Kathleen Battle

Kathleen Battle (biography)
Rather than witnessing a memorial to a soprano's storied past, we got something vital and compelling and very much in the present; and I came away with new respect and admiration for Battle. – Anne Midgette, Washington Post
...she sent high phrases soaring and sang with etheral elegance...I kept thinking about what a sad loss her absence has been to opera lovers in New York and around the world...this long program, with five encores, was her day, her return...The final standing ovation was tumultuous. - Anthony Tommasini, New York Times
The magic was back and nobody (including her) wanted it to end...This was easily some of the best singing of her career...mesmerizing...plucked high notes out of the air with spot-on pitch... - David Patrick Stearns, WQXR
...her voice shimmered and soared above the staff in the ornate but elegant flourishes she inserted into the simple spiritual tunes...The program advances the thesis that the development of the spiritual was closely tied to the Underground Railroad's mission of liberating the enslaved. As such, the mood of the songs performed gradually became more hopeful and finally joyously determined... - James Jorden, Observer
...greeted with a thunderous ovation befitting a beloved singer... She was here to present a thoughtful, fully committed recital. And she did... that unmistakable Battle sound remains remarkably intact...audience collectively held its breath, the years faded away and time, as the saying goes, seemed to stand still... her valedictory appearance was nothing short of triumphant, and one, I dare say, that may well become legendary. - Kevin Fullerton, Parterre Box
Review: Kathleen Battle Returns to the Met After 22 Years. It Was Worth the Wait.