"Pappano inaugurated the scheme in this concert, accompanying at the piano the Ukrainian baritone Yuriy Yurchuk in three Russian numbers. Yurchuk has a glorious voice, with power and a rich smooth tone from top to bottom."
“Here Pappano turned pianist to accompany the Ukrainian baritone Yuriy Yurchuk in songs by Georgy Sviridov and Rimsky-Korsakov, and Yeletsky’s aria from Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades. It was a tantalising sample of Yurchuk’s velvety dark sound, and his fine way with a lyrical line.”
“Pappano chose the golden-toned Ukrainian baritone Yuriy Yurchuk, joining him as pianist in three Russian arias including Yeletsky’s painful declaration of love from Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades – a surprise addition to a programme of Britten and Schoenberg. Yurchuk won huge cheers; 160 people (instead of the capacity 800) can make good noise.”
