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Reviews
Opera-CLEMENZA DI TITO Role-VITELLIA
"In Lona Culmer-Schellbach, the Staatstheater now has such a singer in their ranks, who ideally strives toward the greatest possible tonal blooming even in the smallest single notes. In addition, the capability to be virtuoso and dramatic. This Vitellia is truly worth hearing."
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
Opera-LOHENGRIN Role-ELSA
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach possesses opposite the strong, vocal lightning of the catapulting vicious pair Julia Juon and Manfred Volz, a substantial and expressive soprano."
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
"It was not the customarily provocative team's anti-opera staging that made the trip to Kassel worthwhile, however, but the wonderful singing...Still, it was the fragile beauty of Lona Culmer-Schellbach's "Elsa" that captured one's attention. Her crystalline singing, meticulous diction and sensitive reaction to the text recalled the vocal quality and dedicated acting of Elisabeth Grümmer and gave this LOHENGRIN stature its staging seemed determined to oppose."
OPERA NEWS
"The Elsa of the american Lona Culmer-Schellbach, was a first class discovery, a ringing, clear soprano with subtile color shading. She alone made the trip to Kassel a worthwhile Grals visit."
OPERNWELT
Opera-PATMOS (von Schweinitz) Role-ANGELUS NOVUS
"...which terrible last events and which cosmic situations and actions they describe, this was explained by both the angels, and Angelus Novus as soprano (Superior Lona Culmer-Schellbach)."
SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG
"Outstanding, Lona Culmer-Schellbach, who puts the bizarre soprano leaps of her strong rebelling angel in a full toned, perfectly controlled vocal frame."
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
Opera-Cardillac Role-DIE DAME
"Even more amazing was to encounter Theo Adam's sung creation of the role, who, as well as Lona Culmer-Schellbach as "The Dame", illuminated the structural details of Hindemith's music so calm as well as concentrated."
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG
"...Justifiable Premiere rejoicing for Theo Adam...and for the portrayal of the glittering demi-mondaine from the Kassel guest soloist, Lona Culmer-Schellbach."
DER MORGEN
"...whereas Lona Culmer-Schellbach rendered the "Dame" powerful vocal seduction with a good focused voice."
ORPHEUS
Opera-RUSALKA Role-FREMDE FÜRSTIN
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach loaned the "Foreign Princess" her dramatic and opulent voice as well as her ability to grasp the sharp contours of her role."
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
"Not only did one listen attentively, but also looked spellbound on the stage, when Lona Culmer-Schellbach made her entrance in the role of the "Foreign Princess". What this singer offers in the way of personality, presence, and at the same time in secure, sovereign vocal power, is worth the trip alone to the "Rusalka" performance."
GÖTTINGER TAGEBLATT
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach, this is clear, shouldn't be called "Princess", but "Queen"."
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
Opera-LADY MACBETH FROM MTZENSK Role-KATHERINA ISMAILOVA
"As expected, Lona Culmer-Schellbach was showered with ovations; a Katherina from impressive strength and grandeur, tender, passionate, and thank her voluminous voice, diversely sung in every moment, fascinating."
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
"In the center of the diverse and complicated commenting music with intelligible and clear-cut direct plot, stood Lona Culmer-Schellbach, a stroke of luck for this performance. Her powerful, supple appearance, the voluminous metallic soprano, was convincing in every phase. The twofold murderess, the fighter, who takes her and her rivals life by means of a determined leap from the bridge, took her public by storm."
HESSISCHER RUNDFUNK
"In the middle of enthusiasm stood Lona Culmer-Schellbach, who powerfully mastered the title role of Katherina Ismailova with vocal brilliance and sovereign acting."
NORDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG
"In the center of events stood Lona Culmer-Schellbach in the title role of Katherina Ismailova, a role similar to that of Brunnhilde. The talent to combine optimally clarity and emphasis, to express the emotions of an extreme dramatic figure as if from her own, and at the same time, executing uppermost control. A voice, that can be heard under all conditions, and that means also pleasing to the ear. Last but not least, an artist, who doesn't try to overpower her colleagues on the stage, but instead animates them."
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach as Katherina is an extremely impressive appearance even still as a hairless prisoner, in her living and in heart stirring ambivalences flaming emotion."
FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU
Opera-WOZZECK Role-MARIE
"She was personified from Lona Culmer-Schellbach with a full-toned voice and an agile performance, as a simple but lively, sensitive character: Even in the advanced stage of her infidelity, there is a moment of unsure, distraught observation, a painful look back to the deceived."
FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach's "Marie" was the center of the staging, a fascinating beautiful voice between love and hate, gorgeous in lyric piano and cultivated in extreme outbursts, dominating the scene, wherever she appeared."
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach was the center point of the evening, who with her beautiful, full soprano had control over all registers between love, fear and hate."
HESSISCHER RUNDFUNK
Opera-IL TROVATORE Role-LEONORA
"Will Humburg at the conducting pult provided Verdi fervor. He received intense applause in the same way as the soloists Karoly Szilagy, Lona Culmer-Schellbach and Livia Budai-Batky."
WESTFÄLISCHE RUNDSCHAU
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach's Leonora went through her coloratura with a flexible soprano, which also has the ability of attacking and of upper range smoothness."
RHEINISCHE POST
"Rejoicing also for Lona Culmer-Schellbach's LEONORA: Tenderness, emphasis, passion, her voice covered the entire gamut of emotions of the role, from lustrous high notes to the lower range of doubt and grief."
BRAUNSCHWEIGER ZEITUNG
Opera-ARIADNE AUF NAXOS Role-ARIADNE
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach personifies Ariadne with vehement expression."
FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU
"The title figure has the unwelcome task, to be almost only vocally present, but in this case Lona Culmer-Schellbach can rely entirely on her far-reaching, exquisite sounding soprano."
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
"What the Primadonna, who is supposed to perform the Ariadne, in this opera rightly dreads, that she namely cannot stand out next to the magnificent role of Zerbinetta, Lona Culmer-Schellbach can avoid in this performance through her great charisma, stage presence and her full and warm soprano. A remarkable performance considering the nothing short of fantastic, delightful Zerbinetta, who playfuly mastered one of the most difficult coloratura arias in the true sense of the word."
HESSISCHER RUNDFUNK
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach was an intense Ariadne with arduous-blooming Strauss cantabile."
DAS OPERNGLAS
Opera-Hänsel and Gretel Role-The Mother
"The mother is Lona Culmer-Schellbach. As we know her, she is also capable here, to express emotions with her warm, forceful soprano. Her Gertrud is a nerved, but concerned mother.
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
"Opera-FRANCESCA DA RIMINI (Rachmaninoff) Role-FRANCESCA
"...as the Rachmaninoff title figure could Lona Culmer-Schellbach's blooming voice unfold."
FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach scintillated in her high soprano register of her unfortunately not very extensive role of Francesca."
GÖTTINGER TAGEBLATT
"The star of the evening along with Manfred Volz was without a doubt, Lona Culmer-Schellbach, who as Francesca, fascinated through her vocal clarity and brilliance in the highest registers."
GIESSENER ALLGEMEINE
Opera-NABUCCO Role-ABIGAIL
"No weak-but two highlights from the soloists. Manfred Volz and Lona Culmer-Schellbach in the lead roles of Nabucco and Abigail, take advantage of the chance to execute the "Storm and Stress"
gesture of Verdi, in a large sized but differentiating way."
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
"In these scenic surroundings, the dramatic emotions were brought only by Lona Culmer-Schellbach's vocal and unrestraining theatrical power.
HESSISCHER RUNDFUNK
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach as Abigail, tremendously present and full of suspense."
GÖTTINGER TAGEBLATT
"LONA CULMER-SCHELLBACH sang a brilliant Abigail: with effortless attacks of the monstrous higher register and interval jumps, but also with an intense expressive Belcanto."
ORPHEUS
Opera-ELEKTRA Role-CHRYSOTHEMIS
"A further stroke of luck in this staging production was Lona Culmer-Schellbach's Chrysothemis. Elektra's sister, so opposite from her, obsessed with the wish of a husband and children, she endowed with a wonderful, smooth timbred voice."
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
"But above all, this performance had at its disposal with the three women....Chrysothemis,Lona Culmer-Schellbach,...in the singing and acting interplay an ideal cast."
HESSISCHER RUNDFUNK
"Luckily, she (Elektra) had in Joke Kramer as well as also in Lona Culmer-Schellbach two outstanding partners... and Lona Culmer-Schellbach (Chrysothemis) was capable of setting the scene literally in blaze with her burning dramatic fire."
GÖTTINGER TAGEBLATT
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach sang with a warm and full soprano an outstanding Chrysothemis."
OPERNGLAS
"Hereto contrasted ideally the animated,brilliant soprano of Lona Culmer-Schellbach (Chrysothemis)"
ORPHEUS
Opera-CARMEN Role-CARMEN
"The soloists are a stroke of luck for Kassel's new staging, whose cast must be much more stronger than in colorful moving scenic pictures. A Carmen, who distinctly entered into the spirit of the passion and finally in the presentiment of death and hopelessness of Carmen, like an instrument the marvellous voice, immaculate in the high and middle range, embeds in the feelings of passion of a woman and makes her believeable-Lona Culmer-Schellbach. She, almost always in semi-darkness, reaches through her great artistry immediately the listener."
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
"Guarantor for the success of this excursion is alongside the staging and the outstanding musicians also the excellent cast. As guests sang rehearsed profis from international reputation: Lona Culmer-Schellbach fascinated as Carmen with an impressive voluminous voice , that also does not lose in the higher registers..."
SÜDWEST ZEITUNG
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach in the title role brings a great portion of dramatic talent on the stage, a flexible voice, rich in timbre, also a large portion of temperament and fire."
GÖTTINGER TAGEBLATT
"Meanwhile, no one can compare with Lona Culmer-Schellbach's Carmen. She acts so naturally, so smooth, so transparent and still with an oppressive intensity, that she finds without the least loss of friction to such singing- a treat for the ear and the eye."
HESSISCHE/NIEDERSÄCHSISCHE ALLGEMEINE
Opera-CAPRICCIO Role-THE COUNTESS
"The beautiful Countess, brillantly sung by Lona Culmer-Schellbach, finds at the end the decision. "The words and the music are blended into one, one art freed from the other.""
Hessischer Rundfunk
After Salome,Chrysothemis and Ariadne, Lona Culmer-Schellbach has conquered at the first attempt a further Strauss soprano jewel with the excorbitant Countess role."
Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine
Opera-SALOME Role-Salome
"The title role was excellently cast with Lona Culmer-Schellbach. She is at the same time erotic seductress and stubborn child, develops her final monolog with an intensity, that one listens to her spellbound."
Göttinger Tageblatt
"LonaCulmer-Schellbach, who is no sharp attacking Salome, makes believable the fusion from desire and hate, the abrupt shift from insult into cruelty with an extraordinarily nuance filled, warm voluminous voice.
Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine
"The decision stands and falls with the possibility of an adequate casting of the main role, who from the performer not only requires a nuance filled soprano, but also great acting and dancing abilities. These demands were fulfilled by the Kasseler ensemble member Lona Culmer-Schellbach to a high degree, so that she was fervently celebrated at the end of the premiere performance and one has to fear her being enticed to another opera house. Almost noone has witnessed the mental exposure in the final monolog so differentiated and merciless with John's head, as she protrayed it."
Hessen-Nassauer
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach, Salome in the Kasseler premiere, did not use a double, but danced herself. With economical reserves, she grew stronger in her role- from initial listlessness up until ecstasy, along with cruel pleasure- even in death. She enveloped the horny Herodes more and more, this also word-for-word throughout, then with a large white cloth, she pulls him into her dance, until he, out of lust, also relishes even her lashings. For the Kasseler staging is Culmer-Schellbach vocally also an exceedingly good choice."
Opernwelt
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach was a very convincing Salome from the very beginning. She uses her beautifully timbred voice very differnentiated, and impresses above all with lustrous high notes."
Opernglas
Opera- LA FORZA DEL DESTINO Role- Leonora
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach, in her affliction and withdrawal from life, sang a vocally free, touching and heartfelt Leonora di Vargas. The special authentic demands of her role in what would be to us today a 19th century inner conflict drama of an estranged theme, she knows luckily, how to satisfy with more than a mere beautiful voice: one hears and believes her the emphatic sincerity in her plea for mercy, in her thankfulness for the security of spiritual refuge."
Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine
"Lona Culmer-Schellbach sings and gives a moving portrayal of Leonora. Her soprano is like created for Verdi, powerfully lluminous in the higher register, from enormous size and range, but always guided focused, nuanced and richly colored."
Orpheus
Opera SUOR ANGELICA Role Sister Angelica
"...from Lona Culmer-Schellbach's interpretation of the title role, a singer of great ability to identify with her character, who touches our hearts in this hermetic-sensitive piece."
Hessische Niedersächsische Allgemeine
Opera Black Mask Role Arabella
"Both dramatically and musically, the cast effectively sustained the opera's intensity. Particular praise goes to ... and soprano Lona Culmer-Schellbach for her vocal purity."
The Washington Post
Opera Macbeth Role Lady Macbeth
" The cruel "Lady" sung by Lona Culmer-Schellbach became the central figur in the entire opera. Threatening, determined, cold blooded, triumphant, in the end, destroyed. There was not one single moment that her flexible voice was not accessible of expression and through her empatic acting, not made believable."
Hessische Niedersächsische Allgemeine
" Lona Culmer-Schellbach as Lady Macbeth possesses even more power of suggestion: She draws the audience's attention downright magically to her- even then, when she is not singing. With her powerful, very dramatic, dark timbred soprano, this role fits her voice "to a T".
Göttinger Tageblatt
"The central figure is of course the blood-thirsty Lady Macbeth (with a razor-sharp voice congenially portrayed from Lona Culmer-Schellbach)".
OPERNWELT
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