Ten Reviews Of Lise’s Isolde
There have been many reviews of Lise’s first performance as Isolde in Barcelona on January 12th 2026. Here are a few excerpts from 10 of them:
1. On ABC, Pep Gorgori drew an extraordinary parallel: “The character of Isolde bears some resemblance to the Dalai Lama. When a Dalai Lama dies, his soul is reincarnated in a newborn, and Buddhist monks search for him worldwide, heeding every clue. Similarly, when the voice of a great Wagnerian soprano is no longer able to tackle this role, aficionados, managers, and opera house directors launch a search. A new Isolde must be found as soon as possible to bring this humanly unmanageable score to life on stage once more. Well, Isolde has returned, and she appeared on Monday night at the Liceu, embodied by the soprano Lise Davidsen.”
He wrote that the audience were anxious to see if Lise could deliver on her promise: “Half an hour before the performance, the corridors of the Liceu were already buzzing. The most common comment compared the excitement of the moment to the anticipation of Christmas Eve. Nerves, knowing glances, and a great desire to know if the miracle would truly happen. And yes, it did.”
He also noted that “Beyond her unstoppable vocal power, it must be noted that Davidsen's greatest virtue is her ability to project her voice, nuanced as the score demands at every moment. You can hear her when she sings fortissimo above the entire orchestra, yes, but also, and especially, when she softens, when she whispers, when she rises and falls slowly, like the tides.”
2. In El Pais, Pablo L Rodrigues wrote that Lise’s voice “sounded just as fresh, brilliant, and powerful as at the beginning. A monumental voice, capable of reviving sensations that seemed definitively lost in the Barcelona theater, which heard Flagstad herself as Isolde in 1950.”
3. In The Observer, Fiona Maddocks asked “Is Lise Davidsen the soprano of the century?” Writing that “Her vocal control, her range of expression and colour, her soft voice singing, her strength and volume in climactic moments felt natural and without strain throughout. She knows how to use her height, never upstaging, understanding the power of stillness, drawing attention only when to do so is required. Her almost disembodied, dreamlike account of the Liebestod was unforgettable, floating her final notes with breathtaking daring.”
4. Jordi Maddaleno in La Vanguardia wrote that “In her first Isolde, Davidsen displayed her rich timbre, her warm, northern colour, her seemingly boundless range, and the astonishing ease of a register that explodes in the high notes like supernovas.” He added that “The modulations, the pianissimos, and the control of her vocal production demonstrate that, despite her pregnancy, her voice remains fresh and flexible.” And concluded that this is “A key opera in the repertoire, sung by the best soprano voice of the 21st century for this repertoire, it must be experienced live to be enjoyed as it deserves.”
5. In Scherzo, Javier Pérez Senz wrote that “In the tradition of the legendary Nordic sopranos, with Kirsten Flagstad and Birgit Nilsson in the Wagnerian pantheon, Davidsen shines with her own unique personality, intelligence, and musical sensitivity, bringing to life an Isolde of exuberant vocal brilliance, always assured, with pure vocal production in the most lyrical moments and powerful high notes. For beauty and vocal quality, technical perfection, and exquisite musicality, she is a marvellous Isolde, nuanced with subtle shades and expressive fullness, very much in the vein of Flagstad in conveying the poetry and emotion of the character, and with the precision, consistency, and impact in the high notes that recalls the world of Nilsson.”
He added that Lise is “capable of sustaining long phrases with just the right weight and accents, weaving together pianissimos of great beauty, and displaying in each scene a musical intuition that lends grandeur and transcendence to her singing.”
6. On Beckmesser, Fernando Sans Rivière wrote that “The debut of Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen as Isolde at the Gran Teatre del Liceu is astonishing from the very first phrase of her performance. The poise and stage presence of this formidable Norwegian woman are remarkable, showcasing a perfectly homogeneous voice of great flexibility and beauty, with a refined polish and impeccable diction. It is admirable how she presents the most delicate notes with perfect projection, varying the timbre at will, increasing the range, and achieving ascents to the high notes with enormous projection and exquisite sound, alongside perfectly supported low notes: impressive vocal resources that are establishing her as the world's leading figure in this repertoire.”
7. In El Periodico, Pablo Meléndez-Haddad wrote that “Lise Davidsen approached this pivotal role with extraordinary talent, confirming her status as one of the leading Wagnerian sopranos of our time (and for decades to come). She combined this with youthful vigour, incredible projection, and a fully consolidated technique. Her Isolde, with dreamlike phrasing and surprising maturity, captivated audiences from the very first note, her laser-like voice bringing to life the musical motifs that ranged from the anger of the wounded Tristan to exaltation, culminating in a 'Love-Death' that left the audience breathless.”
8. In Opera Online, Xavier Pujol wrote that “Davidsen more than lived up to the high expectations she had generated. There can be no doubt that we are witnessing the emergence of the great Isolde of the coming decade, and one of the finest interpreters ever of this legendary female role. Being able to witness her debut in this character—whom she will present in March at New York’s Metropolitan Opera—was a genuine privilege.”
9. On Bachtrack, Maria Sànchez wrote that "With a vocal technique fully reaffirmed and mature for her youth, she maintained emotional intensity and conveyed the seriousness of a character who tackled prolonged climaxes without losing the timbral beauty of her phrasing."
10. And last, but not least, on Platea, Antoni Colomer wrote that "In the second act, she began to unleash all the harmonics of that indescribable, enormous instrument, with its exquisite, diamond-like timbre, miraculously balanced between metal and velvet, homogeneous across all registers, and projected with the force of a hurricane. There is no doubt that we are witnessing a vocal phenomenon whose limits are still unknown, and a singer who already stands shoulder to shoulder with the great lineage of Wagnerian sopranos, from her compatriot Kisten Flagstad to the great Birgitte Nilsson, and including legends such as Martha Mödl, Astrid Varnay, and the more recent Waltraud Meier."
And at last, we couldn't stop at 10. So as a bonus, please read this wonderful review from Lohengrin: "Davidsen's shattering return as Isolde".
Photos: Kinga Karpati & Daniel Zarewicz.
