The main character is Peter Grimes, a fisherman living alone on a cliff above the town. He was brilliantly portrayed by Swedish tenor Joachim Bäckström. He managed a dramatic and firmly tense dramatic position with a resounding and brassy-sounding tenor, strenuously and without difficulty. He was also an acting-convincing representative of a rough, stubborn and bitter man who cannot succeed in the fight for his happiness. - Peter Grimes/the National Theater Brno 2021
Karolina Štorková/Operaplus.cz - Oct 8 2021
The tenor of the title role, Swedish tenor Joachim Bäckström, paid maximum attention to himself. His combination of musical expression, acting and singing discipline surpassed other performers by one class.
A perfectly balanced, direct, and confident voice seemed as if the singer was singing all positions in one register. Equilibrium served as a secure basis for the charismatic depiction of Grimes' troubled psyche. The tenor's lyrical rendition often shifted the character's perception to compassion and an attempt to penetrate the hard surface of a complete character. - Peter Grimes/the National Theater Brno 2021
Boris Klepal/Aktuálně.cz, - Oct 15 2021
The female singer’s delicate and sensitive soprano was the best “companion” to Joachim Bäckström’s sometimes harsh and sometimes tender expression. It is the complex and contradictory emotional life of the title character that deserves a singer who is not only able to penetrate the mind of the chosen character, but who also possesses a wide expressive palette with which to present this unfortunate soul to the audience. And Bäckström is undoubtedly this singer – his voice went from the most menacing levels to the most tender gentleness with complete naturalness. Moreover, he always supported these expressive means perfectly with appropriately used dynamics, which often immediately went from extreme to extreme, but still preserved maximum musicality. - Peter Grimes/the National Theater Brno 2021
Lukáš Pavlica/Music Friendly City Brno 28 October 2021
Der weiche, biegsame und höhensichere lyrische Tenor des Schweden Joachim Bäckström erweist sich mit seinen Spinto-Qualitäten als hinreißende Besetzung der Titelpartie. - Hoffmanns erzählungen/Musiktheater im Revier
Peter Bilsing/Der Opernfreund - 2 June 2017
”Joachim Bäckströms Hoffmann hat noblen Schmelz, Wärme, Seele,.. ein Tenor von fabelhaft viriler Eleganz. - Hoffmanns erzählungen/Musiktheater im Revier
L. von der Gönna/ Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (Kultur) - 11 June 2017
"Joachim Bäckström captivated as Don José in only his second role at the Gothenburg Opera (...). His bright tenor sounded like a clarion all the way to the top notes, but was equally capable of sublime emotion in ‘La fleur que tu m’avais jetée’. Mr Bäckström’s acting explored the contradictions of Don José’s character, with flashes of his jealous and violent side showing before the terrifying eruptions of the last two acts, but also a believable understanding of the sense of duty that so bitterly disappoints Carmen in Act II" - Carmen/GöteborgsOperan 2016
Niklas Smith/Seen and Heard International, December 12 2016
photo by Emelie Kroon
photo by Emelie Kroon
photo by Emelie Kroon
photo by Emelie Kroon
