Helena Havlíková´s Operatic Panorama, Opera 2011: First Sights
A promising talent has been acquired by the Olomouc Opera in the person of Barbora Polášková. Her reading of Carmen builds on the assets of this very young mezzo: at first sight a charming ingenue endowed with a pliant, well balanced voice, deep down she is perfectly aware of the kind of bait men are ever ready to jump at, and she knows how to “snap.” She would still need some more experience to achieve a truly all-round portrayal, expression-wise, of the unbridled, violently passionate female character, plus a stage direction which would help her find a wider register of acting devices.
Hudební rozhledy - Concerts with Zdeněk Mácal and Prague Symphony Orchestra, March 2011
Review of the concerts with Zdeněk Mácal and Prague Symphony Orchestra, 26th and 27th of January 2011.
Appearing before the audience as the songs´ interpreter was the exquisite mezzo-soprano, Barbora Polášková. The convincingness with which this young artist gave proof of her ambitions as one of the most notable representatives of the up-and-coming generation of singers, was truly awesome. She demonstrated flawless feeling for the atmosphere of each song, her cultured voice carrying without any problem, with utter ease and avoiding even the slightest hint of excessive force, over the orchestral web modelled with great restraint by Mácal. What proved particularly imposing was not just the sheer volume, but also the range of her pleasant voice, resonant even in extreme registers.
Opera PLUS - Eugene Onegin, opera review, February 2011
On the new production´s second night, Onegin was guest performed by Filip Tůma, Elena Gazdíková was Tatyana, Barbora Polášková sang Olga, and Milan Vlček was Lensky. This time out, the voices of Olga and Tatyana sounded delectably sweet and well balanced, with every word perfectly discernible to this writer from the start. Elena Gazdíková´s singing and acting were equally brilliant; though her voice may be rather more suited for coloratura parts, it does display a thrilling palette in lyrical ones as well. Barbora Polášková´s dramatic and vocal skills, too, left a much more lasting imprint on memory. All in all therefore, I found that account of the first act much more enticing. ... To me, the second night was in more than a few respects a hugely more exciting show. A pity then that this cast didn´t get the chance to be on stage for the opening performance.
Opera PLUS - Concert with Eva Urbanová, concert review, October 2010
Eva Urbanová vs Václav Klaus - concert for the First Lady - Spanish Hall, Prague Castle, 12th of October 2010.
Urbanová, however, was not the night´s only soloist, for she invited the young mezzo, Barbora Polášková, to “help her out.” The latter delivered her accounts of both lullabies from Smetana´s The Kiss, Rosina´s aria “Una voce poco fa” from Rossini´s Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Dalila´s aria “Mon coeur s´ouvre à ta voix” from Saint-Saëns´ opera Samson et Dalila. Polášková impressed the audience by a pliant voice which tackled the abundance of Rossini coloraturas not just with technical assurance, but also with pleasurable absence of pomposity.
The one coming from Olomouc is the best. The Olomouc production of Carmen, staged there by Michael Tarant, is dynamic and pulsating, making the best of Jaroslav Milfajt´s sets which lay out the stage action vertically, on several levels structured as galleries describing a circle which alternately opens up, closes, and rotates. At Olomouc, Michael Tarant has refined his staging style virtually up to a point of perfection, using the logic of the plot in devising a witty, indeed unorthodox concept. The Olomouc company´s Carmen – young and hugely talented Barbora Polášková – has the looks of a charming ingenue, a cuddly kitten, yet one that can set her claws into action full well if things don´t happen to go her way. This was an approach to Carmen which went finely with her flexible, technically assured and well balanced voice that can just do easily without a volume ready to bring the theatre´s walls down.
