“Captivating” as Isabella in the Calgary Opera’s production of The Italian Girl in Algiers
“The production has an Isabella (the title role) in mezzo-soprano Allyson McHardy. McHardy has a wideranging voice of the lyric-mezzo type, and she had no difficulty with the constant florid writing, nor with the extreme top and bottom notes she needs for the role. She also commanded the stage beautifully in her mixture of hauteur and sentiment, and she was totally captivating as the lead figure. She was especially successful in the brilliant final aria.” (Calgary Herald, 18 November 2013)
“McHardy has the perfect voice for a beautiful female character who is also supposed to be fearless and heroic, a woman tough enough to best a powerful man with her competency and her feminine wiles. McHardy’s lower range was verifiably contralto when necessary, but her upper notes rang round and clear, rich but not covered. Her opening cavatina, Cruda sorte! Amor tiranno!, gave the audience its first chance to break the mood with applause, and she impressed throughout the evening.” (Classical Voice North America, 24 November 2013)
Six Questions with Allyson McHardy
Allyson McHardy answers six questions from Swerve Magazine’s Elizabeth Chorney-Booth about her upcoming performances in the role of Isabella in Calgary Opera’s The Italian Girl in Algiers.