Elizabeth Van Lew in INTELLIGENCE

Houston Grand Opera

“A stellar cast of vocal powerhouses, with Barton capturing the essence of Elizabeth Van Lew brilliantly. Jamie Barton is synonymous with excellence; is there any performance where she delivers less than her best? The character of Elizabeth Van Lew was tailor-made for Barton’s prowess. She effortlessly transitioned from moments of unmatched humor to portraying a woman overcome with devastation by the opera’s end. Despite the grave deception her character imposes upon Mary Jane, Elizabeth keeps an aura of sympathy. There’s an underlying goodness to Elizabeth – she is a Unionist and an abolitionist, risking both her life and her family’s reputation to support and console Federal prisoners of war. Taking her commitment a notch higher, she aids the soldiers in their escape to the North. But the quandary remains: can her commendable acts overshadow the grievous wrong she inflicted upon Mary Jane? It’s a contemplation left to each audience member. Barton’s use of the quintessential Southern quip, “Bless their heart,” was strategically used and perfectly timed, with each instance eliciting chuckles from the Texan audience well-versed in its true meaning: a genteel iteration of “You’re an idiot.” This sly jest was primarily aimed at Travis Briggs and Callie Van Lew, a duo you’d think twice about inviting to dinner.”
–OperaWire

“Jamie Barton’s Elizabeth was potently sung and dotted with some sassy humour.”
–Opera Magazine

“Heggie and Scheer focus on the characters at the heart of the drama, and on their psychological responses to the system of oppression in which they’ve grown up. As Elizabeth, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton created yet another stage figure of imperious, conflicted power (there were times when the character brought to mind Fricka in Wagner’s “Ring” Cycle, whom Barton has embodied so fearlessly). The fact that Elizabeth uses her overweening brilliance for good doesn’t excuse her dominion over Mary Jane, a fact she is sometimes aware of and sometimes conveniently ignores.”
–San Francisco Chronicle

“Frequent Heggie collaborator Jamie Barton makes the most of Elizabeth’s reputation as “the crazy lady up on the hill.” Wise cracks flow out of her like water, especially in Act 1. By Act 2, she, too, is in despair, grappling with her inability to undo the harm her dead father inflicted on the people he bought and sold.”
–Houston Chronicle

“Throughout, the singing is wonderful, with Barton, Brugger, Bridges, and Lynch sharing the spotlight. Heggie's specialty is writing for the female voice, and he doesn't disappoint. They don't disappoint him, either, allowing his astringent melodies to sweep and soar. They sweeten him.”
–Houston Press

“When the spotlight is on the singers, Heggie often sends their voices soaring to embody their emotions, anxieties, and resolve – the principals delivered on Friday. As Elizabeth, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton at times exulted in the red-blooded, walloping tones that were so electrifying when she played the heroine of Donizetti’s La Favorite right before the pandemic. Her gutsy opening salvo in Intelligence—putting Travis in his place after his feeble attempt to trick her—showed that Elizabeth was a tough customer. But as the opera unfolded, Barton’s singing also pointed up the fact that Heggie’s music is sometimes the most effective when it’s the simplest. Elizabeth’s big scene in Act 1, denouncing the hatred and ignorance she saw around her, offered a case in point. It began with Barton almost unaccompanied, singing with hushed intensity. That made the music all the more arresting as it gradually rose in declamatory force—and as her voice swelled into a flood.”
–Texas Classical Review

“What a cast! Barton played Elizabeth with a self-assured sparkle in her eye, deploying her chest voice for comedic effect and letting her top register ring.”
–San Francisco Classical Voice

“It’s hard to imagine a cast more fastidiously balanced or more dramatically compelling…Barton’s Elizabeth is a no-nonsense Southern grande dame, her finely finished mezzo dipping into gutsy chest voice at just the right moments. When she sings ‘Bless your heart’ you know exactly what she means.”
–Dallas Morning News

Album

“Barton and Heggie have worked in recital and on song cycles, so it’s little surprise that she delivers an incandescent performance. Her Van Lew is a masterful creation, warm and tyrannical by turns, compelling the listener to invest fully in this complex and conflicted character. The voice commands attention, wide ranging and with an especially fine lower register. Fiercely controlling, along with her instinctive knack for comedy, it’s a standout performance.”
–Limelight Magazine

“An outstanding cast gave Intelligence a full-throttle lift-off. The three main women’s roles are taken by first-class singers — Janai Brugger, Jamie Barton and J’Nai Bridges.”
–Financial Times

“By the end, and at the 'big reveal', Jamie Barton has the measure of Elizabeth, torn between her best political instincts and a dark family secret.”
–BBC Music Magazine

“The entire story, a real spy thriller with danger, high-risk situations, and a surprising finale, revolves around an excellent Brugger, and an equally marvelous Jamie Barton.”
–EarRelevant

“The vocal performances are uniformly superb, with Barton bringing compelling authority to Elizabeth Van Lew.”
–Yorkshire Times

“Barton and Brugger are the production's towering leads. Barton humanizes Elizabeth and enriches her portrait by showing the many personality facets that emerge through her interactions with different character types. Much like Brugger, Barton's aria “Look me in the eye” gives her a grand opportunity to impose herself, though she does so throughout the opera.”
–Textura

“Given the exceptional cast and the performances captured, Intelligence is a landmark independent of the world-premiere work it documents. Barton plays a salty but fragile figure, a no-nonsense woman with deep vulnerabilities. Barton and Brugger’s voices are ideally suited for a psychological drama between women who share a deep bond across a racial divide that destabilises every human impulse, and a duet between Lynch and Barton is one goosebump moment among many in this score.”
–Gramophone