"As Vitellia, the devious, misanthropic
tantrum-throwing daughter of deposed Emperor Vitellius, Rosamund Illing is
ideally cast. Illing has a marvelous sense of stagecraft and every bit of
malice was delivered venomously. When required, she was truly funny. Besides
her acting abilities, the plaudits she has received are well deserved. Her
voice is even across the range and there is a breezy openness in her tone
that is matched by her scrupulous attention to detail and natural musicality.
She is an excellent Mozart singer."
Michael Easton, The Sun-Herald (May 7, 1999)
"Rosamund Illing as Vitellia--one
of Mozart's many impressively vindictive woman--delivered a searingly focused
performance, as alert in her recitatives as in her arias and ensemble work,
and singing evenly and impressively."
Peter Burch, The Australian (May 7, 1999)
"The most complex character
is the embittered Vitellia, and Rosamund Illing is convincing as a vengeful
harridan. She is also a femme fatale out of film noir before the event, who
can convince the decent Sesto to kill for her. The part contains a number of
spectacular high Ds and also a very low tessitura that tests any soprano. The
fact that Illing negotiates these passages without apparent stress is a tribute
to her taste and musical expertise."
John Slavin, The Age (May 1999)
"... Rosamund Illing has
pretty much cornered the market in villainesses such as Vitellia with her utterly
secure, titanium-edged soprano and evident relish of such characters. From beginning
to end she was the self-obsessed schemer, and one did not believe her volte-face
at the end for a second."
Deborah Jones, The Australian (January 1997)
"... the greatest vocal
consistency of the night came from the women, notably Fiona James in the cross-dressing
part of Sesto, and Rosamund Illing as Vitellia."
Peter McCallum, Sydney Morning Herald (January 1997)