Hargis's expressive charm is in her flexibility, a quality heard to best effect in three songs by Barbara Strozzi. Her thoughtful pacing and the ease with which she moved through the gentle chromaticism of Respira, mio core and the increasingly florid writing in L'amante segreto gave these songs a monumental quality, as if they were operatic fragments. And a vigorous reading by both Ms. Hargis and Mr. O'Dette gave Questa è la nuova a folkish, almost rustic quality. Mr. O'Dette accompanied Ms. Hargis on the chitarrone, a deferential instrument by nature, made to provide support. That was mostly how Mr. O'Dette used it. But he also played solo works by Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger and Bellerofonte Castaldi that ask for more, and Mr. O'Dette responded with the kind of virtuosic detail and interpretive fluidity he has always brought to his lute performances."
New York Times - May 18, 2007
-
The Power of Love (Noyse Productions)
"Against a background of civil and religious war pitting the Cavaliers, partisans of King Charles I, against the Puritans, enemies of music and entertainments, this album is dedicated to the power of love, which remains ever indifferent to the vagaries of the world at large. The first golden age of song to develop in England was imported, like so many other things, from Italy. Nicolas Lanier, John Wilson and Henry Lawes championed a repertoire that focused on emotions and combined poetry, refinement and grace. Monteverdi's influence - and in particular, that of his Lamento d'Arianna - is obvious in Lanier's Love's Constancy and the surprising Nor com'st thou yet. Lawes' Farewell, despairing hopes, with its affects and piercing declamation, is by contrast an important milestone on the way to the great laments of Purcell.
Above and beyond these elements are Ellen Hargis' and Paul O'Dette's magical performances - or rather incarnation - of melancholy, regret, and love's urgency, which confirms that the twenty-five-year partnership between the soprano (who is by turns charming, afflicted and hedonistic) and the lutenist/theorbist has resulted in such a close rapport that each has become the 'double' of the other. The entire recording deserves the highest praise, including the unexpected and humorous "dessert", Richard Rodgers' My Funny Valentine." (Five stars)Roger Tellart, Goldberg Magazine - 2005
"The names of Ellen Hargis and Paul O'Dette carry with them a virtual guarantee of music-making of the very highest order, a promise irresistibly fulfilled by this release…Buy it and prepare to be bewitched."
Fanfare - Oct./Nov. 2005
"…no one even slightly familiar with the early music scene needs and introduction to either Miss Hargis or Mr O'Dette; I expected an excellent production, and it is."
American Record Guide - Sept/Oct. 2005
-
The Christmas Album (Noyse Productions)
"Soprano Ellen Hargis unleashes a performance that is breathtaking in its intensity…"
Early Music America - Winter 2005
"If you want to give yourself or someone else the perfect holiday moment, I would suggest combining a mug of mulled wine, a crackling fire, your favorite comfy chair, and Ellen Hargis and Paul O'Dette's new CD "The Christmas Album," a well-chosen and brilliantly performed collection of hauntingly beautiful carols, tunes, and songs for the holiday season."
Angela Mariani, (NPR) - December 2005
 Duo reviews (PDF) |
Press Kit available in Press |
CD Reviews
-
Thésée
"Ellen Hargis lends the Princess Aeglé a wonderful glow... a complete pleasure of the most exalted kind. This recording in total can stand as the best example of the performance of a French baroque opera now available."
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - 11 August 2007
"The cast includes sopranos Ellen Hargis (Aeglé) and Suzie LeBlanc (Aeglé's friend Cleone) whose performances could hardly be better."
The Toronto Globe and Mail - June 2007
-
Conradi's Ariadne
"This delightful singer does rise splendidly to the dramatic possibilities offered to Queen Pasiphae, mother of Ariande and Phaedra, in her outraged Act III scena."
Fanfare Magazine - January/February 2006
"Ellen Hargis is terrific as Ariadne's dragon of a mother…"
Gramophone - October 2005
-
The Power of Love
"The names of Ellen Hargis and Paul O'Dette carry with them a virtual guarantee of music-making of the very highest order, a promise irresistibly fulfilled by this release…Buy it and prepare to be bewitched."
Fanfare - Oct./Nov. 2005
"…no one even slightly familiar with the early music scene needs and introduction to either Miss Hargis or Mr O'Dette; I expected an excellent production, and it is."
American Record Guide - Sept/Oct. 2005
More reviews"Against a background of civil and religious war pitting the Cavaliers, partisans of King Charles I, against the Puritans, enemies of music and entertainments, this album is dedicated to the power of love, which remains ever indifferent to the vagaries of the world at large. The first golden age of song to develop in England was imported, like so many other things, from Italy. Nicolas Lanier, John Wilson and Henry Lawes championed a repertoire that focused on emotions and combined poetry, refinement and grace. Monteverdi's influence - and in particular, that of his Lamento d'Arianna - is obvious in Lanier's Love's Constancy and the surprising Nor com'st thou yet. Lawes' Farewell, despairing hopes, with its affects and piercing declamation, is by contrast an important milestone on the way to the great laments of Purcell.
Above and beyond these elements are Ellen Hargis' and Paul O'Dette's magical performances - or rather incarnation - of melancholy, regret, and love's urgency, which confirms that the twenty-five-year partnership between the soprano (who is by turns charming, afflicted and hedonistic) and the lutenist/theorbist has resulted in such a close rapport that each has become the 'double' of the other. The entire recording deserves the highest praise, including the unexpected and humorous "dessert", Richard Rodgers' My Funny Valentine." (Five stars)Roger Tellart, Goldberg Magazine - 2005
-
The Christmas Album
"Soprano Ellen Hargis unleashes a performance that is breathtaking in its intensity…"
Early Music America - Winter 2005
"If you want to give yourself or someone else the perfect holiday moment, I would suggest combining a mug of mulled wine, a crackling fire, your favorite comfy chair, and Ellen Hargis and Paul O'Dette's new CD "The Christmas Album," a well-chosen and brilliantly performed collection of hauntingly beautiful carols, tunes, and songs for the holiday season."
Angela Mariani - Harmonia (NPR)
-
Puzzles and Perfect Beauty, with the Newberry Consort
"In the next track we have a superb a cappella performance with Ellen Hargis. This made me yearn for more tracks which were instrument-less. One more item featuring the gorgeous soprano voice of Ellen Hargis would have been welcome. I have enjoyed this CD and can recommend it."
Musicweb-international.com - March 5, 2005
More reviews"Despite the challenges posed to the performers of these complex forms of polyphony, the players and singers (Ellen Hargis and Drew Minter) bring off these pieces as though they were second nature. But this would come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the Newberry Consort and its recordings."
American Record Guide - September 2005
"…En Attendant Esperance [is] the longest piece on the disc, which owns to a rare and exquisite beauty of both text and music that rolls back the centuries to make a profound emotional impact. That it does so to such devastating effect here is in no small part due to Ellen Hargis, who sings it with an unaffected, pure simplicity that goes directly to the heart…it alone is worth the asking price of the disc."
Fanfare - May/June 2005
-
Seaven Teares: Music of John Dowland with Paul O'Dette and The King's Noyse"Ravishingly sung by Ellen Hargis, a full-throated singer with an attractive vibrato, whose plaintive articulateness is beautifully fit for this music."
Fanfare - November/December 2002
More reviews"That joy is heard in the delicate ways in which harmonies and melodies are folded into each other, creating subtle dissonances that prick the ears and psyche. It can be heard in the aching - but alluring - vocal lines of soprano Ellen Hargis."
RedLudwig.com - April 23, 2002
"Hargis sings with elegance and expression; particularly attractive is "Flow my teares."
BN.Com - May 2002
-
Il Zazzerino: Music of Jacopo Peri"Soprano Ellen Hargis has absorbed completely the spirit of these varied pieces, the only constant being the passion and stunning clarity with which each is rendered. Her voice is ideal for this music - pure, resonant and deeply moving. The throbbing lament of 'Uccidimi, dolore,' for example, is as full of pathos as 'Bellissima regina' is of urgency and desire. More academic in nature are Hargis' poised, well-crafted renderings of two ardent Petrarch sonnets. Her tone is clean and warm, her dynamic range seamless, her diction and command of Italian impeccable."
Opera News - February 2000
More reviews"The expansive voice of Ellen Hargis and her luscious tone quality confer on these monodies of Jacopo Peri an immediate seduction."
Le Monde de la Musique - January 2000
"The secret to the performance of all this music lies in the ability to consistently articulate and color the text. This Ellen Hargis achieves to triumphant and spellbinding effect, teasing out the words of the lighter songs while investing the lament with a passion and power that hit the listener in the pit of the stomach. Her final 'io moro' is invested with a hollow emptiness that haunts the mind long after the last note has faded away. There is much else to praise. One might cite Hargis' ability to characterize vividly the mood of each of the six verses of a long strophic song, or even establish the mood of a whole song from its opening word. This is a stunning achievement that surpasses anything I've heard from her before. A magnificent achievement that at a single stroke elevates Peri to the status of a major composer. As such it demands a place in both specialist and general collections."
Fanfare - January/February 2000
"A masterly interpretation by the soprano Ellen Hargis. Ms Hargis has complete mastery of the vocal instrument, which she can control at will, thanks to outstanding technique and perfect intonation which allow her to move freely between the most varied moods required by the music. Sophisticated vocal techniques of the 17th century are used by Ms. Hargis with mastery and wonderful results, highlighting the innovative content and the moving beauty of these long-neglected pages. A beautiful disc, absolutely worth buying."
CD Classica - March 2000
"Ellen Hargis sings with wonderfully controlled passion. The voice is pure yet characterful, and she adorns her sound with a carefully moderated vibrato. There's a fine control of dynamic and phrase. She also weighs the lighter strophic settings like the opening 'Hor che gli augelli' to perfection." (Four stars)
BBC Music Magazine - December 1999
"Ellen Hargis' soprano is balm for the battered ear. Here are musical nymphs and shepherds; here is the sensuous volatility of Michaelangelo as poet in Se tu parti da me. And here, too, is the ice and the fire of Petrarch, clashing eloquently in Lasso ch'i'ardo and tremulous with tears in Tutto 'l dì piango."
The London Times - December 11, 1999
-
Torrejón y Velasco's La Purpura de la Rosa
"All the singers are good, particular praise being due to Ellen Hargis in the demanding part of Adonis."
Gramophone - July 1999
-
Bonporti Motets"Ellen Hargis is in lovely voice, demonstrating her darkly radiant sound and ample vocal skill for all to hear."
Continuo - December 1998
More reviews"A stroke of genius: the motets are a remarkable discovery, and the performance by Ellen Hargis leaves nothing to be desired. Hargis treats text and music with unequalled sensitivity."
Klassik Heute - October 1998
"Ellen Hargis is a proven hand in this repertoire, and she brings her brilliant technique to each selection, providing a primer in bel canto. Essential listening."
Early Music America - Summer 1998
"Hargis sounds like she is singing each high-flying line from the heart. Baroque fans will find this an unexpected gem."
Classical Choice - March 30, 1998
-
Rosenmüller"Ellen Hargis delivers the text with brightness and fervour, highly effective in Jubilent aethera and deeply affecting in the splendid setting of In te, Domine, speravi."
Gramophone -
American Record Guide - March/April 1997
"The singing by the estimable Ellen Hargis is a delight."
Early Music - February 1998
-
Handel, Tra le fiamme, Seattle Baroque Orchestra
"Hargis sings radiantly in the cantatas, from the joyous brilliance of the title work, Tra le fiamme, to the deeply poignant Ah! che pur troppo e vero. Hargis' soprano is simply ravishing in its flutelike liquidity and tonal purity, while her musicianship is impeccable."
Chicago Tribune (von Rhein) - April 16, 2000
