PRESS

THE NEW YORK TIMES
by Anthony Tommasini

"The bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs brought a stentorian bass-baritone voice to his sympathetic portrayal of Norma's father, Oroveso, the conflicted chief of the druids, restless to defend his people [In Caramoor's production of Norma]."

OPERA NEWS
by Fred Cohn

"Daniel Mobbs...brought a true basso cantate approach to Oroveso, singing the role rather than thundering it [In Caramoor's production of Norma]."

CONNECTICUT POST
by Gilbert Mott

"As Oroveso, Norma's father, bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs sang with a ringing, steely tone, good command of the language and a fine legato feeling.

THE FINANCIAL TIMES/FT.COM
by George Loomis

"The bass Daniel Mobbs sang imposingly as Norma's father, Oroveso [In Caramoor's production of Norma]."

THE WASHINGTON TIMES / Curtain Up!
by Terry Ponick

"Bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs couldn't have handled the transitions [as Dandini in Washington Concert Opera's production of Rossini's La Cenerentola] better. His voice was clear and supple, his diction distinctly royal. Yet he bumbled a bit when it came to royal details, making him human and entirely believable in the role, which gets some of the opera's best vocals."

THE BALTIMORE SUN — 'CLEF NOTES' BLOG
by Tim Smith

"As Dandini, Daniel Mobbs turned out to be another stylish scene-stealer, with his supple, deftly nuanced singing and vibrant acting."

THE WASHINGTON TIMES — CURTAIN UP!
by Terry Ponick

"Even in these tough economic times, the Virginia Opera has managed to pull together a marvelous, well-sung, virtually photogenic production of Mozart's enduring classic, "Don Giovanni."...The Virginia Opera, fortunately, is fielding one of their strongest casts ever in this production. They work as a team to make this "Giovanni" a memorable one...Leporello [was] imaginatively sung by bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs...Mr. Mobbs unveiled an instrument that was notably supple and bell-clear even in its lower range. His comic chops were also impressive."

Photo of Daniel Mobbs as Leporello and Cristina Nassif as Elvira

RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
by Roy Proctor

"Don Giovanni, the 18th-century antihero around whom Virginia Opera's thrilling production of Don Giovanni swirls at the Carpenter Theatre, needs sex-addiction therapy far more than you...And, let's face it, Don Giovanni's catalog of seductions, as enumerated by his long-suffering servant Leporello to hilarious effect by robustly expressive bass baritone Daniel Mobbs, is awesome: 640 in Italy, 231 in Germany, 100 in France, 91 in Turkey, 1,003 in Spain."

THE WASHINGTON POST
by Cecelia Porter

"On Friday at George Mason University, the Virginia Opera staged an action-filled production [of Mozart's "Don Giovanni"] directed by Lillian Groag and conducted by Joseph Walsh. The company's goals include featuring promising young singers...Daniel Mobbs, a strong, vibrant bass-baritone, consistently maintained Leporello's ridiculous stance."

OPERA NEWS
by Judith Malafronte

"The "Bel Canto at Caramoor" presentations Ñ part of the annual International Music Festival in Westchester County Ñ have become not-to-be-missed events for opera fans and the otherwise vocally obsessed...This year's Semiramide, a four-hour affair featuring an extra chorus of croaking frogs, along with this summer's ubiquitous rain and mud, was a feast of style, expression, virtuoso singing and first-rate vocal acting...Daniel Mobbs, who has been a regular with Crutchfield's Bel Canto productions, has developed sinew and strength in his rich, focused bass-baritone voice, and his recitative singing was especially expressive. He made the most of Assur's duet with Semiramide, "Se la vita ancor." Throughout the night, his low notes were remarkably firm and free."

THE BOSTON GLOBE
by Jeremy Eichler

"Daniel Mobbs made a particularly strong impression as Escamillo [in Boston Lyric Opera's production of Carmen], managing to convey the required virility and flair in his first entrance while at the same time nursing an abdominal wound."

NEW YORK TIMES
by Vivien Schweitzer

"With a rich, mellifluous voice, Daniel Mobbs was suitably chilling as Assur [in Rossini's Semiramide], both menacing and plaintive in his mad scene...Enthusiastic audience members, who tramped through the soggy grounds of the rain-soaked estate, cheered lustily throughout, with a particularly clap-happy contingent showing their appreciation well before each aria had ended."

THE BERKSHIRE REVIEW FOR THE ARTS
by Michael Miller

"Semiramide is a great opera, and it was a brilliant idea to present it in concert with minimal dramatic action [at Caramoor]..with a stellar cast of some of the most promising younger singers, including Vivica Genaux, Angela Meade, Lawrence Brownlee, and Daniel Mobbs. The results were quite thrilling, and it was a joy to see Rossini's masterpiece in working order again.

"Bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs' gifts give him a masterful control of both the dramatic and the lyrical aspects of his important role, that of Assur, the villainous prince. He can spin elegant, glowing resonances over a dark, weighty foundation. Hence his Assur has a certain smoothness, as well as a respectable capacity for wrath and vindictiveness. Mobbs also handled the florid sections inflicted on him by Rossini far more effectively than most singers in his range. We can look forward to hearing Mr. Mobbs quite a bit in the Northeast in the near future."

GAY CITY NEWS
by David Shengold

"As Assur [in Rossini's Semiramide at Caramoor], Daniel Mobbs...[is] a fluent, ever-stylish performer with a wide range, remarkable agility, and finely crafted diction."

"I HEAR VOICES" BLOG
ihearvoices.wordpress.com

"Rossini's Semiramide is such a monumental work that many an opera house would rather not bother to stage it. Of course, the libretto requires grandiose sets, but the real challenge is to cast four exceptional singers with absolute technical finish...Assur used to be Samuel Ramey's signature part and his many recordings have set a performance standard for this role. Daniel Mobbs...is probably the singer who has come [closest] to it. His forceful bass is extremely flexible, well-focused, dark, generous in its lower reaches and firm in its top notes. The sound is a bit noble for this villain role, but that is something one could say of Ramey too."

CLASSICS TODAY
by Robert Levine

"Crutchfield leads superb Semiramide...Baritone Daniel Mobbs as the villainous Assur was excellent when sneering or cowering — his last act mad scene was a showstopper."

CONCERTONET.COM
by Harry Rolnick

"The villain of the evening, Assur [in Rossini's Semiramide], is sometimes taken by basses, sometimes baritones. Few can reach the depths of Samuel Ramey, but Daniel Mobbs was clear, intense and suitably evil. The Mad Scene (which once was eliminated for being too difficult) was here sung with great power and greater conviction."

PALM BEACH ARTSPAPER
by Greg Stepanich

"The American bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs was everything a good Figaro should be. He has a strong, untiring, attractive voice, and he is a fine actor, skills that turned each of his appearances on stage into a sparkling occasion. The bass colorings of his instrument added weight and power to the ensembles and to Se vuol ballare and Non piu andrai; in the latter aria, his first-rate diction made it crackle."

PALM BEACH DAILY NEWS
by R. Spencer Butler

"The evening's Figaro was sung by baritone Daniel Mobbs. His clean, clear baritone was a virile delight. A keen phrasing sense and excellent diction mark him as at the top of his game. His first act Se vuol ballare was packed with wit and determination. His foray into the orchestra seats was an unexpected plus. Animated and impish, his portrayal of the crafty Figaro hit the target."

PALM BEACH POST
by Charles Passy

"In one of the better crafted moments, Figaro leaves the stage to sing an aria from the audience. Of course, it helps to have a cast with the dramatic and musical tools to match that directorial vision. The Palm Beach Opera provides exactly that — at least judging by its primary ensemble, which was featured on Friday night. Daniel Mobbs is a wonderfully engaging Figaro with a solid baritone that he uses to smart effect, singing in almost a speech-like manner."

THE TIMES-PICAYUNE (NEW ORLEANS)
by Chris Waddington and Theodore P. Mahne

"[New Orleans Opera Association's production of Don Giovanni] In the scene-stealing role of Leporello, the Don's servant, baritone Daniel Mobbs did just that. He played the role balancing the clown with the character's own wicked scheming perfectly. Mobbs has a rich, strong voice that was particularly showcased in the famous "Catalogue Aria," in which he details his employer's multiple sexual conquests across the continent."

DANIEL MOBBS APPEARS ON 'THE VIEW'

"Daniel Mobbs lent his operatic talents to friend Sherri Shepherd and the ladies of The View for a comedic sketch involving Shepherd, which aired on October 20th on ABC television. Mobbs recorded arias from Le nozze di Figaro, Carmen, and Don Giovanni for the episode."

OPERA NEWS
by Judith Malafronte

"Daniel Mobbs was a surprise as Figaro [in Il Barbiere di Siviglia at Bel Canto at Caramoor], showing wit and charm, along with thrilling vocalism, that he is rarely able to exhibit in his customary paternal roles. From his entrance aria (a bracingly effective romp even without high Gs) to the end of the long evening, Mobbs's lightning-quick presence and bright, clean sound were delightful."

GAY CITY NEWS
by Eli Jacobson

"A Memorable Barber: Will Crutchfield and the Caramoor Festival tried out this new critical edition in concert format on July 12. Revelations abounded...The performance was semi-staged and performed by a lively cast that took the musicological approach as a means toward vivid, active, detailed theater. The level of polish was impressive...Bruno Taddia canceled as Figaro, so bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs was moved from Basilio up to Figaro. Matthew Trevino replaced Mobbs as Basilio and the remainder of the cast was as announced.

"MacPherson, Mobbs and Bombay-born mezzo Priti Gandhi as Rosina obviously have all have done their parts onstage; they offered lots of detailed acting and sharp byplay. Mobbs had a big, witty personality as Figaro, proving a scene-stealer with vivid use of the Italian text."

THE NEW YORK TIMES
by Anthony Tommasini

"In order to be funny, even a good joke has to be told just right. This general principle applies to comic opera as well. And for musical felicities, comic vitality and sheer entertainment, Rossini's Barbiere di Siviglia may be the funniest opera ever written... [Caramoor International Music Festival] conductor and vocal coach Will Crutchfield led an appealing cast and members of the Orchestra of St. Luke's in a semistaged performance of Il Barbiere using a new critical edition of the score, supervised by Philip Gossett.

"The freshest takes concerned the ornamentations of the vocal lines. Singers of Rossini's day were given enormous liberty to embellish melodic lines. Mr. Crutchfield has studied this aspect of the genre thoroughly, and the sometimes surprising embellishments his cast employed found a pleasing balance between long-spun lyricism and dazzling gymnastics... The baritone Daniel Mobbs was a robust, sassy Figaro...Mr. Crutchfield was able to make the score's many delicate passages come through with uncommon transparency."

DANIEL MOBBS RECEIVES KOLOZSVAR AWARD FROM NEW YORK CITY OPERA

New York City Opera has awarded Daniel Mobbs the Kolozsvar Award, recognizing his "memorable performance of multiple roles [in the Mark Morris production of Purcell's] King Arthur."

Each year, the City Opera honors selected artists who have contributed to its season by awarding a series of prizes. The winners are chosen by George Manahan, John Beeson, Cory Lippiello and Robin Thompson from a list of nominees. The awards themselves will be presented at a luncheon to be held at The Carlyle Hotel, 35 East 76th Street on April 15, 2008.

Established in 1995 by Mr. Marvin Kristein, the Kolozsvar Awards honor one artist from the fall season and one from the spring season who have performed in new or unusual repertory. In the words of Mr. Kristein: "Kolozsvar comes from Hungarian folklore and evokes a magical place — a utopia."

THE WASHINGTON POST
by Anne Midgette

"Also a convincing teen [in the Baltimore Opera production of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette] was Daniel Mobbs, singing Mercutio with a firm baritone that made one sit up and take notice...He certainly enjoyed leaping around the stage in his tights."

THE VILLAGE VOICE
by Deborah Jowitt

"The fabulous New York City Opera production [of Purcell's King Arthur], directed and choreographed by Mark Morris, dispenses with the spoken text. Songs dealing with armed pursuit over treacherous terrain become a hunt for love with glow-worm flashlights, bantering couple dances, and a dizzying, deliberately clumsy vaudevillian game with doors and mirrors...I love the way Morris has intermingled his wonderful company members and the seven superb vocalists, and directed them to pay attention to one another. At times, singers join the dance, and dancers open their mouths in song...How could you not rejoice in the sight of bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs crammed into a refrigerator, his words jolting out, while soprano Mhairi Lawson struts about as Cupid, telling him love's a blessing, not something to freeze up over? How could you not laugh over the absurdity of Tall, Sanders, and countertenor Iestyn Davies folding laundry as they sing proudly of the importance of British wool? Or admire Morris's clever gestural equivalents to certain lyrics? And don't forget the giraffe and the duck and the phallo-patriotic maypole. Purcell's music — lovingly, teasingly, cleverly articulated — bears this barge of delights along. I need to see-hear King Arthur again right this minute."

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
by Heidi Waleson

"Mark Morris, the director/choreographer, jettisoned Dryden's spoken text [of Purcell's King Arthur] entirely, and the plot along with it, leaving an entertainment of singing and dancing that Mr. Morris calls "a vaudeville." And very entertaining it is...In the Frost Scene, soprano Mhairi Lawson was a bright-voiced, mischievous Cupid; she easily awakened bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs, who sang the shivers of the Cold Genius wonderfully, from his sleep in a refrigerator, and set off the hesitant, stomping movements of the blanket-shrouded Cold People."

VARIETY.COM
by Eric Myers

"Anyone expecting the Knights of the Round Table in director/choreographer Mark Morris' version of Henry Purcell's 1691 King Arthur at New York City Opera is in for a disappointment. Morris, who claims to dislike John Dryden's original libretto, dispenses with spoken dialogue and plot, giving us what he terms "a sort of vaudeville."...Standouts include two singers rapidly becoming local favorites. Bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs unfurls elegant, cavernous tones, and is amusing as the ship's captain and as the Cold Genius of Winter, trapped in a refrigerator before being freed by Cupid."

THE NEW YORK TIMES
by Anthony Tommasini

"Remember the days, before the coming of titling systems, when opera buffs felt free to ignore all the convoluted plots and librettos and just bask in the music? Mark Morris's unabashedly fanciful production of Purcell's King Arthur, which opened the spring season at the New York City Opera on Wednesday night, offers audiences a throwback to those times....There is a deservedly acclaimed scene in which the magician Osmond shows off his powers in a vision, a "Prospect of Winter in Frozen Countries." Here we see the sturdy and excellent baritone Daniel Mobbs, trapped inside a clunky old refrigerator, as snowflakes rain down on a group of dancers bundled up in flannel blankets. Surely the music was inspired by the charming "Shivering Chorus" in Lully's opera Isis. But Purcell outdoes Lully in this music, full of jagged rhythms, quivering vocal lines, sputtering string chords and boldly wandering harmonies."

THEATERMANIA.COM
by Eric Myers

"With Monty Python's Spamalot entering its third year on Broadway, and the New York Philharmonic getting ready to present Camelot, King Arthur is one popular fellow in New York these days....If Morris' ensemble of dancers are often the focus on the opera's staging, his singers not only hold their own, they happily play along with his sense of fun. For example, the silvery-voiced soprano Sarah Jane McMahon does a little juggling (clad in a gorgeous Mizrahi take on the little black dress), while the excellent baritone Daniel Mobbs not only crouches within that refrigerator, but in another section, sings clad only in a pair of white boxer shorts."

OPERA (UK)
by David Shengold

"Daniel Mobbs got (and deserved) a rousing hand after the opening scene [as Ferrando in Caramoor's production of Il Trovatore]: firm bass-baritone tone, all the gruppetti absolutely in place and the aria sung like a true narrative, with excellent diction and pointed phrasing."

SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL
by Jack Zink

"For most folks, the key to getting right a comic opera such as Mozart's Cosí fan tutte lies between the winks in the composer's colorful score. David Gately, however, was equally if not more concerned with the twinkles in Lorenzo Da Ponte's improbable story about two guys who make the mistake off getting what they wish for, setting women's liberation in motion 150 years before Betty Friedan's The Femininue Mystique...Gately directs the Florida Grand Opera's season opening production of "Cosi fan tutte," a smartly packaged comedy with an appealing vocal sextet...The driving comical forces — and in some respects the vocal gemstones — of the Florida Grand production are bass-bartiton Daniel Mobbs' youngish mischief-maker Don Alfonso and Suzanne Mentzer's impish maid Despina."

GAY CITY NEWS
by David Shengold

"High points in the month's NYCO revivals included — in a generally enjoyable Don Giovanni — a remarkably complete assumption, vocally and verbally, of Leporello by Daniel Mobbs (a handsome, polished vocalist deserving a run as Giovanni himself)..."

EDGE NEW YORK

"There are operas, and there are works of art, and then there's Don Giovanni. With an energetic young cast, an enthusiastic conductor facing a fine-toned orchestra, and Broadway-style razzmatazz direction, this production of Don Giovanni is a healthy reminder of why opera was once the pop music of its day...thanks to some great, physically deft singers (especially Daniel Mobbs' Leporello), we get a real sense of action... The singing was, for the most part, outstanding. As mentioned above, Daniel Mobbs is a deft Leporello. Even more, his voice has a nice timbre, and he seems especially suited to a comic role. ...this production is as good an introduction to the joys of Mozart as any you will find. Even the most hardened opera queen will take to this supple production of an opera by the composer who, more than any other, embodies the form. "

At right: Daniel Mobbs as Leporello in New York City Opera's "Don Giovanni"

THE NEW YORK SUN
A Taste of City Opera's Season by George Loomis

"High priced galas and opera opening nights go hand in glove, but for the last three years, the New York City Opera has turned its back on conventional economic wisdom by inaugurating its fall season with Opera-for-All, a mini-festival...Hal Prince's 1989 production of Don Giovanni returned to the stage on Saturday night. Musically, the performance had its rewards. Aaron St. Clair Nicholson, in his company debut, brought a flexible baritone and stylish manner to the title role...He was well partnered by the lively Leporello of Daniel Mobbs, who gave an arresting account of the catalog aria."

THE NEW YORK TIMES
The Story, Convoluted; the Music, So Potent by Steve Smith

"Since its founding in 1997, the primary function of the Bel Canto at Caramoor program at the Caramoor International Music Festival, directed by the conductor and music scholar Will Crutchfield, has been to resuscitate works from Italian opera's bel canto period...Through Mr. Crutchfield's scrupulous detective work, a Trovatore has emerged that could be viewed as the apex of bel canto, with unusual cadenzas and ornamentation adopted from scores used by performers of Verdi's day...The bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs, an exceptional character actor, was potent as Ferrando, the count's henchman."

VARIETY.COM
by Eric Myers

"Opera fans familiar with the standard performing edition of Il Trovatore were treated to a change of pace on Saturday night, when Caramoor Festival's resident bel canto expert, Will Crutchfield, led a concert performance of Verdi's warhorse, steeped in the traditions of the composer's era. Lively conducting and a generally strong cast gave the work the kind of freshness that sweeps away a lot of accumulated cobwebs...Daniel Mobbs used his firm bass-baritone and appealing stage presence to make much of the thankless part of Ferrando."

OPERA NEWS
On the Beat by Brian Kellow

"Some years ago, when bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs came offstage after singing in the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation gala, Thomas Hampson reached out and shook his hand. "You've got a lot of courage," said Hampson. "I'd never have been able to sing with that front row." Mobbs looked out and spotted Robert Merrill and Sherrill Milnes in the audience... Read more of this article

THE NEW YORK TIMES
Tragic Love in a Garret, on the Brink of World War I by Steve Smith

"...solid, resonant voice and boundless energy...his stage presence virtually ensured that he was the focal point of nearly every scene in which he appeared."

TIME OUT NEW YORK
by David Shengold

"One of America's best young singers, Kentucky's underheralded Daniel Mobbs deploys his smooth bass-baritone voice with musical refinement and linguistic precision, and weds it to a fine dramatic presence. At the Met, Mobbs has looked dapper in a Merry Widow cameo and sung seductively as Yamadori, Madama Butterfly's rejected suitor... Read more of this article

THE NEW YORK SUN
Seldom Heard, but Worth Hearing by Jay Nordlinger

"On Wednesday night at Carnegie Hall, New York had the opportunity to hear 'the other Othello' — the one that Rossini wrote in 1816. This was 70 years before Verdi tackled that same play. Presenting the Rossini was Opera Orchestra of New York, under its founder-conductor, Eve Queler. We had a satisfying evening, thanks to both Rossini and OONY. This was a concert performance, of course, as OONY's always are. According to a company press release, Rossini's Otello was last staged in this town in 1968, when the Rome Opera brought it to the Met. Otello is true Rossini, showing his astounding skill. And it is a tenorfest... Was there a bass or baritone around? Yes, the American baritone Daniel Mobbs, portraying Desdemona's awful father, Elmiro. He has a rich and velvety sound, and he sang with security."

OPERA NEWS
by John W. Freeman

"...As Elmiro, Desdemona's father, Daniel Mobbs showed a grasp of baritone coloratura and created an authoritative if too sympathetic presence, missing the haughtiness of this demanding parent." Read more of this article

CLASSICS TODAY
by Robert Levine

"...bass Daniel Mobbs impressed as Elmiro, Desdemona's father."

VARIETY.COM
by Eric Myers

"Those familiar with Verdi's monumental operahouse staple "Otello" got a rare chance Wednesday at Carnegie Hall to hear the version composed 71 years earlier by Gioachino Rossini. Written just after "The Barber of Seville" in Rossini's ornate bel canto style, it is as unremittingly dark as "Barber" is frivolous. Almost an ensemble opera, with long stretches featuring supporting characters, it does not touch the heart as deeply as Verdi's masterpiece. But it's a worthy work, brimming with melody and opportunities for masterful singing. Opera Orchestra of New York's maestra Eve Queler assembled a fine cast for the occasion...The cast's lone bass-baritone, Daniel Mobbs, brought elegant phrasing and full, opulent low notes to the part of Desdemona's father, Elmiro.

Q ON STAGE
by Bruce-Michael Gelbert

"...Tarver, Donose and, as Elmiro, light-voiced bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs sang the florid opening of their trio, "Nel cor d'un padre amante," with coloratura proficiency and its contemplative section, "Ti parli l'amore," with lyricism."

OPERA NEWS
In Review by John Freeman

"The presentation of both Otellos at Caramoor in July marks the first time they have been available hereabouts (other than on records) for direct comparison...Baritone [Daniel] Mobbs, the only soloist common to both the Rossini and Verdi casts, put forth an authoritative Lodovico."

OPERA NEWS ONLINE
I Puritani, Caramoor Festival, by Judith Malafronte

"Always a thorough, proper artist, Daniel Mobbs has often struck me as rather unmemorable vocally, so I was pleasantly impressed with his distinguished performance as Giorgio. With fine vocal color and true Italianate style, he grew in vocal stature as the evening progressed. Weston Hurt, the Riccardo, showed vocal promise with ample range and flexibility, but as yet there is no true legato, and his Italian needs work. His finest singing came in the duet "Suoni la tromba," which Mobbs tore into with abandon, challenging Hurt to follow suit; letting their voices ring out boldly, the artists provided a vigorous, rollicking close to Act II."

MUSICAL AMERICA
Celebrating the New York City Opera by George Loomis

"With all the hoopla over Peter Gelb's first season at the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera is more than ever in the shadow of its larger rival, at least as far as new-season publicity is concerned. On Tuesday evening the smaller company did manage to call attention to itself, however, with a gala concert in the New York State Theater celebrating its 62-year history...Two duets for male voices found tenor James Valenti and baritone Brian Mulligan in "Au fond du temple saint," from Bizet's "Les pêcheurs de perles," and baritones Daniel Mobbs and Stephen Powell in "Suoni la tromba" from Bellini's "I puritani," both heard in enjoyable performances.

THE NEW YORK SUN
Gala Talent, New and Familiar by Fred Kirshnit

"Tuesday was the night for the New York State Theater crowd to put on the dog, as City Opera fashioned their black tie event a little differently this season. Instead of an opening night performance of a new production, the company mounted a gala concert featuring much of their current young talent and a few battle-hardened alumni...The company's present crop of talented neophytes gave this affair a booster shot of adrenaline. Yet another Bohème cast member, Daniel Mobbs, joined Stephen Powell for an exciting bel canto turn as the two sang "Suoni la tromba" from I Puritani.

OPERA NEWS
In Review by Leighton Kerner

"L'Opéra Français de New York...has shown an inclination to vary semi-standards with genuine rarities, and its latest production was in the latter category: Gluck's 1764 opéra comique, Les Pèlerins de la Mecque (The Pilgrims of Mecca), better known under the title of Gluck's politically motivated revision, La Rencontre Imprévue....Daniel Mobbs, a particularly solid, agile baritone for New York City Opera and other theaters, nearly stole the show as Vertigo."

OPERA WATCH

"The 1995 SULLIVAN FOUNDATION grantees are sopranos Mary Dunleavy and Lorraine Ernest, mezzo Eugenie Grunewald, tenors Benjamin Butterfield and Jorge Garza, baritone Daniel Mobbs, bass-baritone Ding Gao, and basses Raymond Aceto, Eric Owens and Daniel Sumegi."