Spain Recital – Nadine Sierra & Ludovic Tézier: Véronique Werklé (piano). Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, 18.2.2026. (JMI)
Music from Mozart, Offenbach, Puccini, Berlioz, Gounod, Rossini, Charpentier, Verdi, Donizetti, Bellini, Massenet and others.
The announcement of this recital had generated big expectations: two outstanding singers at the height of their careers, one considered the leading star of the new generation of sopranos and the other one of the most prominent Verdi baritones of our time. That said, it could just as easily have been announced as a recital by Nadine Sierra accompanied by Ludovic Tézier. Sierra opened both parts of the recital, sang the most solo arias (7 to his 5) and was clearly the star of the evening although Tézier also received solid ovations.
Nadine Sierra began her performance with the Susanna’s aria from Le nozze di Figaro, ‘Deh vieni non tardar’, and ‘Chi il bel sogno di Doretta’ from La rondine. Both pieces were beautifully sung and served as a warm-up for her voice which, from then on, soared to new heights. Indeed, her rendition of ‘Amour, ranime mon courage’ from Romeo and Juliet brought the house down. She finished the first half of the concert with ‘Depuis le jour’ from Louise, crowning her performance with impressive breath control and impeccable taste.
Sierra opened the second half of the recital with ‘Prendi, per me sei libero’ from L’elisir d’amore, showing everything a true prima donna requires. She followed with the Don Pasquale aria ‘So anch’io la virtù magica’ where, in addition to singing superbly, her stage presence was full of grace and charm. She finished her official recital with Musetta’s aria from La bohème, ‘Quando m’en vo’’, where she again displayed her good taste, charm, impressive high notes and breath control.
Ludovic Tézier sang three arias in the first half which did not elicit much acclaim. They were not particularly appropriate for a recital of this nature and in a theater like the Liceu. He began with the ‘Scintille diamant’ from Les contes d’Hoffmann, which he sang nicely, followed with ‘Devant la maison’ from La damnation de Faust, and he finished with ‘Sois inmobile’ from Guillaume Tell. His powerful baritone, which is undoubtedly one of the best today, handled all three well.
In the second half, the selection was much better, allowing Tézier to shine and to receive ovations and bravos from the audience. He gave a good interpretation of the I puritani aria ‘Ah! Per sempre’, followed by a brilliant ‘Dio di Giuda!’ from Nabucco where his voice was perfectly suited to the piece.
Sierra and Tézier concluded each half of the concert with a duet. In the first, the chosen duet was that of Rigoletto and Gilda and, in the second, that of Violetta and Giorgio Germont. Both were performed well.
As an encore, Nadine Sierra gave a superb interpretation of ‘Bésame Mucho’ (accompanied by a double bassist) and Tézier opted for ‘Zazà, piccola zingara’ from Leoncavallo’s Zazá. Finally, the two joined voices to sing the Don Giovanni duet ‘Là ci darem la mano’ in which Sierra gave a masterclass in stage presence.
Nadine Sierra is a superstar. She has it all and in abundance: charm, elegance, beauty, a quality voice and acting skills. What more could one ask for? Ludovic Tézier is in superb vocal form, with the voice of a true Verdi baritone and singing with great feeling. Twenty-seven years have passed since I saw his debut at the Capitole de Toulouse as Hamlet, and that young, very promising baritone has become a brilliant reality.
They were accompanied on the piano by Véronique Werklé, who in the second half offered a heartfelt interpretation of the ‘Méditation’ from Thaïs.
José M. Irurzun
Featured Image: Nadine Sierra (soprano) © S. Panizo