Manon Boulevard Solitude / Welsh National Opera
Cond. Lothar Koenigs Dir. Mariusz Trelinski
"Sarah Tynan's Lulu-esque Manon is the best thing she has done."
Hugh Canning, Sunday Times, March 2014
"All other characters are archetypes - which in no way detracts from the elusive power of Sarah Tynan's slim, chic, lingerie-clad Manon, one of the best things she has done."
Andrew Clark, Financial Times, March 2014
"Sarah Tynan's Manon is both damaged and hardened; sensual and seemingly sincere one moment, coarse and venal the next. The way that her face and gestures uncannily capture the transitions and tensions between these extremes is mesmerising. So, too, is her singing: the effortless sweetness, coming from this stockings-and-suspenders tart, only emphasising Manon's elusiveness."
Richard Morrison, Times, five stars, February 2014
"Tynan's Manon is heartless and spineless, a human void - but one who sings with an icy clarity and accuracy that makes her irresistible. Her performance is first-rate."
Rupert Christiansen, Daily Telegraph, February 2014
"Sarah Tynan's brilliantly icy heroine has her superficial glamour slowly stripped away to reveal nothingness beneath."
Opera Now, April 2014
"Sarah Tynan's sinuous, leggy Manon [was] first rate."
Andrew Clements, Guardian, February 2014
"Both [Sarah Tynan and Jason Bridges] give first-rate dramatic accounts."
George Hall, The Stage, February 2014
"On stage, meanwhile, Sarah Tynan gave the performance of a lifetime as Manon. Henze's Manon is very much the mistress of her own impulses; Tynan somehow combined a confident, seductive sensuality with flashes of vulnerability - all sung with a voice of such sweetness and purity that you could feel exactly why Des Grieux (Jason Bridges, almost matching Tynan for tonal beauty) falls for her so hard, and why the other men in her life, her brother Lescaut (Benjamin Bevan) and Lilaque senior (Adrian Thompson - making a deeply ambiguous role strangely sympathetic) are so completely her playthings."
Richard Bratby, Birmingham Post, March 2014
"Sarah Tynan, alluring of voice and appropriately seductive yet curiously detached as a character, caught Manon's knowing side and yet managed to retain some sympathy. Her silvery tones were heard to advantage."
Alexander Campbell, Classical Source, March 2014
"Sarah Tynan preserves immaculate control while being variously displayed and pawed at by assorted pig-masked sugar-daddies."
Stephen Walsh, The Arts Desk, February 2014
"Manon is an extremely sexy, tough and ruthless young woman, beautifully portrayed by Sarah Tynan."
Mark Ronan, February 2014
"An alluring Sarah Tynan is Manon, victim from the start as she is led away by the cops having killed her rich client Lilaque"
Mike Smith, Wales Online, February 2014
"Slinky, superb soprano Sarah Tynan is icily corrupt as the eponymous heartless whore flashing her wonderful long legs - and more - to rinse a succession of undesirable would-be Lotharios."
Karen Bussell, What's On Stage, March 2014
Marzelline / Fidelio / English National Opera
Cond. Edward Gardner / Dir. Calixto Bieito
"But rise above these theatrical solecisms and go, if only to honour the wonderful musicians: Gardner, the orchestra, the chorus, and other soloists - including James Creswell, particularly sympathetic as Rocco the jailer, Sarah Tynan (Marzelline) and Adrian Dwyer (Jaquino) - made this an evening to remember, even if the rest is best forgotten."
Fiona Maddocks, Guardian, September 2013
"One can only admire the sang-froid of Sarah Tynan as Marzelline, not to mention her head for heights, as she maintains a steady, silvery tone while scampering up and down ladders pursued by Adrian Dwyer's hapless Jaquino."
Richard Morrison, Times, September 2013
"Sarah Tynan is great casting as Marzelline..."
Simon Thomas, Whats on Stage, September 2013
"Sarah Tynan's singing was charming and fresh..."
Peter Reed, Classical Source, September 2013
"Sarah Tynan's Marzelline is ravishingly sung."
Michael Church, Independent, September 2013
"...soprano Sarah Tynan was an admirably ardent, focused Marzelline."
Helen Wallas , Classical Music, September 2013
"Sarah Tynan's engaging Marzelline..."
Barry Millington, London Evening Standard, September 2013
"For instance, when the infatuated Marzelline (the radiant Sarah Tynan, pictured right) first sees Fidelio - the disguised Leonore (Stuart Skelton) - their eyes lock over the balmy string chords which introduce the sublime act one quartet, which expresses everyone's feelings in barely five minutes."
Edward Seckerson, The Arts Desk, September 2013
"Sarah Tynan was an appealingly cute Marzelline and she sang her lines with strength and purity despite being asked to shin up and down the vertiginous set."
Sebastian Petit, Opera Britannia, September 2013
Adina in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore
Opera Holland Park
"Dolton's energy, von Bergen's machismo, Di Toro's warmth, the mellow playing of the City of London Sinfonia under Stephen Higgins, and, most of all, Tynan's exquisitely idiomatic performance of "Prendi, per me sei libero" combine to touching effect."
Independent, July 2013
"...the greatest musical virtue of the evening was surely the wonderful Adina of Sarah Tynan. Ms Tynan has previously performed the role with English National Opera and her experience showed; 'Chiedi all'aura lusinghiera' was beautifully voiced, Ms Tynan's upper register clear and exquisitely coloured. Though Donizetti spins much of radiance and exultancy in L'elisir, the opera works so well because of the simultaneous presence of wistfulness and melancholy. Ms Tynan's Adina evoked this nuance superbly, her tone vividly bright but also subtly emotive. With her chic blue dress and long blond hair she looked the part to perfection too, convincingly effecting the transition from slightly callous object of desire in Act I to a woman fully in love in Act II, realising at last she has long taken for granted the best man she knows.
Ms Tynan is surely worth catching in the role..."
Opera Britannia, July 2013
"Thank goodness for Sarah Tynan... The golden voiced Tynan, who played the role to great acclaim in the ENO production, is a glorious Adina, brittle and flirtatious but with a touching vulnerability when she thinks she is about to lose the man she has taken for granted."
The Express, July 2013
"Sarah Tynan, here making an impressive debut for Opera Holland Park, produced a sparkling sound across the board, and her voice... was full of nuanced expression."
Bach Track, July 2013
"Sarah Tynan played Adina courteously, a girl who observes and is somewhat prim and haughty. Her assumption of the role was the highlight, the libretto delivered with clarity and accuracy, her voice meltingly beautiful and with a glistening coloratura."
Classical Source, July 2013
"Much of the success of this production revolves around Sarah Tynan's Adina, a distinguished performance with layers of expressive range and vocal shading - and she grows in dignity after admitting her love for Nemorino."
The Stage, July 2013
Orff Carmina Burana
Royal Festival Hall London Philharmonic Orchestra / cond. Hans Graf
"Sarah Tynan, who stepped in at the last minute to replace the sickly Sally Matthews, had just the right sweetness of tone to give the final Courtly Love scene the sensuous quality it needs..."
Chris Garlick, Bach Track, April 2013
Valencienne in Lehar's The Merry Widow
Royal Festival Hall Philharmonia Orchestra / cond. John Wilson
"there was lots to enjoy, with a stalwart performance from Alan Opie as the ambassador, and stylish contributions from Sarah Tynan and Nicholas Sharratt".
Martin Kettle, Guardian, December 2012
"Sarah Tynan was a sweet-voiced, cleverly detailed Valencienne"
Hiliary Finch, Times, December 2012
Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni
English National Opera (revival) / dir. Rufus Norris / cond. Edward Gardner
"Sarah Tynan [was] a sexy and sparky Zerlina [and] showed once again what a delightfully watchable performer she is. Her two arias were ravishingly sung".
Steve Silverman, Opera Britannia, October 2012
"fine singing from Tynan".
Michael Church, The Independent, October 2012
"in two immensely spirited performances Sarah Tynan and John Molloy as Zerlina and Masetto bring home the working class's naivety and susceptibility".
Sam Smith, Londonist, October 2012
"Believably innocent, beautiful of voice, sure of phrase, she shone".
Colin Clarke, Seen and Heard International, October 2012
"She put her soubrette talents to vulnerable effect in her tangles with the Don, and something more complex with Masetto".
Peter Reed, Classical Source, October 2012
"Sarah Tynan [...] sang extravagantly well as Zerlina".
Mark Valencia, WhatsOnStage, October 2012
"Sarah Tynan sings Zerlina with richness across her range".
Edward Bhesania, The Stage, October 2012
"Sarah Tynan and John Molloy reprise their roles as Zerlina and Masetto with as much charm and gusto as ever. Tynan in particular is pitch-perfect in her canny but delicately vulgar bride-to-be (who could resist her Batti, batti?)"
Alexandra Coghlan, theartsdesk.com, October 2012
"Tynan sang the role beautifully, with poise and a fine sense of line and shape, making her stand out from the others".
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill - Classical Music Blog, October 2012
"Sarah Tynan is pretty much everything and more that you could want from a Zerlina".
Edward Seckerson, edwardseckerson.biz, October 2012
Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel
Opera North / cond. James Holmes / dir. Jo Davies
"Sarah Tynan (as Julie's friend Carrie) uses her fluttery soubrette sound charmingly."
Warwick Thompson, Businessweek, August 2012
"Katherine Manley's Julie and Sarah Tynan's Carrie are ideally balanced."
John Allison, Telegraph Seven Magazine, August 2012
"Sarah Tynan's pert Carrie gives the impression that she'll be more than a match for her fisherman intended, Enoch Snow ... - once she's convinced him that nine children, no matter how well organised, are more than enough."
TNTmagazine, August 2012
"Some of the singing is absolutely superb, as you would expect from a production by the acclaimed Opera North. Stand-out performances by Michael Todd Simpson as Billy and Islington's own Sarah Tynan as the coquettish Carrie, as well as the amazing orchestra make for an impressive show."
Jon Dean, Gravesend Reporter, August 2012
"Far better is Sarah Tynan as her pert friend Carrie Pipperidge, who suggests a winning dose of mischief behind her eminently sensible marriage."
Fiona Mountford, Evening Standard, August 2012
"Two of the highest profile operatic names ... steal the show. Sarah Tynan as Julie's best friend Carrie has a pleasing voice and comic touch..."
Sam Smith, Londonist, August 2012
"Carrie, delightfully and impishly played by Sarah Tynan, has the sense to marry Mr Snow (an engaging Joseph Shovelton), a decent, hard-working chap - but despite his many plans, she clearly intends to manage him."
Sarah Hemming, Financial Times, August 2012
"Further delights come in the shape of Sarah Tynan as Carrie, the sweet child who marries her beloved fisherman Mr Snow (Joseph Shovelton) and has nine children by him."
Michael Darvell, Classicalsource.com, August 2012
"The two marvelous examples of luxury casting that grace this opening Barbican cast: Sarah Tynan's gloriously galumphing and luminously sung Carrie (imagine Ado Annie channeling Phoebe from Friends)..."
Mark Valencia, ClassicalSource.com, August 2012
Cleopatra in Handel's Giulio Cesare
Opera North / cond. Rober Howarth / dir. Tim Albery
"Tynan's Cleopatra delivers some of the finest, most tasteful baroque singing you will hear anywhere."
Alfred Hickling, The Guardian, January 2012
"Sarah Tynan's outstandingly believable Cleopatra tremulously whispering her despairing music, then curling into a foetal huddle as she is chained, humiliated and incestuously abused."
Richard Morrison, The Times, January 2012
"...her singing is agile, stylish and radiant in the long lines of "Per pieta" and "Piangero" "
Anna Picard, The Independent, January 2012
"Cleopatra, beautifully sung by Sarah Tynan, is brilliant, physically and vocally. Tynan's sheer stamina is a revelation."
Graham Rickson, The Arts Desk, January 2012
"But - as ever - it is Cleopatra who steals the show. She is vivaciously sung and acted here by Sarah Tynan, who pulls off the not-inconsiderable vocal demands of the role with ease while maintaining a fine balance between seductiveness and vulnerability."
Philip Andrews, Sheffield Telegraph, January 2012
"In creating her Cleopatra, Sarah Tynan has strayed as far from the obvious as possible: there are no nods to Liz Taylor's iconic portrayal here. Instead of the archetypal Egyptian seductress, we are presented with a willowy, blonde, vulnerable queen who, although determined to succeed in a man's world, does not take on male characteristics to do so. This extremely feminine characterisation brings us closer to Cleopatra than we might expect, and is entirely suited to Tynan's pretty, delicate soprano which sparkled through the more upbeat moments of the opera and created a great depth of emotion during her arias of love and longing. Her 'V'adoro, pupille' ('I adore you, eyes') was a glorious, atmospheric highlight of the evening, with Cleopatra dipping her toes into the pool of water in the centre of the set as she sang the beautiful decorative repeats. Surrounded by soft candlelight, Tynan's lovely tone filled the theatre with a beautiful, intense warmth that was utterly seductive. Equally moving was her 'Piangero la sorte mia' ('I shall lament my fate'), in which she moved seamlessly between sad reflection and spirited anger."
Laura Wilson, Bachtrack, January 2012
"The evening belongs especially to [...] Sarah Tynan as Cleopatra, flirtatiously lifting the opera's rather stolid opening or mischievously relishing the disguised pursuit of her loved one or suffering with regal courage, is fully in command of the role, with her imprisonment bringing singing of exceptional beauty."
Ron Simpson, Whatsonstage.com, January 2012
"Sarah Tynan's highly physical Cleopatra offers genuine sparkle, her sequence of arias the highlights of the evening."
George Hall, The Stage, January 2012
"Sarah Tynan shone as the seductive, despairing Cleopatra."
Thisisnottingham.co.uk, February 2012
"Sarah Tynan, as a blonde Cleopatra is not only Queen of the Nile, but also of coloratura."
Sarah E Scott, Chronicle Live, March 2012
"...they've found the winning formula, with a slender blonde Cleopatra (Sarah Tynan) who activated all the surprising seductiveness of the music as well as its poignancy"
Gail-Nina Anderson, Journal Live, March 2012
