GLyndebourne on tour: Cendrillon: La FEe
Needless to say, the essence of Cendrillon’s late mother is subsumed in The Fairy. A tall sophisticated, elegant figure, clad in pale she-mink, cool as a catwalk model, yet full of maternal warmth for her protégée, Caroline Wettergreen excels as The Fairy in her balanced acting, whereas the clear purity of her coloratura soprano voice is more then up to the demands of Massenet’s score in its acrobatic runs and trills, which seem almost effortless.
- Mark Aspen Review
The real star of the show is soprano Caroline Wettergreen as the Fairy Godmother. Dressed in an Elsa-esque coat, with braided hair and sparkles adorning her face; Wettergreen casts spells before reclining in her chair with a cigarette and is perfectly nonchalant but magical. Her coloratura is outstanding and the oak tree dance in act three really shows off her voice, as well as Sarah Fahie's choreography which is perfectly timed with every trill and ornament.
- ReWrite This Story
The Fairy is brilliantly sung by Caroline Wettergreen, an excellent coloratura soprano of whom much more will be heard.
- Daily Mail
Caroline Wettergreen’s vocally sparkling Fairy, nonchalantly drawing on a cigarette as she expounded the terms of the spell to Lucette, provided an elegant antidote.
- OperaToday
Caroline Wettergreen fearlessly flying her coloratura hurdles as the Fairy Godmother.
- Daily Mail Online
Only in scenes featuring the Fairy Godmother – sung with effortless purity by soprano Caroline Wettergreen, and the ecstatic love duets between the neglected Cendrillon (Alix le Saux) and her depressed Prince, the ardent mezzo-soprano Eleonore Pancrazi, does magic emerge from the muddle.
- The Stage
Caroline Wettergreen is the Fairy Godmother and brings authority and kindness to her role with a voice that never ceases to enchant.
- Brighton & Hove Independent
Outshining both of them, and the rest of the cast is Soprano Caroline Wettergreen as the Fairy, who dominates the stage whenever she appears.
- The Reviews Hub
Coloratura soprano Caroline Wettergren as a suitably strange, coolly smoking Fairy Godmother (pictured above) strings together pearls on a line of absolute perfection.
- Theartsdesk
As the Fairy – that is, Cendrillon’s Fairy Godmother – Caroline Wettergreen delivers the show-off coloratura with pinpoint panache, and I very much take to her mix of exasperation with and love for Cendrillon.
- Classical Source
Caroline Wettergreen is spot on as the sparkling Fairy Godmother.
- The Telegraph
Caroline Wettergreen’s Fairy is mostly undaunted by the coloratura demands of her role; this young Norwegian soprano is another welcome first timer in this house.
- Music OMH
Caroline Wettergreen’s stupendous (good) Fairy is tender, wise, supportive and loving. With the Norwegian and Danish-trained Wettergreen (who again took the same role for the Komische) rooting for her (Cincerella) – and if Massenet uses coloratura sparingly, it was simply stunning when she embarked on it, rather stylish and not overbearing – Cinders was always going to win.
- Seen and heard international
Enlightenment took spectral form as Caroline Wettergreen illuminated the stage with a dazzling display of singing. In Massenet’s stratospheric notation her Fairy character is less a Godmother than a Queen of the Night, and the young Norwegian pinged a magical coloratura with preternatural accuracy. Indeed, the fast-rising (in every sense of the term) soprano outshone all her colleagues on opening night.
- Bachtrack
Though the best performances come from Zwierko and Wettergreen. Wettergreen floats the Fairy’s coloratura with exquisite ease.
- The Guardian
Caroline Wettergreen is near perfection as the Fairy, casting a spell over the audience with her top notes light as thistledown.
- Financial Times
Both are outsung by the glittering Norwegian soprano Caroline Wettergreen as the fairy, oddly portrayed as a louche chain-smoker.
- Sunday Times
