"Fantastic young tenor at his best... compelling acting with technical virtuosity"
“Leading the cast as Count Almaviva was tenor Nicholas Simpson, playing a crafty Count who fully buys into Figaro’s machinations. Simpson’s drunken soldier routine was comedic without falling into slapstick or exaggerated drunken gestures. His opening cavatina, ‘Ecco, ridente in cielo,’ was full of electrifying ornamentation and possessed brassy strength.
The canzone ‘Se il mio nome,’ was handled with delicacy, showing Simpson’s fine ability to color his line with soft passion. Contrast this to the lightning-fast fireworks of ‘Cessa di più,’ and you’ve seen a fantastic young tenor at his best, combining compelling acting with technical virtuosity.”