Melisande, Grimebourn Festival And Bury Court Opera Production Of Debussy’s Pelleas Et Melisande
“…Ilona Domnich’s Mélisande is as mesmerising as the other characters keep saying she is, her voice finds a place where you could confuse girlish temerity with repressed passion, her subtle performance well up to Mélisande’s moody, confusing allure. Kieron Quirke Evening standard
”…The charismatic Ilona Domnich made a poised yet sensual Melisande, her soprano both clean-toned and ripely palpitating.’
**** Yehuda Shapiro, Opera
“…Alan Ewing’s Golaud prowled Minotaur-like in a cavern of misery, crucified by love for Ilona Domnich’s radiant, childlike Mélisande, the most mesmerising, tender and idiomatic impersonation of this role that I have seen.” Anna Picard, The Independent
“…Ilona Domnich, a distracted, other-worldly Mélisande, has an exquisite, even tone. She could happily sing the role on any of the world’s stages, and in due course she probably will. Mark Valencia, Whats on stage
”…’..This was Mélisande’s night; it was her feelings that mattered, whilst the other characters inhabited her world trying to explain the unexplainable: what does this Mélisande feel? Whatever the answer, it was all so touching, so delicate, as complex as a woman’s soul. Ilona Domnich rose to the occasion with a dreamlike interpretation: a secure, firm voice of attractive colour; her performance at times like a frightened animal, at times like a comforting mother to the deeply troubled Golaud. She was helped to create this impression by her subtlely flowing costume, long blonde tresses and a remarkably expressive face which did not hesitate to laugh with relief when the doors close at the end, leaving her alone with Pelléas outside the castle..’ **** Auditorium 2013
“…The French accents of Golaud (Alan Ewing), Mélisande (Ilona Domnich) and Pelléas (Simon Wallfisch) are especially good. Ilona Domnich (who reminded me very much, in looks, of the American actress Reese Witherspoon) was a beautiful, ethereal Mélisande, whose steady disconnection from the world she portrayed with moving pathos in the first four acts, while the fifth act saw her finally become a living doll, strapped into a wheelchair with a spidering porcelain-crack on her forehead, singing with eerie stillness and remarkable poise. She gave a frankly spellbinding performance.” Charlotte Valori, One stop arts more..
“…Ilona Domnich’s Melisande had luxuriant long blond hair.. Domnich provided some stunningly beautiful singing and finely modulated phrases, responding to Debussy’s subtle music. Everyone in the opera talks about Melisande’s attraction and her eyes, and Domnich incarnated this superbly. She was mesmerising to listen to and to watch. It was an extraordinary performance.” Robert Hugill
Jacqueline, Grange Park Opera 2013 Production Of Fortunio, Andre Messager
“…Daniel Slater’s gimmick-free, period-set, unashamedly simple production ideally complements the subtlety and finesse of the melodic masterpiece that is Messager’s score, conductor Toby Purser capturing its Debussy-like understatement. Its charm and elegance, too, epitomised in Ilona Domnich’s gorgeously sung and acted performance as the Jacqueline, the young wife of an elderly lawyer who enters into an affair with a womanizing soldier before finding true love with her husband’s innocent junior clerk, Fortunio.” Bernard Lee, Sheffield telegraph
“… Ilona Domnich looked the part in spades from the moment she sauntered onstage: elegant, slightly aloof, beautifully costumed and moving like a panther. And her voice proved lovely for the part – more than a soubrette, with occasional moments of lyrical power that absolutely soared over the orchestral texture that underpins her. Mike Reynolds, Music critisizm
“…I like Ilona Domnich’s Jacqueline – a nice blend of the respectable and the sensual” Stephen Walsh, The Art desk
“…Domnich’s silver-tongued soprano allows her to get away with her multiple duplicities.” George Hall, The Guardian
“…Domnich made a ravishing Jacqueline, singing beautifully and being attractively touching whilst clearly scheming away. Her way with Messager’s melodic lines was highly effective, and there was something in her voice which reminded me of Ileana Cotrubas. I enjoyed Domnich’s Tatyana last year for Grange Park Opera’s Rising Stars and her performance as Jacqueline shows that she is just as adept at the lighter repertoire.” Robert Hugill
“…The chief interest lies in Ilona Domnich’s Jacqueline – pretty of voice and appearance, properly demure in the “public” scenes..” Financial Times
Tatiana, Grange Park Production Of Tchaikovsky’s Evgene Onegin
‘…Domnich easily dominated the first act, her showpiece letter writing aria delivered with a voluptuous tone whilst cavorting onstage in throes of passion. Her subsequent transformation into the poised young women of act three is effective, and she manages to chastise Onegin whilst showing the audience her inner turmoil..’ 2012, Cadogan hall, London theatre reviews
‘..Domnich inhibited Tatiana completely. She has utter control of phrasing and unforced heft where it matters. Her final moments of intensity were magnificent utterances of desperation. The big houses should pay attention.’ Rosy Johnson, Opera now, October 2012
‘… In the famous letter scene in which Tatyana writes her declaration of undying love to the arrogant Onegin(James Oran-Campbell) the subtlety of Ilona Domnich’s acting really came to fore. Rather than throwing herself around the stage, she gave an extremely real and completely engrossing rendenring, with her incredibly free and expressive voice bringing the scene and its emotional power to life.’ Grange park opera 2012 Bachreviews
..as Tatiana, the young Russian/Israeli soprano Ilona Domnich triumphed in the role, by turns hesitant, impulsive, rapturous and, finally, icy and imperious. The voice is easy throughout the register, she managed to spin a fabulously gossamer pianissimo line in the descending scales of the letter scene, and produced warm and full-bodied tone whenever called upon to do so… Domnich revealed a steady intensity of character throughout the evening, never lost focus, and produced some technical singing that was a joy to experience close up and personal.
Musicriticism
