2019
Washington Concert Opera - Hamlet
Nov, 2019WCO’s superlative casting lights a fire amid the gloom of Thomas’s “Hamlet”
Exemplary in this demanding coloratura role was soprano Lisette Oropesa, whose voice seems to grow richer and more refined with each appearance. She has sung the role on stage before, and the sense of a specialist’s knowledge came through from her love duet in Act I and Act II scene onward. Oropesa’s coloratura exploits, especially in the show-stopping mad scene that encompasses all of Act IV, revealed consummate control and grace. Incendiary high notes floated, chromatic runs slid downward with clarity, and trills glimmered. Particularly convincing were the runs that rocketed upward, ending abruptly as high as the E off the staff, incarnating the character’s mad outbursts.None— Charles T. Downey • Washington Classical ReviewNew Orleans Friends of Music - Recital
Richard Tucker Music Foundation - Gala
Oct, 2019Review: Richard Tucker Gala 2019
This year’s award winner was Lisette Oropesa, who just one day earlier was essaying “Manon” Live in HD at the Metropolitan Opera. Oropesa’s career has been on the rise for quite some time with the soprano conquering Europe in recent years and now doing much the same on this side of the Atlantic. Oropesa opened the night offering an aria from Rossini’s “Tancredi.” The aria “Come dolce all’alma mia” features difficult coloratura runs and a chance to show off a soprano’s virtuosic powers and high notes. It is light and playful but it ultimately doesn’t create the impact that other Rossini arias do, particularly for an opening number of a gala. Oropesa sang the aria with delicacy and a fluid coloratura line that showed her mastery of the vocal style. But it wasn’t really the best display of Oropesa’s powers nor what she could ultimately do with her lyrical voice. She left that for the middle of the program in her “Qui la Voce…Vien diletto” from “I Purtiani.” Here Oropesa started the opening phrase with a piano sound that continuously grew in form and shape with each repetition of “Rendetemi la speme.” The voice grew in size and in expression, showing Elvira’s increasingly agitated state. As the phrase rose to a high note so did Oropesa’s sound, and she eventually descrescendoed to a mere piano that created a haunting effect. In the cabaletta, the soprano sang with precision and exciting tempi. One particularly exciting moment was the phrases “Vien, o caro, all’amore” as she drove the tempo forward during the roulades, creating an unpredictability and excitement that one rarely hears in this aria. During the repetition, Oropesa opted for the “less is more” philosophy with her ornaments. There were sparkling high notes and interpolations that resounded and showed off the soprano’s glittering top register. But ultimately Oropesa was holding off for the final E flat that was effective and resounded throughout the hall. One thing to take note was that Oropesa also chose to sing through the whole Cabaletta instead of doing the traditional cuts in galas; this really allowed the soprano a chance to show different shades of colors. Her final showcase was in the sextet of “Lucia di Lammermoor.” Here the ensemble decided to perform from the beginning of the second act scene allowing the performers to showcase their acting abilities. Oropesa got to bring her chemistry with baritone Artur Rucinski, creating a tense moment as she was forced to sign a marriage contract; they were so immersed in the agitation of the moment that the pen flew out of his hands at one point. They showcased raw emotions in their actions and in the famed sextet, it was all about the passionate music. Rucinski and Oropesa’s powerful voices particularly stood out in the ensemble and her final C sharp was impeccable and a great way to cap off the evening.None— David Salazar • Opera WireMetropolitan Opera - Manon
Sep, 2019 - Oct, 2019Review: In ‘Manon,’ a Soprano Charms Her Way to the Top
Lisette Oropesa's performance in Massenet's opera at the Met is alone worth the price of admission. Ms. Oropesa slips into the title role as if it were custom couture. In her first aria, “Je suis encore tout étourdie,” sung with enunciation so clear it could be transcribed, she has an innocent lightness that gives way to intoxicating joy as it becomes apparent that Manon is already too grand for her humble packaging at the start: slight frame; childish hat and ponytail; plain outfit in muted blues. As the opera continues — with Massenet’s effervescent and eclectic score, eager to please and utterly pleasing under the baton of Maurizio Benini — Ms. Oropesa’s musicality becomes even more layered. It can be easy to play Manon as a ruthless femme fatale, for example, as she becomes the toast of Paris, and Ms. Oropesa was suddenly big-voiced, glamorously tossing off high notes with insouciant sprezzatura. But hear also how she shrinks her sound to a stark mournfulness in “Adieu, notre petite table,” pained yet chilly as she prepares to leave des Grieux for another man’s luxury.None— Joshua Barone • New York TimesGrandes Vozes - Concert
Oct, 2019Uma grande cantora passou pelo Rio
O melhor da noite ainda estava por vir, e a sequência que encerrou o programa oficial, com a ária Qui la voce e a cabaletta Vien diletto, do segundo ato da ópera I Puritani, de Bellini, recebeu de Oropesa uma interpretação arrebatadora: se a ária foi extremamente musical, a cabaletta foi de arrepiar, com uma demonstração exuberante de agilidade e domínio técnico. Era evidente que estávamos todos diante de uma grande cantora.The best of the evening was yet to come, and the sequence that closed the official program, with the aria *Qui la voce* and the cabaletta *Vien diletto*, from the second act of Bellini's opera *I Puritani*, received from Oropesa a thrilling interpretation: if the aria was extremely musical, the cabaletta was hair-raising, with an exuberant demonstration of agility and technical mastery. It was evident that we were all in the presence of a great singer.— Leonardo Marques • Movimento
Arena di Verona - La traviata
Jul, 2019 - Aug, 2019La Traviata des mythes
Lisette Oropesa était Violetta, un rôle qu’elle chanta il y a quelques années et qu’elle a interprété l’espace d’un soir à Athènes quelques jours avant, histoire de se le remettre en voix. Ce qui étonne toujours chez Oropesa et qui ravit, c’est d’abord son phrasé italien quasi parfait, son sens de la couleur, l’impeccable contrôle de la voix et la tenue du souffle. On lui a reproché quelquefois une sorte de supériorité de la technique sur l’émotion ; on a au contraire ici l’union d’une technique impeccable et le sens donné à chaque mot, le poids de l’expression (quel deuxième acte ! quelle intensité dans amami Alfredo !) et l’intériorité, un mot étrange dans une représentation devant 15000 personnes, où elle est une petite tache blanche sur l’immensité de la scène. Lisette Oropesa, aux origines cubaines, a une évidente familiarité avec un phrasé latin, et une vraie sensibilité, outre une technique de fer acquise dans la formation américaine. C’est d’emblée une Violetta avec laquelle il va falloir compter, car m’est avis qu’elle va les multiplier. Son Addio del passato est exemplaire, et même sa lecture de la lettre, si claire. Et en plus elle a les notes qu’il faut, dans les agilités (ses gioir du premier acte) comme dans les moments plus lyriques du deuxième (dite alla giovine bouleversant et sans doute aussi décuplé par l’émotion distillée par son partenaire Domingo).Lisette Oropesa was Violetta, a role she sang a few years ago and performed again in Athens a few days prior, as a way to get back into vocal shape. What always astonishes and delights about Oropesa is firstly her nearly perfect Italian phrasing, her sense of color, the impeccable control of her voice, and the management of her breath. She has sometimes been criticized for a sort of superiority of technique over emotion; however, here there was a union of impeccable technique and the meaning given to each word, the weight of the expression (what a second act! What intensity in "amami Alfredo"!) and a sense of introspection, an odd word in a performance before 15,000 people, where she is but a small white spot on the vastness of the stage. Lisette Oropesa, of Cuban heritage, has an evident ease with Latin phrasing, and a true sensitivity, in addition to a solid technique acquired through American training. She instantly becomes a Violetta to be reckoned with, as I believe she is going to take on this role more frequently. Her "Addio del passato" is exemplary, and even her reading of the letter, so clear. And she has the necessary notes, in agility (her "gioir" in the first act) as well as in the more lyrical moments of the second ("dite alla giovine" is moving and undoubtedly also intensified by the emotion distilled by her partner Domingo).— Guy Cherqui • WandererGreek National Opera - La Traviata
Jul, 2019The triumph of a "Traviata" of smart choices and great protagonists
Born to the romantic bell-cadet, the 36-year-old lyricist demonstrated her great class: her medium-sized, well-placed, luminous voice - obviously more suited to her more moving last two acts than to her crafty requirements - her huge Roman amphitheater, her aesthetic and the good taste of her song (trillions, ornamentations) constantly reminded the early Verdi's Bell-Candid debts, the stage presence was ethereal, emotional and emotional j with correct passion doses. Athens was lucky enough to enjoy - and rightly so! - a singer who has all the backgrounds (youth, beauty, voice, stage displacement) to shine worldwide in the role of tragic partner!None— Eutychios D. Choriatakis • AthinoramaSavonlinna Opera Festival - I Masnadieri
Jul, 2019Les Brigands de Verdi en haut de l’échelle : La Scala triomphe à Savonlinna
Lisette Oropesa s’attaque au rôle à l’origine conçu pour Jenny Lind (dont le bicentenaire sera sans doute commémoré l’année prochaine en Suède). Ce seul personnage féminin se révèle le plus attentionné de tous. L’Amalia d’Oropesa n’a pas que le cœur sur la main, mais également sa respiration et ses palpitations, qui deviennent pratiquement physiques d’une manière qui évoque le souffle audible d’une Violetta ou d’une Gilda. Oropesa sait profiter au maximum de l’écriture vocale : plus ses coloratures et ses sauts impeccables entre les registres montent vers les niveaux stratosphériques, plus son timbre chaleureux et teinté de mélancolie gagne en beauté et en sûreté. Lorsqu'elle apprend que Carlo est en vie, elle effectue un changement soudain d'intention, touchant à la folie, qui offre un instant irrésistible. Les spectateurs ravis s’unissent pour la récompenser, elle, ses collègues et tout l’orchestre (qui vient sur le plateau), d'une ovation debout.Lisette Oropesa takes on the role originally created for Jenny Lind (whose bicentenary will undoubtedly be commemorated next year in Sweden). This sole female character proves to be the most attentive of all. Oropesa's Amalia not only wears her heart on her sleeve, but also her breath and palpitations, which become almost physical in a way that evokes the audible gasping of a Violetta or a Gilda. Oropesa knows how to make the most out of the vocal writing: the more her coloraturas and flawless jumps between registers ascend to stratospheric levels, the more her warm and melancholic tone gains in beauty and confidence. When she learns that Carlo is alive, she undergoes a sudden shift in intention, akin to madness, that creates an irresistible moment. The delighted audience unite to reward her, her colleagues and the entire orchestra (who come on stage), with a standing ovation.— Andreas Wahlberg • Olyrix
Teatro alla Scala - I Masnadieri
May, 2019 - Jul, 2019Milano, Teatro alla Scala – I masnadieri
Grande attesa circondava il debutto scaligero del soprano americano Lisette Oropesa, che è stata lungamente applaudita. La voce è luminosa e timbrata, il colore molto bello, la linea di canto sempre sorvegliata e ricamata con grande gusto. Il meglio di sé mi pare che Oropesa lo abbia dato nei cantabili, ove la dimensione malinconica della melodia trovava singolare espressione, mentre una qualche imprecisione si è fatta registrare nei passaggi virtuosistici.Great anticipation surrounded the La Scala debut of the American soprano Lisette Oropesa, who was long applauded. Her voice is bright and full, the tone is very beautiful, and the singing line is always monitored and embroidered with great taste. Oropesa seems to have performed particularly well in the cantabile sections, where the melancholic dimension of the melody found unique expression, while some inaccuracies were detected in the virtuosic passages.— Fabio Larovere • Conessi all'OperaPittsburgh Opera - Don Pasquale
Apr, 2019 - May, 2019Review: Pittsburgh Opera revisits silent Hollywood in waggish season finale production
There are some voices in opera that are so sublimely expressive that they stand out like a Michelangelo fresco in a black and white film. Pittsburgh Opera’s season finale production of Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” features such a voice. Soprano Lisette Oropesa, no stranger to the Benedum Center stage, was recently granted the prestigious Richard Tucker Award, granted annually to an American singer on the precipice of a dazzling career. Her performance on Saturday showcased impeccable clarity of tone and articulation coupled with exquisite lyricism. Ms. Oropesa, for her part, was enchanting, moving swiftly from coquettish to incendiary as the plot to humble Pasquale coalesces. With her rising prestige confirmed by the Richard Tucker Award (other winners include Renee Fleming and Joyce DiDonato), Ms. Oropesa’s career is likely poised to blossom in the coming seasons.None— Jeremy Reynolds • Pittsburgh Post GazetteLa Monnaie - Robert le Diable
Mar, 2019 - Apr, 2019Robert le diable in het PSK
De ontegensprekelijke ster van de avond was de Isabelle van Lisette Oropesa. Ik heb haar al een paar keer in cinemavoorstellingen gehoord, meest recent als Marguerite vanuit Parijs, maar dit was mijn eerste live ervaring. De cinema-versie van Oropesa is maar een schaduw van hoe ze in het echt klinkt. Meteen met haar openingsaria "En vain j'espère" zit haar stem juist. Ze zingt met een pakkende frasering, haar hoge noten klinken fantastisch met daarenboven mogelijkheid tot dynamiek van piano tot forte, coloraturen hebben diepgang en met dat alles kan ze nog eens ontroeren ook. Haar paradestuk komt in het vierde bedrijf met de cavatina "Robert, toi que j'aime". Dat zou een saaie aria kunnen worden met een paar honderd herhalingen van "grâce pour toi", maar bij Oropesa blijf je luisteren naar alle smekende nuances die ze weet op te roepen, maar telkens met een ondertoon van het hartzeer dat ze voelt. Het einde van de aria geeft ze een voorwaartse stuwing mee die onvermijdelijk leidt tot een minutenlange ovatie.The undisputed star of the evening was Isabelle by Lisette Oropesa. I've heard her a few times in cinema performances, most recently as Marguerite from Paris, but this was my first live experience. The cinema-version of Oropesa is but a shadow of how she sounds in real life. Immediately with her opening aria "En vain j'espère" her voice is on point. She sings with a captivating phrasing, her high notes sound fantastic with the added possibility of dynamics from piano to forte, her coloraturas have depth, and on top of all this, she can also move the audience. Her showpiece comes in the fourth act with the cavatina "Robert, toi que j'aime". This could become a boring aria with a few hundred repetitions of "grâce pour toi", but with Oropesa you keep listening to all the pleading nuances she knows how to evoke, but always with an undertone of the heartache she feels. The end of the aria she propels forward leading inevitably to a minutes-long ovation.— Inquisitor • Il Grand' InquisitorGran Theatre del Liceu - Rodelinda
Jan, 2019 - Mar, 2019‘Rodelinda’ enamora al Liceo
Con fantasía y buen gusto en las ornamentaciones y una coloratura espectacular, Lisette Oropesa es una Rodelinda de ensueño. La voz es bella, cálida, rica en colores, tan fascinante como su riqueza expresiva. Siempre en escena —y eso que la ópera dura más de tres horas— muestra de forma admirable las agitadas emociones de una mujer enamorada y fiel, que sufre, se resigna y se rebela con furia.With fantasy and good taste in ornamentation, alongside spectacular coloratura, Lisette Oropesa is a dream Rodelinda. Her voice is beautiful, warm, rich in color, as fascinating as it is expressive. Always on stage—and considering that the opera lasts for more than three hours—she admirably displays the turbulent emotions of a loving and faithful woman who suffers, resigns, and rebels with fury.— Javier Perez-Senz • El PaisLSU - A starry night
Jan, 2019
Maestro Foundation - Recital
Jan, 2019
