Plus!Magazine
“There is an ice princess at the San Carlo who does not merely act the coldness: she
possesses it. And it is she, ahead of any other consideration regarding this revival, who must open
the critical discussion of the evening.
Anna Pirozzi tackles Turandot with a vocal authority that goes far beyond a merely good
performance: it is complete mastery of the role, both in projection and endurance. Her volume
never falters, but above all, it is never an end in itself—it remains constantly at the service of the
vocal line, the phrasing, and the dramatic tension of the riddle. It is rare to hear a soprano capable
of navigating ‘In questa reggia’ without the slightest strain in her upper register while
simultaneously delivering a softness of sound in her middle range that the character, on paper,
does not even demand. Pirozzi finds the exact balance that makes Puccini’s Turandot believable:
a vocal ferocity that never turns into shouting, and an authority that never descends into sterile
coldness. She is, without hesitation, the gravity center of this performance, and she alone would
justify the entire evening.
[…] Those looking for a voice capable of restoring the tragic stature of the ice princess intact will find, in Anna Pirozzi, a
complete answer.

“

ApeMusicale
“Anna Pirozzi is an absolutely persuasive Turandot, possessing a vocal quality perfectly
suited—in terms of specific weight, color, and the ‘ring’ (squillo) of her upper register—to tackle the
terrifying vocal writing of the Ice Princess. To her flawless production and power, the Neapolitan
soprano joins a mastery of accent and phrasing, which allows her to sculpt the singing line upon a
solid and commanding declamatory style, not without evocative tapers (assottigliamenti).
[…] The premiere on July 5th was greeted with prolonged applause for the Choruses and their
directors, as well as for the performers—with particularly warm and intense applause reserved for
Anna Pirozzi, the star of the evening.”

Connessi all’Opera
“The credit goes in the first instance to the phenomenally produced voice of Neapolitan
soprano Anna Pirozzi—an authoritative and mighty Turandot, projected across her entire range
with precise volume and an extremely firm, impressive control in maintaining cohesion when
transitioning between low plunges, linear phrases, soaring leaps, chromaticisms, and sudden
intervals.
A Puccinian princess of genuine dramatic fiber, noble and regal, bolstered no doubt by her
experience on top-tier stages (Covent Garden, the Metropolitan, and Teatro alla Scala), yet holding
and preserving within herself the rare miracle of being able to perfectly combine, all at
once—within her naturally effortless lirico-spinto instrument and her meticulous sound
management—firmness and impetus, reticence and passion. In practice, the ice and the thaw.
Her entrance in the central act (‘In questa reggia’) cuts and slices through the hall with striking
vigor, like a blade, keeping her diction perfectly secure and her tone (pasta) consistently warm and
beautiful, climbing effortlessly and confidently to the high register, igniting colors and accents with
fiery intensity, and ensuring tension and power during the great tightening of the screws in the
riddle scene. As might be expected, the result is a first-class Turandot—imposing, rock-solid, and
authentic, even within a disjointed scenic context bordering on the absurd—reconfirming herself,
quite simply, as a great heir to the finest Italian tradition.”

OperaClick
“Musically speaking, the soprano is now in her element, being a veteran of the role of Turandot. Her ‘Princess of Ice’ makes a powerful impression thanks to a voice that is powerful, full-bodied and assured, revealing only a few slight signs of fatigue in the lower register. The singer avoids turning Turandot into a motionless monument, and through subtle expressive nuances, she brings out the character’s well-hidden humanity.”