Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen, London BBC-Proms,
Royal Albert Hall 2013 (D: Barenboim) :

The Standard:
Best of all was Johannes Martin Kränzle, who explored the complexity of the Nibelung dwarf Alberich in a subtle, multi-dimensional delivery.

OMH Music:
Johannes Martin Kränzle was a tremendos Alberich.

Seenandheard-international:
Rheingold: Johannes Martin Kränzle, who sang Alberich, is a born actor, and there is no stopping him from immediately transforming into the part he plays. The first scene took place at the back right of the stage, a risky strategy, given that it meant the singers were even further from the audience. But both Kränzle as Alberich and the three Rhinemaidens had the projection to bring it off. Kränzle was last seen in the UK as Beckmesser at Glyndebourne. That too was and excellent performance, but his acting is so convincing that any memories of the Nuremburg stooge were distant indeed as he presented instead the reptilian Alberich. Siegfried: His tormented Alberich was the superb baritone Johannes Martin Kränzle, miraculously dark of tone.

The Independent:
Rheingold: This mainly top-notch cast launched in with a luscious-voiced trio of Rhinemaidens meeting the furious and unusually believable Alberich of Johannes Martin Kränzle. Siegfried: and a brooding Alberich from Johannes Martin Kränzle, and the performance was a glory.

LietoFineLondon:
Rheingold: The Alberich of Johannes Martin Kränzle was a strongly nuanced performance and his curse was chilling. Siegfried: Both Johannes Martin Kränzle as Alberich and the Fafner of Eric Halfvarson continued their strong performances from the opening opera. Götterdämmerung: Kränzle´s Alberich of the final opera in the quartet was a Nibelung that had surpassed greed and revenge amd reached desperation.

Huffington Post International:
Johannes Martin Kranzle was also particularly engaging as Alberich: he gave off a real menace, but avoided leading the character into the territory of cliched greedy dwarf.

The Telegraph:
The singers were hand-picked: ... Johannes Martin Kranzle a strangely noble Alberich, light-voiced but marvellously foxy.

Classical Reviews:
I also very much enjoyed Johannes Martin Kranzle's Alberich (he previously impressed me as Beckmesser at Glyndebourne). The characterization really came across and his curse on the ring was powerfully done.

The Times:
The accompaniment to Alberich´s curse have sounded so passionate without overwhelming the voice.... Johannes Martin Kränzle as a blustering, fine Alberich with a panto-villain laugh...all these were performences of high intelligence, yet with the megawatt intensity to grip a capacity Albert Hall audience.

Opera Britannia:
Rheingold: All three Rhinemaidens projected well, as did Johannes Martin Kränzle who turned in a great performance as Alberich. Kränzle’s focus on diction and inky tone aided in his characterization. Götterdämmerung: Alberich, who managed, in the person of Johannes Martin Kränzle, to be perfectly intelligible in terms of both text and singing, and very beautifully so too.

Theaterdesk:
Johannes Martin Kränzle, indisputably the best Meistersinger Beckmesser of our time, made up for that in spades with vocal nuance, stage presence and spitting out of the Nibelung’s especial vehemence. It helped that he was there to dominate from the start, complemented by astonishingly full lower colours in the orchestra to offset against the proto-Debussyan water music of the Rhinemaidens.

Bachtrack:
Siegfried: ...a straightforwardly evil Alberich (Johannes Martin Kränzle) Götterdämmerung: Johannes Martin Kränzle reprised his Alberich with the requisite nastiness

Mark Ronan Theatre Reviews:
… as did Johannes Martin Kränzle in his fine, even noble, portrayal of the hated Alberich.

Classicalsource:
Rheingold: Johannes Martin Kränzle was superb as Alberich, a slimy and pitiful creation of Kränzle’s black and snarly baritone. In the opening scene he was a fool to be pitied, but the moment of his denunciation of love after the heartless and cruel teasing of the Rhinemaidens shocked and saddened. With his voice further blackened for the later events he dripped poison and loathing with almost every word. Siegfried: With Johannes Martin Kränzle’s Alberich, the pair (Mime, Alberich) created a quite hateful duo without caricature.

The Guardian:
Rheingold: Kränzle, a fine actor, charted Alberich's descent into sadism and bitterness with great vividness. Siegfried: Johannes Martin Kränzle 's grandly aggrieved Alberich

Worldpress:
Per part dels homes, Johannes Martin Kränzle atorga a Alberich molta personalitat vocal i interpretativa.

Edward Seckerson Reviews:
Johannes Martin Kränzle’s Alberich relished the text is marvelous ways.

Boulezian:
Rheingold: Johannes Martin Kränzle’s Alberich was lighter than one generally hears, but he made a virtue of that, drawing our attention to the intricacies of Wagner’s poem. This Alberich could shade into Sprechgesang, for instance on the ‘Lust’ of ‘doch listig erzwäng’ ich mir Lust?’ The alienating darkness had chilling dramatic effect, so long as it were not over-employed, which it was not. Especially notable was the colouring of every word in his Nibelheim threats to his band of wage-slaves – ‘Zögert ihr noch? Zaudert wohl gar?’ Every word told, yet without disruption to phrasing. Barenboim’s pointing of rhythms as Alberich poured out sarcastic scorn upon Loge – ‘Der Listigste dünkt sich Loge; andre denkt er immer sich dumm...’ – offered an excellent example of the indissoluble union of singer and conductor, words and music; this was music drama at its finest. Siegfried: Johannes Martin Kränzle once again contributed an attentive reading of Alberich’s part, words, music, stage manner welded into something considerably more than the sum of its parts.

Classic Iconoclast:
Johannes Martin Kränzle sang a convincing Alberich, well characterized and detailed, a fitting counter to Broder's Mime.

Opera Today:
Siegfried: Johannes Martin Kränzle contributed an attentive reading of Alberich’s part, words, music, stage manner welded into something considerably more than the sum of its parts. Götterdämmerung: Johannes Martin Kränzle’s Alberich once again showed a fine way with words. His injunction to Hagen, ‘Hasse die Frohen!’ seethed with Nietzschean ressentiment, whilst the ghostliness of the regfrain, ‘Schläfst du, Hagen, mein Sohn,’ chilled as it should.

Apunts culturals (Barcelona):
Johannes Martin Kränzle va repetir com a Alberich. Amb una veu bonica i un frasseig molt elegant, va ser un contrapunt molt interessant al Wotan de Stensvold.

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