Press – Samantha Gaul

Die Zauberflöte

"Bei Samantha Gaul verhält es sich nicht anders. Sie ist im Ensemble der Oper Leipzig, betört mit feinen Farben und Legato-Kultur. Ihre Pamina ist unsicher, suchend, verstört, verliebt, verzweifelt – und gießt all dies in Töne, die emotional, wie stilistisch sofort einrasten. Wenn sie aus dem Leben scheiden will, ist hier und da im Saal ein Seufzer zu hören. Und so muss es sein."

"Samantha Gaul ist die perfekt dazu passende, mädchenhafte Pamina. Sie singt ihre Partie glockenhell und überzeugt mit sehr natürlichem Spiel, das auch die Zwischentöne und Unausgesprochenes reflektiert."

Schubertiade Hohenems

"Aufhorchen ließ die Sopranistin Samantha Gaul mit ihrer kristallklaren Stimme. Auch im Piano erklang die Stimme der aufstrebenden Opernsängerin kraftvoll, flexibel und raumgreifend. Zum kompositorischen Ausdruck von Kit Armstrongs Liedern, die modale Skalen und zahlreiche übermäßige Tonschritte beinhalteten, passte die akkurate Stimmführung von Samantha Gaul hervorragend."

Der Freischütz

"Von der vokal guten, vor allem darstellerisch bis in die kleinste Rolle hervorragenden Besetzung stechen das glockenrein keck singende Ännchen der Samantha Gaul sowie der hollywoodreife Bösewicht Kaspar des stimmlich herb-düsteren Tuomas Pursio heraus."

"Ein weiterer Höhepunkt des Abends war Samantha Gauls witzige, ironische und verspielte Interpretation von Agathes Cousine Ännchen mit dem richtigen Maß an Sarkasmus [...] Gaul ist neckisch, spöttisch und verführerisch in ihrem Schauspiel, das mit ihrer hellen Sopranstimme einhergeht.

Don Giovanni

"Outstanding is Samantha Gaul, who shaped her Zerlina in a musically filed way and with a captivating timbre provided."

"die betörend kokett quecksilbernde Zerlina von Samantha Gaul"

"Herauszuheben sind der kraftvoll und schöne Tenor von Josh Lovell als Ottavio und das unbekümmerte Spiel und der helle Ton von Samantha Gaul als Zerlina."

"Eine große Entdeckung des Abends war Samantha Gaul als verführerische, süße Zerlina, die es versteht, Masetto nach der Auseinandersetzung mit Don Giovanni zu trösten."

Das schlaue Füchslein

„Samantha Gaul spielt diese Inkarnation der verführerischen, abenteuerlustigen Jugend perfekt und sieht im ziegelroten Petticoat wie eine inspirierende Mischung aus Mary Poppins und der blutjungen Grace Kelly aus. Ihr zauberhaft, zarter, kindlich heller und doch warm unterfütterter Sopran ist wie geschaffen für die Titelpartie.“

Mr. Emmet Takes A Walk

"Samantha Gaul shines as a cleaning lady and showgirl, as a madonna-like mother and grande dame with mercurial soprano and great presence."

"Especially soprano Samantha Gaul is convincing in all female supporting roles, which she interprets with ease and "entertaining", which complements very well with the lyrical baritone of Michael Borth in the title role."

„Samantha Gaul kann ihre ganze gesangliche Palette ausspielen – von der dramatischen Soubrette bis hin zum koketten Mickey-Mousing. Ihre Interpretation des "Torch Songs" empfiehlt sie für so manche große Brecht-Weill-Frauenpartie.“

Mahler 4. Sinfonie

„Samantha Gaul traf mit ihrem «englisch» - jungen Sopran-Timbre den Sprachton des finalen «Wunderhorn» - Gedichts bestens."

Falstaff

"Also remarkable is Samantha Gaul in the role of Nannetta, especially in the aria of the young lovers (Sul fil d'un soffio etesio) the singer enraptures with a strong soprano voice, which measures all pitches clearly and powerfully."

"Samantha Gaul develops the fairy tone of Nannetta all the way up to the top."

"Samantha Gaul as bell-like singing Nannetta and Anja Jung as deeply relaxed string-puller Mrs. Quickly complete the female power."

"The main opponent now is Samantha Gaul as Nannetta. At the witching hour her confident soprano sounds as bright as a bell, strong as her honest love for Fenton."

L'isle déserte

"[...] while Samantha Gaul, with winning grace and vocal brilliance, gave the young Laurette, who has yet to meet men and love."

"First and foremost the wonderful Samantha Gaul, who, as the deer-like Laurette, enthused theatrically as well as vocally with her crystal-clear soprano."

"[...] among the consistently good soloists Samantha Gaul (as the little sister) still stands out: with a nimble, light, highly agile soprano, who at first only enthuses about tender little deer - but then prefers men. With bashful looks, shy smiles. The way the singer seems to embody pure innocence and yet also comments on it mockingly, is very entertaining."

Diodati.Unendlich

"Wertmüller demands virtuosity in the highest registers from his singers, while at the same time Dea Loher demands the precision and joy of playing of actors from them. All of them achieve this impressively and with great pleasure in exhibitionism. [...] He and his half-sister Augusta, who he left behind, gently look at each other's bodies, at their understanding. Samantha Gaul draws the Augusta with the highest coloratura soprano as an unattainable ideal".

"With pleasure and perseverance Wertmüller quotes through the history of music: brass choirs by Bruckner, vocal quartet by Schubert, a bit of Mahler or Carl Orff, a lot of jazz and for the singers the most maddening coloratura à discretion - great opera scenes for capable voices - and this premiere had it: no need to pick anyone out: Holger Falk, Kristina Stanek, Rolf Romei, Sara Hershkowitz, Seth Carico all shone, as did Samantha Gaul with a short, but also extremely difficult, coloratura-filled performance. The musicians of the Basel Symphony Orchestra are strongly challenged, but Titus Engel, as the resting pole, coordinates this orchestral-fuss"

Coraline

"Samantha Gaul is enchanting in the leading role: no moment, no expression seems artificial, no impulse unnatural, her character carries the title of the play while she herself carries the play."

"An absolute ideal cast is Samantha Gaul as Coraline, who plays and sings the eleven-year-old, despite the age difference, absolutely convincingly and with a lot of joy in being a child. The transcendental music suits her crystal soprano very well."

"In the centre is the title role. Samantha Gaul plays it with a noticeable pleasure to be a child, natural and lovable. And her bell-like soprano, never shrill, is ideal for this part."

"As Coraline, Samantha Gaul has been the center of attention from the very beginning. The soprano, who has already shone this season in HOFFMANN'S NARRATORS and LA BOHÈME, has exactly the right timbre for the demanding title role with her crystalline, flawless voice".

"The title role was superbly cast with the very young Samantha Gaul - a true congeniality with an innocently clear but nevertheless warm soprano."

Die Fledermaus

"The ravishingly to look at Samantha Gaul is not only a great actress, but also proves herself to be a coloratura-flashing adele with - as far as the figure allows - an elegant vocal line."

"The second major female part, that of the chambermaid Adele, is in good hands with Samantha Gaul in coloratura-experienced, silver-sounding throat - seductively coquettish charisma included".

Love Life

"There are great ensembles, real blues with a bit of "mahagonny" flair, also some vocal hurdles, like the coloraturas that Samantha Gaul realizes with vocal grandeur".

"Ingenious, for example, to have the illusion of a fairy tale prince sung by the Disney character Snow White (best voice of the evening: Samantha Gaul) in the Illusion Minstrel Show."

Hoffmanns Erzählungen

"Great the Olympia by Samantha Gaul, brilliantly designed up to the highest heights!"

"Samantha Gaul immediately sings herself into the hearts of the audience with her crystal clear, highly virtuoso Olympia coloratura. Big scene applause."

"An enchanting Olympia-soprano is Samantha Gaul."

"[...] the artificial doll Olympia: She is sung by Samantha Gaul with bravura - a petite little bird with knotless coloratura, needle-sharp and strong in her high-risk aria."

"With a voice as bright as silver and as clear as a bell, Olympia cheered her aria [...] This was one of the best Olympias ever. Vigorous applause rewarded her."

Simplicius Simplicissimus

"The very young Samantha Gaul - already Sophie Scholl in Udo Zimmermann's "Die weiße Rose" at the same place - plays the title role with wondrous amazement in her eyes and innocent movements, singing it with such an enchantingly pure soprano that one always fears for the fate of the boy and at the same time knows deep in one's heart that he will survive all injustice unscathed."

„[...] neben der berührenden Präsenz von Samantha Gaul in der Titel(hosen)rolle. Wie sie sich bei aller (auch stimmlichen) Reinheit von einer erschreckt Staunenden in eine reflektierend Entsetzte wandelt, ist eine Meisterleistung...“

„Tout dépend cependant, dans cet opéra, de l’interprète du rôle-titre. Toute jeune, Samantha Gaul n’avait naturellement jamais eu l’occasion d’interpréter ce rôle, et elle s’en empare avec une maîtrise et un élan remarquables. Elle réussit constamment à trouver le ton juste, l’humour souvent présent, les moments d’émotion, mais aussi la rhétorique irréfutable de Simplicius « promu » bouffon de cour au troisième acte, ce bouffon qui est là pour dire les vérités désagréables. Il faut espérer que cette éclatante réussite ne sera pas passée inaperçue, pour ce rôle précis comme sans doute pour d’autres à l’avenir.“

Weiße Rose

"Samantha Gaul, with her youthful appearance and natural soprano, is an ideal cast for Sophie Scholl, especially since confusion and determination alternate on her face like the sun and clouds in the sky on an autumn day.

"Giulio Alvise Caselli and Samantha Gaul as a brother and sister facing death, let us see how they bravely and desperately await the executioner: strong and lyrical, shrill and weak. Especially the ideally cast Samantha Gaul is captivating, soft melodiousness succeeds as well as clinking radiance, furthermore she gives Sophie Scholl a strong shape in word and movement."

"Fear of death is attested by the cantabile singing Giulio Alvise Caselli (Hans) - as well as by the radiant intensity of Samantha Gaul's high soprano".

Speere, Stein, Klavier

"The brilliantly playing-singing ensemble is led by Samantha Gaul, who mixes perfidiously sweet girl with Lady Macbeth."

"The fact that "Speere Stein Klavier" does not slip into slapstick is also due to the excellent cast of protagonists, above all soprano Samantha Gaul and baritone Georg Festl."