Gilda
Lisette Oropesa gave Gilda everything: she was warm voiced with her father, later steely determined, and ultimately fragile as she implores Him in Heaven for guidance, showing us the real Gilda.
Lisette Oropesa was a ravishing Gilda, her silvery tones and beautiful high range perfectly suited for the role of the young innocent girl. “Gualtier Malté”, that one and only traditionally-constructed aria of the opera, had unfortunately to be interrupted at first, so as to whisk away a member of the audience who was apparently unwell. When the performance resumed, Ms Oropesa sang the aria with elegant phrasing, top notes ringing to the rafters and exquisitely executed trills with which she has deservedly brought down the house.
Rigoletto
Oropesa’s expressive and beautifully modulated soprano gave full range to Gilda’s every emotion. Her love and regard for her father was palpable from their first duet in Act I to Act II’s ‘Piangi, fanciulla’ to their final tragic duet, ‘Lassu – in cielo’, as Gilda dies in Rigoletto’s arms.
Lisette Oropesa een Gilda die een in voorkomen en timbre meisjesachtige vertolking combineerde met een volwassen artistieke allure. Haar licht gekruide lyrische sopraan met een mooi natuurlijk vibrato gaat geen zee te hoog, maar excelleert tegelijk in lyriek en vocale finesses. Aan het slot van een exemplarisch 'Caro nome ' wordt dat alles bekroond met een triller zoals ik die al veel jaren niet meer heb gehoord.
De Lisette Oropesa conocíamos personajes asociados a ese tipo de vocalidad femenina denominado soubrette. De hecho, su nombre de pila es el mismo que detenta un perfecto ejemplo de tal categoría sopranil, o sea, la segunda soprano de La rondine, personaje que forma parte de su repertorio además de Sophie (la massenetiana), Nannetta o Susanna. Pero la enorme sorpresa fue encontrarnos con una Gilda de medios suficientes, con un canto donde la expresión se encontraba perfectamente acomodada con la capacidad suficiente para asegurarla, pasando con total comodidad de los dúos con el barítono y el tenor a un Caro nome simplemente extraordinario. Resolviendo sin problemas las partes que posteriormente le son más exigidas en el final del acto II y en el terceto del III (recordamos aquí que el estricto Toscanini, eligió una spinto, Zinka Milanov, para la grabación de este acto en 1944) y dejando de la escena de su muerte un recuerdo seguramente imborrable, modelo canoro para Gildas posteriores.
Her bright lyric soprano resulted in a rendition of "Caro nome" that literally stopped the show.
Lisette Oropesa has all Gilda’s notes at her command and manages the tricky task of conveying her character’s almost terrifying innocence.
And her vocalism was ravishing. Strong emotional currents run thru everything Lisette sings; she can find just the right colour for every note and word, and it all seems perfectly spontaneous. A magical, palpable hush settled over the House during Lisette's "Caro nome": an exquisite portrait of a young girl on the brink, the innocence of the words underscored by a subtle sense of longing. In the ensuing scenes, phrase after phrase of captivating tone and nuance - from her defiance in the vendetta duet to the heart-wrenching poignancy of her farewell to her father - showed again what a thoughtful and unique artist this soprano is.
Lisette Oropesa was a compelling Gilda, with beautiful coloratura and purity of tone.
Il soprano Lisette Oropesa, in possesso di una vocalità tornita e di bello smalto, dipinge una Gilda fresca e liliale senza, però, scadere in vacui bamboleggiamenti o inutili atteggiamenti languorosi: la sua è sì una fanciulla innamorata ma, al contempo, risoluta e determinata. Piace qui ricordare la resa del “Caro nome”, dove la Oropesa esibisce pregevoli colorature, una buona tenuta dei fiati e un registro acuto di bellezza adamantina.
Inquietante come inquietante è la risolutezza che Lisette Oropesa, grazie a un canto impeccabile e a una voce che conquista da subito, offre a Gilda : il suo Caro nome (con la cadenza originale scritta da Verdi) è una riflessione sull’amore, il Tutte le feste al tempio diventa la dichiarazione di libertà di una donna che, pur tradita, vuole comunque amare e andare fino in fondo al suo destino. Inquietante perché il suo cuore, nel buio, schiacciato da questo dolore più che piagato dal pugnale, smetterà di battere.
But the vocal sensation of the evening was undoubtedly the Gilda of the American soprano Lisette Oropesa. Her lyrical coloratura soprano sounded that evening with such impeccable purity and lived passion that the pampered Covent Garden audience was swept away to true storms of applause. She is perhaps the best Gilda I have ever admired worldwide.
It is next to impossible to imagine a more affecting Gilda than Oropesa. The stylishness, sweetness, tenderness, flexibility and expressivity of her singing is breathtaking
Purissima l’emissione di Lisette Oropesa, una Gilda che ha letteralmente incantato il pubblico.
American soprano Lisette Oropesa gave the finest singing of the evening as Gilda, a hopeless romantic-turned-hero who gave her life for her unfaithful lover. Splendid in her lyrical outpourings in duets with the Duke and Rigoletto, Ms. Oropesa had plenty of vocal glamour that could turn from silver into steel at the drop of a hat. Ms. Oropesa’s singing offered an object lesson in the fine art of bel canto. “Caro nome” featured some meltingly beautiful lines and and perfectly-turned trills, and those ravishing pianissimo high notes in the final duet were to die for, literally.
Gilda è il soprano statunitense Lisetta Oropesa, reduce dal recente successo in Adina al Rossini Opera Festival, che stupisce per plasticità di modulazione e pulizia del fraseggio.
La soprano americana Lisette Oropesa è stata una Gilda dolce, innamorata ma decisa (giusto la cadenza del Caro Nome non è stata perfettissima, ma era una macchiolina su di una tovaglia bianca).
De rol van Gilda was bij Lisette Oropesa, een Amerikaanse coloratuursopraan met schitterende topnoten, in goede, tedere handen. In de beste handen, eigenlijk: zij was de werkelijke ster van de avond. Haar soepele sopraan en alerte podiumprésence maakten grote indruk, en haar “Caro nome” was de beste die ik ooit gehoord heb. Van een andere wereld! Alleen al om Lisette Oropesa is deze Rigoletto de moeite van het bezoeken waard. Een fonkelende parel!
Son sens de la nuance, exceptionnel et charmant, lui garantit de toute façon d’emblée une ovation en fin de soirée : capable de percuter le spectateur d’un aigu flamboyant, elle allège ailleurs son chant sur quelques syllabes susurrant un aigu intense et long. Elle achève son premier air (et le public) d’un suraigu pur dont le vibrato s’élargit progressivement pour se changer en trille.
Oropesa's "Caro Nome" was one of, if not the highlight, of the evening
Maggiore impressione ha destato la coppia Rigoletto-Gilda, rispettivamente il baritono Luca Salsi e il soprano Lisette Oropesa, entrambi estremamente convincenti in questi ruoli, voci verdiane d’eccellenza, ben amalgamate nel duetto “Si, vendetta …”, giustamente bissato.
Alongside this Rigoletto, the excellent Guild of Lisette Oropesa.With a high school legacy and a beautiful lyric soprano timbre, the Oropesa indulges in high notes exposed as a nice merchandise (for example at the end of the duet with the Duke, who however does not follow her in the high notes, thus seeming almost an intimidated Duke ), but it is not limited to singing.The diction is, also for her, well-kept and almost perfectly understandable in every passage, even in the moments of coloring, the in-depth and communicative phrasing.He catches an applause on the open scene after a notable Caro name, supported by the work of orchestra and conductor, and together with Salsi brings home the ending to be framed.The acting is really convincing: the fall after the stabbing is very credible, and even more the singing and the slow movement of the last scene,
A questo punto, se Rigoletto smette di essere una palestra dove misurare atletismi e «canne» vocali, i cantanti devono essere valutati per quanto e come contribuiscano a un progetto interpretativo così rivoluzionario. In questo senso è perfetta la Gilda di Lisette Oropesa, che non solo canta benissimo sempre, ma riesce a trasformare «Caro nome» da grande aria della diva in un bellissimo, toccante soliloquio di una ragazzina innamorata.
Charismatic, though, he isn’t. Lisette Oropesa doesn’t have a huge amount to go on as the silly girl who loves her rapist to the end, but her lyric soprano – fuller than usual in this role – is engaged in a fascinatingly different “Caro nome” from the coloratura.
Oropesa makes a matchless Gilda, singing with an extraordinary beauty of tone and understated depth of feeling: this really is one of the truly great performances.
Oropesas Sopran ließ Gilda keine kühle Virtuosität angedeihen, sondern trug das Herz auf der Zunge. Ihre Stimme ließ in der weich gebetteten Mittellage eine leise Wehmut anklingen, die an längst vergangene Opernzeiten erinnerte. Die Sängerin spielte die Figur ohne Übertreibung, erfüllte sie mit herzwärmender Naivität und Jugendlichkeit
Il vibrato della statunitense Lisette Oropesa fa sì che la sua voce di soprano leggero sia sempre percorsa di una pregevole vivacità; la tecnica vocale compiutissima, la grazia nel porgere, la precisione nei vocalizzi ne fanno un’interprete perfetta del carattere di Gilda: «Caro nome che il mio cor» è la pagina meglio riuscita della recita, soprattutto per l’emissione di trilli purissimi e perlacei, ma si può ricordare almeno l’attacco di «Tutte le feste al tempio», capolavoro di controllo dell’emissione e della mezza voce. L’unico difetto della Oropesa è un piccolo sfasamento di timbro tra le note di passaggio e il registro acuto, il cui colore è un poco sbiadito rispetto al resto; ma si tratta di una minuzia, e infatti il pubblico la acclama alla fine di ogni scena.
Intensa pure la Gilda di Lisette Oropesa che ha saputo esprimere il candore e la purezza della virtù con un timbro morbido e assai gradevole, spostando l’interpretazione più sul piano lirico del fraseggio che non su quello della coloratura virtuosistica, probabilmente seguendo le indicazioni del direttore.
Oropesa, who starred in L.A. Opera’s Orpheus & Eurydice in March, reveals a more subtly enchanting presence when she discloses her attraction for the Duke in a delicately eerie and movingly sublime version of the love song “Gualtier Maldè! … Caro nome.” Oropesa’s voice trails off with a sighing, spacey exoticism as Gilda revels in her desire for the Duke, in one of the opera’s most memorable scenes.
Oropesa gets to the heart of Gilda's tragedy - that in protecting her, her father left her open to the first man to pay her any attention. Should he have trusted his intelligent and beautiful daughter to swim with the sharks in the palace? The time had to come, but "Tomorrow" is often the easiest answer for any parent when a child must be sent out into a hostile and risky world. Oropesa's huge reception at the curtain underlined how emotional was her connection to the audience and how magnificently she sang the role.
t is, however, Lisette Oropesa, with her beautifully toned sound, who stands as the first among equals as she presents a Gilda who is totally overwhelmed by her delusion that the Duke really loves her.
The standout, however, was Lisette Oropesa’s Gilda. The American soprano is a superb coloratura with ringing top notes. She displayed a strong sense of line which she used to convey all the sides of her character. Her evolution from an innocent young girl to a resolute woman was credible and moving. She brought the house down and deserved every second of it.
C’era attesa per il debutto veronese di Lisette Oropesa, reduce dai trionfi pesaresi al ROF. Il soprano americano non ha deluso le aspettative. La voce, che ha un leggero vibrato e ricorda, come è stato giustamente notato, certe inflessioni timbriche della Gheorghiu, non è parsa affatto esile e leggera e si espandeva nell’anfiteatro meglio delle altre. L’emissione è risultata rotonda e fluida in tutta la gamma e solo il mi bemolle del duetto “Sì vendetta” suonava un po’ stiracchiato (duetto che peraltro è stato bissato non proprio a furor di popolo). Si aggiunga l’ottima dizione, l’accuratezza del fraseggio, l’accento ben calibrato, e si avrà l’idea di un’interprete molto interessante.
Lisetta Oropesa remains one of the leading lyric coloraturas working today. There is richness and oaky color in her lower register – redolent of Callas – which gives the character a power and gravitas that twittering glittering approaches rule out. Her “Caro nome” received a thunderous reception, and most of the passagework and high notes shone – particularly that trill
Both Álvarez and Oropesa are great actors. Oropesa also happens to be the finest lyric coloratura in the world today. Her soprano is quite dark lower down – hers is no tweetie-pie Gilda – and “Caro nome” revealed rock solid technique including an excellent trill. She narrowed her voice daringly fine at the top, but just within the bounds of control.
Slender and graceful, soprano Lisette Oropesa was simply world-class as Gilda, with flawless emission and generous top notes, crystalline up to high E. The long trill at the end of “Caro nome” would have traced a perfect zigzag on a pitch visualiser. Even more stunning than her bravura was the melting glow at the centre of her voice, her morbidezza (softness).
Lisette Oropesa is without a doubt the highlight of the cast. She is a never cloying and very credible Guild in communicating fragile curiosity, palpitating and naive love, violated innocence and unconditional sacrifice for the love of the father. Highlights are her "Caro nome" where the trills (which almost become one with her tight and so peculiar vibrato) truly capture the beating of Gilda's heart, "Tutte le feste" from the lyrical and vulnerable abandonment and the final duet with Rigoletto “Lassù in cielo”, very moving. One would have expected a much smaller live voice, especially in a large room like Covent Garden, but was pleasantly surprised. Despite some thinning in high notes, the voice is very well projected and perfectly audible in all moments of the ensemble, without ever being covered by the orchestra and colleagues. Oropesa takes care of the legato well and has a taste for phrasing, which is never boring.
Oropesa also has, perhaps more noticably for some, a pure light lyric soprano that is as balanced and classically expressive as recent decades have seen.
Oropesa, who starred in L.A. Opera’s “Florencia en el Amazonas” and more recently as the conflicted heroine in Gluck’s “Orpheus and Eurydice,” is the personification of Verdi’s Gilda, the cloistered young girl in love with the idea of love. But it is Oropesa’s singing that raises the role to its zenith, with delicate phrasing and sustained high notes that will break your heart.
Oropesa was een fantastische Gilda. Met een stem zo breekbaar als glas, transparant en sterk tegelijk, is ze een ideale vertolkster voor deze rol.
Having enjoyed Lisette Oropesa in the recent OrphéeI was eager to make my acquaintance with her Gilda and she alone, amongst a talented cast, was the one who consistently spun vocal gold. Her formidable technical prowess constantly brought pleasure and astonishment to the ear. Her breath control and fluency above the staff were magical and her touching, nervous, sincerity in the opening scene laid the foundation for the sacrifice to come in the last.
Her “Caro nome” was a veritable how-to manual on holding an audience enraptured. Her final moments, with her beautiful arching messa di voce lines, were the very definition of what the the Italians call “la bella morte.”
Lisette Oropesa was a truly magnificent Gilda. She portrayed her character's girlishness, innocence, and obsessive love. Her voice was clear and bell-like, especially above the staff. Her "Caro Nome" ("Dear name") was most impressive with its radiant, silvery tones and tasteful decoration. Amazingly, she finished the main part of her aria, climbed a long flight of stairs, and immediately began the trill that ends the scene. Twentieth century operagoers told tales of the legendary Erna Berger and her long trills. Twenty-first century patrons may have their own legend-in-the-making with Oropesa. She definitely is a singer to watch.
Oropesa navigated the transition from innocence to maturity both in her stage presence and voice, moving from lyric coloratura to dramatic soprano which distinguishes her altered state.
Notable la encarnación de Lisette Oropesa, una voz de lírico-ligera con cuerpo, impecablemente proyectada, bien colocada y correctamente apoyada sobre el aire. Buena la coloratura como pudo comprobarse en una brillante interpretación del “Caro nome” culminada por un trino largo y de buena factura. Estupendo también fue el mi bemol del final de la vendetta. Cierto es que el timbre no es especialmente bello ni singular y que a alguno de los filados que prodigó le faltó un punto de firmeza y posición, pero estamos, sin duda, ante una soprano con los papeles en regla, con control sobre su instrumento, sobre la intensidad del sonido, la respiración y los resortes del canto. Eso sí, en el aspecto interpretativo no es un prodigio de expresividad.
Lisette Oropesa… vale tanto oro quanto pesa. Il soprano americano di origine cubana è una Gilda fresca e ingenua come dev’essere il personaggio, la sua voce è perfettamente adatta alla parte, con la coloratura agile e precisa, come ben si apprezza in Caro nome e in Tutte le feste al tempio.
her portrayal of Gilda has deepened and matured. Oropesa sang an exquisite “Caro nome”, in a rendition at once beautifully studied, delicate and passionate. She can float limpid, affecting high notes and turn accurate, shapely coloratura. Her trills were perfectly formed pearls. Oropesa is also a brave, spirited singer ready to dare, well able to ride the storm trio, to crown the climax of the quartet, to ring out in “Si, vendetta”. A truly superb Gilda, Oropesa is a singer who lends distinction to all she does.
Lisette Oropesa disegna una Gilda liricamente appassionata nonché cantata in modo sopraffino e Caro nome, chiuso da un trillo da manuale, le guadagna una vera ovazione.
Für die erkrankte Patricia Petibon übernahm dankenswerterweise kurzfristig Lisette Oropesa die Rolle der Gilda, die sie mit ihrem vollen, leuchtenden, farbenreichen Sopran sehr schön darbot.
The Cuban-American soprano Lisette Oropesa, was a classy Guild, with a very beautiful, balanced and tuned voice.
Cuban-American soprano Lisette Oropesa’s Gilda has a fullness of tone which simply grows in beauty as she duets with the Duke, then launches into her ecstatic reverie, ‘Caro nome’.
Mais le moment de grâce absolue se niche sous les étoiles d’un ciel de rêve. Lorsque Gilda apparaît en trapéziste lunaire au-dessus de la roulotte paternelle. Lisette Oropesa offre là un exemple de chant aérien, dans une magnifique longueur de voix, aux nuances souples, à la musicalité fine et à l’humanité frissonnante. Un sommet du genre.
La parte vocal fue muy satisfactoria, comenzando por la Gilda de Lisette Oropesa, quien ya había cantado el mismo papel aquí en 2018, y cuya presencia fue una grata sorpresa porque tomó el lugar que dejó Rosa Feola, anunciada inicialmente en el papel. Oropesa conmovió y maravilló con el manejo virtuoso, seguro y cristalino de su voz. Cada nota y cada frase tuvo sentido en su interpretación, con la variedad de colores y la manera como se regodeó en las notas mas agudas de su parte.
La voce di Lisette Oropesa ha quel tanto di ingenuo ma inossidabile nel carattere volitivo femminile, come nella tenuta d’intonazione e nella rotondità del registro acuto, che, quasi senza che ce ne accorgiamo, la bambina-Gilda cantando diventa donna prima del tempo. Non solo perché cinguetta un po’ meno ma perché l’orchestra la sollecita a far capire che la domenica andando alla messa forse aveva riflettuto anche sul suo futuro di orfana reclusa, in età di sentimenti non solo rispettosamente (rassegnatamente) filiali. E così, quando il suo canto-dolore domina il quartetto, viene soltanto da chiedersi come mai non avvenga sempre così.
Indeed, she shone as Gilda, showing a beautiful and refined soprano lirico with an adamant high register. She conquered a standing ovation after an immaculate Caro nome,
Brilla l’astro di Lisette Oropesa, vera trionfatrice della serata, al suo debutto in Arena. Una voce angelicata che corre alla perfezione in teatro, sempre con morbidezza e con una delicatezza e sincerità espressiva commovente. Speriamo di poterla risentire presto qui…magari Violetta nel 2019.
Her '"Caro nome" was exquisite, a perfectly lovely arc of tonal radiance and dynamic nuance, climaxing with an incredible trill. All evening the soprano produced one beautiful phrase after another, with impeccable musicianship and with the character's vulnerability and ultimate resolve finely delineated in both the words and the colours of the voice.
Lisette Oropesa as Gilda was simply glorious, perhaps the finest coloratura soprano in the world today.
Lisette Oropesa gave a luminous, near-transcendent turn as Gilda. Her “Caro nome” was less aria than invocation—fragile, radiant, and utterly devastating.
she brought a golden honeyed tone, a little reminiscent of Beverly Sills, to Verdi's great coloratura aria "Caro Nome" at the end of the first act and vocally remained the stunning star of the show
Oropesa communicates both Gilda’s youthful sensuality – as she reclines on her bed, stroking her legs as she dreams of her beloved ‘Gualtier Maldè’, it’s clear that she’s not as innocent as her father thinks – and traumatised disillusionment. Oropesa is simply superb: ‘Caro nome’ was beautifully ornamented and bravely, brilliantly executed. The coloratura soprano absolutely deserved her thunderous ovation.
Soprano Lisette Oropesa (alternating with Kathryn Lewek) sings Gilda with angelic clarity, capturing the character’s naive devotion and ultimate tragic strength. Her performance evolved from innocence to maturity in a manner that felt authentic and moving. The chemistry between Oropesa and Kelsey added a compelling emotional layer to the production, making Gilda’s fate all the more tragic. Her famous aria “Caro nome” was angelic and emotionally resonant, with a purity in tone that was haunting. Her performance sparkled with innocence, making her sacrifice during the lightning and thunderstorm-lashed finale all the more devastating.
As Gilda, the American soprano Lisette Oropesa, one of today’s star coloraturas, is the most vocally convincing of the central trio with her needlepoint accuracy and penetrating high notes, easily riding the orchestral tumult of the climactic Storm trio.
Lisette Oropesa ist eine sehr koloratursichere, innig zarte Gilda, welche die Kantilenen gleichsam mit dem Silberstift zeichnet. Dabei kommt die Liebe zum Vater allerdings glaubhafter zum Ausdruck als die Leidenschaft für den Herzog die Gilda ihr Leben opfert. Sie gestaltet ihre grosse Arie im ersten Akt fein, als zurückgenommenen, lyrischen Monolog. Im dramatischen zweiten Teil, wo sie sich anstelle des Herzogs vom Meuchelmörder Sparafucile (sehr überzeugend: Sami Luttinen) ermorden lässt, begeistert die Sopranistin mit dramatischen Tönen.
De show werd echter gestolen door Rigoletto’s dochter Gilda, vertolkt door de Amerikaanse sopraan Lisette Oropesa (vorig seizoen Nanetta in Falstaff bij De Nationale Opera). In haar stemgeluid lagen zowel een warme laagte als een glanzende hoogte besloten, en haar vocale acrobatiek was indrukwekkend. Vooral indrukwekkend was haar ‘Caro Nome’, dat in eerste instantie voortijdig moest worden afgebroken omdat iemand in de zaal onwel werd. Ze eindigde de aria met een prachtige triller waar maar geen eind aan leek te komen.
There is no doubt where the vocal triumph of the evening lies. This is Lisette’s Oropesa’s first Gilda on a British stage: girlish and unaffected, it is a wonderfully complete piece of singing, her “Caro nome” precise and emotional in every detail.
Zo’n dreamteam staat er ook op het podium met bariton Luca Salsi als Rigoletto en Lisette Oropesa als Gilda. Oropesa bracht op de premiere haar aria ‘Caro nome’ met een zoetgevooisd en zilverzacht timbre: het werd een muzikaal hoogtepunt waarin tekstuitdrukking en muzikale virtuositeit op geheel natuurlijke wijze samenvloeiden.
In her celebrated aria Caro nome, Lisette Oropesa succeeds in showing us both the virtuous flower and, with a flash of bare legs and an innocent roll on her bed, the sensual attraction she feels for the duplicitous duke. The extravagant ornamentation of the aria is delivered superbly, complete with real trill, yet with delicacy and subtlety.
And Lisette Oropesa was a Gilda who invited tenderness. Her pure, smooth soprano and alert presence were both endearing
Le monde de Gilda, fait d’amour juvénile et pur, donne lieu à la plus émouvante des scènes. Le toit du chapiteau soudain constellé de mille étoiles voit Gilda s’élever du sol sur un trapèze et sa romance prendre alors une puissance émotionnelle extraordinaire. Qui mieux que Lisette Oropesa (Gilda) pouvait mettre le poids de l’or qu’elle possède dans sa voix pour faire vibrer cette sublime cantilène ? Un moment de grâce où la jeune soprano américaine offre une voix aux subtiles nuances. Quelle beauté de timbre, quelle intelligence d’interprétation, quel cœur, quel admirable chant. Donnant l’impression de chanter aux limites de sa voix, chacun retient son souffle de peur qu’elle ne trébuche, qu’elle soit emportée par l’émotion du moment, mais sous ces aspects de fragilité, on sent la force d’une chanteuse à la technique parfaite et à l’authenticité d’une artiste accomplie. Ce n’est qu’aux ultimes mesures de son air que la tension s’apaise et que le public, jusqu’ici assez tiède, laisse exploser sa joie et réserve un triomphe à cette exceptionnelle interprète.
Lisette Oropesa is simply the most believable Gilda I have seen; not the most voluptuous voice, but used to devastatingly expressive effect. Her mixture of fragility and self-sacrifice, transferred from one controlling monster to another, is heart-rending.
Lisette Oropesa est en train de devenir l’une des références parmi les sopranos, elle a triomphé à Paris dans Les Huguenots, puis dans Don Pasquale, elle fut avec Gatti Nanetta dans le Falstaff d’Amsterdam. On pourrait croire en une voix légère, mais il n’en est rien, la voix a un vrai corps, avec des aigus et suraigus très maîtrisés et très contrôlés. Elle est une Gilda très fraîche, jeune, mais aussi décidée et mûre. Elle n’a rien d’un rossignol, notamment dans le célèbre « Caro nome » débarrassé des cadences et fioritures inutiles, tout au contraire : la ligne de chant et les passages sont impeccables, la diction sans aucun accroc, avec un vrai sens de la couleur, elle sait notamment faire émerger le drame, les hésitations, tout autant que la joie : la manière dont à son entrée en scène elle se précipite vers son père pour essayer de lui raconter son amour naissant (sans y réussir d’ailleurs) avec une couleur juvénile et dans la sincérité immédiate de la joie, tranche avec un « Caro nome » certes plein d’amour, mais déjà sérieux, presque mélancolique qui est un chef d’œuvre de retenue et d’émotion notamment dans le « e fin l’ultimo mio sospir, caro nome, tuo sarà. » si prémonitoire.
Elle sait aussi à la fin du second acte, avoir des accents dramatiques marqués. La voix est d’une rare sûreté, d'une grande homogénéité et l’engagement est total. Une très grande Gilda, sans doute la meilleure aujourd’hui, qui sait parfaitement doser l’engagement entre la jeunesse, l’amour, le drame, avec une grande présence scénique et vocale : elle est bouleversante dans la scène finale (« Ah, ch’io taccia ! A me, a lui perdonate. ») où comme au final du II, elle demande au père de pardonner (« Perdonate : a noi pure una voce di perdono dal cielo verrà. »), une fois de plus prémonitoire, puisque la mise en scène la fait mourir debout, telle l’ange qu’elle deviendra au ciel…
Let’s start from the one absolute stellar contribution: that of Lisette Oropesa. After she cancelled singing Elvira (I puritani) in Gstaad recently, one did wonder if she would (a) show and (b) be at her best. Show she did, and this was the best Gilda I, for one, have heard. Her voice is beautifully pure and agile yet has a fullness that carries right to the back of the theatre. Her ‘Caro nome’ was a showstopper; she has an innocence, and yet we feel that underneath that is a knowing which is powerful.
... y la Gilda de Lisette Oropesa. Interpretando de forma delicadísima a la hija de Rigoletto, esta soprano cubano americana consiguió unos cuantos "Brava" con una composición perfecta y profundamente emocionante y por la cual ya merecería la pena el montaje entero.
Still, as Gilda, Lisette Oropesa offered a pearly “Caro nome” in her poised soprano
Lisette Oropesa‘s Gilda might shimmer, but there’s density beneath the sheen. She’s not some glittering victim. She’s a girl in freefall. Her big aria “Caro nome” was as delicate as it was driven. Her second act lament broke open like a wound. There’s a Callas-like depth to her lower register that gives Gilda weight and force, even as she makes devastatingly bad decisions. When she shares the stage with Kelsey, the production’s chill lifts. Their scenes together feel like a separate opera, one where human stakes still matter.
As his daughter, Gilda, soprano Lisette Oropesa was touching. Oropesa was playful, flitting around amorously, but then transformed through each of the acts, growing up all too quickly, but believably. “Caro nome” was captivating, sensitively accompanied by James Conlon’s orchestra. The three leads joined forces throughout the evening effectively, Oropesa and Kelsey in the second act were magnificent, Oropesa and Barbera in the first were charming, and capped off their duet with thrilling high notes.