"The hero of the peasant-to-emperor rise-and-mobility story is Giustino: he was portrayed by justina (very fittingly) Vaitkute with a joy that was youthful and impetuous. The beautiful deep timbre and the natural acting recalled a young Vesselina Kasarova."
Jens F. Laurson
Die Presse
“...contralto Justina Vaitkute's forceful and engaging characterization ensured that the hero was not allowed to be pushed into the background. Her recitatives were lively, sensitively accented to promote the text and dramatically strong, while her arias, underpinned by a solid technique, were carefully crafted to bring out their emotional qualities. In Act one, scene four, for example, Giustino bemoans his life as a farmer and his desire to experience the field of battle, for which Vaitkute beautifully captured the sense of longing. In a further example in Act two, scene 13, Giustino reflects on his love of danger and his inability to feel fear in the aria "Ho nel petto un cor si forte," for which she sensitively depicted his heroic character while showing off her ability to ornament and color the vocal line."
Alan Neilson
Operawire
