“Mr. Daniels is the quintessential exponent of Handelian style.”
- Wall Street Journal, 2008
Opera Reviews
Xerxes
“Daniels' powerful Arsamenes reconfirmed his status as opera's top countertenor. He distinguished every aria with his purity of sound and clarity
of placement,
the sense of great vocal force with seeming effortlessness.
While fine in arias work was especially distinguished in that emotionally wounded vein.”
- Everett Evans, Houston Chronicle, May 2, 2010
"And Mr. Daniels triumphs as Radamisto. His poignantly lyrical and stylishly embellished singing of the mournful aria “Ombra cara” utterly quieted the audience."
- Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, Aug 4th, 2008,
Santa Fe Radamisto
"Mr. Daniels nailed the brutally fast coloratura of Tamerlano's Act III rage aria, "A dispetto d'un volto ingrato," with such ferocious agility and volume that listeners were stunned. Here was a male singer who could persuasively take on the big roles that were written for castrati but in modern practice had been cast with mezzo-sopranos. Mr. Daniels's Tamerlano was a thrilling high-wire act, his arias bristling with elaborate ornamentation that upped the ante on the character's bad temper every time. The repeat of the A section of "A dispetto" contained more notes than it seemed possible to sing within a phrase."
- Heidi Waleson, Wall Street Journal, May 10th, 2008, Washington National Opera Tamerlano
"This production, directed and choreographed by Mr. Morris, an often magical and unapologetically fanciful staging, opened on Wednesday night. As Orfeo, who dominates the opera, Mr. Daniels fulfilled all expectations. For some a countertenor’s voice sounds fabricated, a curious kind of falsetto singing. Yet few singers sound as poignantly natural as Mr. Daniels: he’s a wonder, with a warm, virile voice of enormous expressivity."
- Anthony Tommasini, New York Times,
May 4th, 2007,
Metropolitan Opera Orfeo e Euridice