Zarina Abaeva's Desdemona exhibits a wide and homogeneous vocal range, with a
precious timbre reminiscent of the ancient times. In every part, she displays great
elegance and restraint, maintaining long breaths with firm control and a continuous,
well-defined melodic line. She is delicate in the first act and graceful in the flower
chorus, gradually becoming more dramatic in her dialogues with Otello. In the third
act, she expresses restrained yet poignant suffering, and then becomes lyrical and
heartbreaking in the finale. She portrays a disconsolate sweetness in the "Willow
Song" (...) and achieves a transcendent clarity in the "Ave Maria."
Andrea Poli, OperaLibera, 2023.
This is complemented by the infinitely plastic top notes of soprano Zarina Abaeva in
an unusually inventive vocalization, which allows her to masterfully convey the
terrains of the musical text, vigorously sculpt its contours, bringing unexpected
curves to its lines (for example, her Libera me sounds mystical, with almost oriental
intonations which are truly divine).
Julien Hanck, Bachtrack, 2019
Zarina Abaeva performed the extravagant vocal writing of the soprano solos (soaring
up to the high C and plunging into chest register) with dignity and a becoming
modesty. Her piano singing was simply heavenly.
James Jorden, The New York Observer, 2019
What a legato soprano Zarina Abaeva (in a vocal quartet with Hermine May, René
Barbera, Tareq Nazmi) has at her entrance in the Offertorium (…); and no listener in
the hall of the Paris Philharmonic, whose acoustics are so ideally suited for the
performance of works of this genre, will ever forget her mind-blowing prayer Libera
me, ending with the words ‘et timeo’, at an ultimate piano (…).
Stéphane Goldet, Concert Classic, 2019
Russian soprano Zarina Abaeva mesmerises the public with the beautiful timbre of
her voice, the sound of which touches the heart. Even for those who do not
understand Latin or have no wish to read the text in the programme along with
listening, Abaeva's voice conveys all the subtleties of the music work's emotional
palette without the slightest effort. In her Libera me, these feelings, full of tender
strength and hope, picked up by the orchestra, seem to be transferred to the hall.
Detlef Obens, Das Opernmagazin, 2019
[Zarina Abaeva's] singing is saturated with exquisite lyrical colours, a combination of
maidenly lightness with a strong bright sound in high registers. Performing the final
Libera me, she moved from the ramp to the middle of the choir. And we were
rewarded with a special, mystical sound, with an almost oriental intonation and
unearthly nobility emanating from the singer's voice.
