It was Joyce El-Khoury, however, in the role of Queen Elisabetta, who produced the standout performance of the evening. She gave an emotionally intense portrayal, her acting commanding attention throughout. However, it was her vocal brilliance which really impressed. Her ability to integrate her singing into the emotional state of the character was impressive with every word, every phrase carefully matched to the dramatic situation. Her vocal lines were crafted with such detail, and contained the subtlest of accents and dynamic variations, the type of which is able to turn a strong performance into a great one, and elevate a singer above the rest of the cast. Her quality, of course, is founded upon her strong technique and interpretative intelligence, but she also possesses a voice which has an innate beauty, which she is able to burnish with a variety of colors. – OperaWire
standing head and shoulders vocally above all the cast was the singing, and acting, of Joyce El-Khoury as Elisabeth. Her acting of the role was good whilst her singing was simply terrific. It is worth a journey to just see and hear her in this role. I am certain the best operatic addresses are already noting her development. – Seen and Heard
The performance from Joyce El-Khoury was astonishing....Here as Elisabetta she was a positive spitfire. The voice still flowing stylishly around the busy passagework and fearsome coloratura, but added to it was a real steeliness and intensity of tone. This sense of vivid vocal acting was combined with strong visuals so that in Act One she really did establish this Queen as a dominant character, fearsome yet needy, bravura yet intense, both musically and visually stimulating. Through the opera we get a real sense of Elisabetta the person behind the mask, the woman manipulating the spider. And this unfolded brilliantly in the final scene where, now bald, El-Khoury steps down from the spider machine as she abandons all hope, and finally abandons life. – Planet Hugill
El-Khoury delivers a heart-stopping, bravura performance, all the more intense for the paradoxically exquisite bel canto and jaunty melodies through which Donizetti paints his tragedy. – The Stage
The role of Elisabetta is a notoriously difficult part for even the most seasoned of sopranos. In the hands of Joyce El-Khoury it appears both effortless and truly dazzling. Her commitment to the role is total, at points even exhausting in its emotional intensity, and her fluent coloratura and masterful control are joyous. In an otherwise strong libretto by Salvadore Cammerano, Elisabetta is – oddly – drawn rather thinly, appearing as a two-dimensional spurned lover on the page. On the stage, however, El-Khoury gives her depth and a very human sense of vulnerability. Her final aria, “Vivi, in grato, a lei accanto” delivered upon her throne as her mental and physical capacities weaken, provides a counterpoint to the anguished, vengeful queen that dominates the majority of the opera. The moment in it the where El-Khoury drops to an almost imperceptible pianissimo after two hours of muscular bel canto is one of aching fragility that elevates Elisabetta from mere cliche. – BachTrack
Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury, in the role of Elisabetta, gives a thrilling performance, showing herself visibly emotional at the curtain call. I can see her taking on the mantle of Beverly Sills and performing all three of Donizetti’s Tudor queens. Her mastery of the coloratura, her expression in the messa di voce and her sheer intelligence as a singer all shone out from her first imperious entry to the unbridled passion of her final aria. – Wales Arts Review
this is definitively Elizabeth’s opera. Her portrayal by Joyce El-Khoury is quite exquisite. Appearing in a bright red silk dress and a striking blond wig, her commanding soprano echoing through the auditorium full of strong passion and longing....El-Khoury is as magnificent and compelling in her grief as she was when expressing her great love. A truly unforgettable performance. – Theatre Wales
she was absolutely convincing, both vocally and in terms of characterisation, creating a queen at the edge of madness as she learned about the limitations of political power and how her emotions can have power over her; now the vocal control was immaculate. Her reading of Elizabeth’s final aria, ‘Vivi, ingrate, a lei acconto’ was positively stunning, a thing of intensely melancholy beauty. – Seen and Heard
[She] rises superbly to the considerable vocal challenges of the role in both her solo arias and the Queen’s duets with Robert in the second half, with a spine-tingling solo aria, Vivi, ingrato as the curtain falls. – The Reviews Hub
