In Review: Andreassen and Barron stand out in Princeton Festival "Fidelio"
"Andreassen wrestles with the complexities and ambiguities of Rocco's character, presenting him as an ultimately compassionate man trapped as an agent of a corrupt system. His solidly supported bass rings out in sonorous waves; his duets with Barron, a lyrical bass-baritone, offer much for fans of lower voices to enjoy."-Talkin' Broadway
"a marvel to hear, as are Andreasson’s bass-baritone and Joseph Barron’s bass (as Rocco and prison governor Don Pizarro, respectively), conveying starkly different personalities within such a close vocal range. . . The villain in this case is Don Pizarro, and a worse fiend can scarcely be imagined. Barron portrays the prison governor—a rival nobleman to jailed protest leader Florestan—with a pallor of evil usually reserved for depictions of Satan. Seldom has evil been conveyed musically with such restrained relish."
-Broad Street Review Read full review.
"The cast was well rounded out by . . . a solid commanding bass in Gustav Andreassen’s head jailor Rocco, the revengeful Don Pizarro sung by Joseph Barron" -TownTopics.com