Press

Opera PLUS, 8.3.2011, Helena Havlíková

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 magazine, No. 3/2011, p. 14, Ludvík Kašpárek

Review of the concerts with Zdeněk Mácal and Prague Symphony Orchestra, 26^th and 27^th 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, 11.2.2011, Zdena Plachá

A Stark Onegin at the Moravian Theatre Olomouc

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, 14.10.2010, Ondřej Šupka

Eva Urbanová vs Václav Klaus - concert for the First Lady - Spanish Hall, Prague Castle, 12^th 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.

Read more: Opera PLUS - Concert with Eva Urbanová, concert review, October 2010