Norma - Teatro di San Carlo, 2020

 

"(...) the priestess interpreted by the excellent Maria José Siri, thanks to Italian-Uruguyan soprano' s vocal metal, seemed decidedly heroic when she was a politic and religious leader as well as maternal when entrusting her children to her father Oroveso. Her Norma is a woman more developed than the one drawn by librettist Felice Romani, but in harmony with the modern sensitivity that entrust new roles to the female gender; she acknowledges new determinations to it, but she certainly does not certainly steal sensitivity away from herself. The much awaited cavatina "Casta diva" was contemplative but structurally sound, and the recitatives were passionate and her farewell to Oroveso was dramatic and contrite..."
Dario Ascoli, Corriere del Mezzogiorno

"Two young voices, full of charme and able to dominate the vast space of the San Carlo Theatre: Maria José Siri, with a technical and expressive control, is a complete Norma, now austere priestess in her timbre and personality, now a betrayed and wounded woman and mother."
Salvatore Morra, Il giornale della musica

"María José Siri shines as Norma in Naples"
"In the title-role, María José Siri showed a fine soprano. Her attractive singing lines alternated with effortless coloratura passages and high notes. Siri sang her showcase aria, “Casta Diva” with grace and melancholy. The excesses of the character in the first act finale were well portrayed, and she was touching in the final scene when the emotional distress progressively decreased and Bellini’s music turned back to a dramatic simplicity."
Lorenzo Fiorito, Bachtrack

“Soprano Maria José Siri (Norma) masters a remarkable vocal instrument: her ample phrasing, effortless high notes and a good control of her agility, together with her constant emotional distress, represent the distinctive style of a passioned interpretation.“ 
Nicola Prisco, GB Opera Magazine

"A most welcome return (of Norma), where the difficulties due to the character's versatility and vocality are brilliantly overcome by soprano Maria José Siri's interpretation on opening night (...).
And so, in a suspended space-time, soprano Maria José Siri gives us a flawless Casta diva; the famous aria made unforgettable by the great Maria Callas must be listened to with closed eyes, in the rarefied atmosphere of the San Carlo. Smooth and hieratic, Siri also moves our soul in the finale on the notes of „In mia man alfin tu sei."
Ida Palisi, Napoli Click

"Maria José Siri in the title role is convincing thanks to her personality and the interpretative flexibility displayed when switching from the most delicate sentimental scenes to the determined fury of the tragic ones."
Valeria Rubinacci, Lo strillo

"Maria José Siri is a Norma of great temperament, drawing a well-rounded character, excellent from a psychological and dramatic point of view, vocally perfect: the Uruguayan soprano has a beautiful and strong voice, with an irreproachable and  as usual sturdy and reliable technique. Unequalled in her description of the character's torment - which, at the bequest of Bellini and Romani moves away from Medea's more bloodthirsty model avoiding to shed her children's blood - is able to believably become at the end a true heroine of the romantic sacrifice on the altar of love (...)."
Luigi Paolillo, Fermata Spettacolo

"Maria José Siri, already acclaimed by the Neapolitan audience in "Pagliacci" in 2017, shows with great versatility that she also feels ease in the bel-canto repertoire, being able to rely on a flexible voice, an extremely sound technique and persuasive interpretative skills. Her "Casta diva" was superb."

Sergio Palumbo, Cultura spettacolo