Total agreement about the awful production: why, oh, why, with the paintings? They made no sense!
I have seen Lawrence Brownlee in person only twice, both years ago in San Francisco: he was in the last SF Opera "Don Pasquale" and I reviewed a good recital he gave. I had found his voice on the dry side, and thought he sounded warmer and richer in the broadcast of "I Puritani." I understand what you mean about a certain sameness in his singing, though I'm not sure I agree.
About Ricardo José Rivera: I've been lucky enough to see him twice in person quite recently, both times as a guest artist at Opera San José. He was a hilarious and scene-stealing Papageno in their "Magic Flute" in 2024, a production in which he and the Papagena were by far the best singers. Last year, he was a sexy Guglielmo in a good production of "Così fan tutte." It was a thrill to see him in the "Puritani" broadcast.
Lisette Oropesa was indeed marvelous. She hasn't sung at SFO in a number of years; I saw her most recently in "Les Huguenots" in Paris in 2018, as Marguerite de Valois, in which she was excellent.
I also hope to hear more of Rivera, though he isn't on the schedule of any Bay Area companies this season.
I can't further defend Brownlee. I haven't heard him in person since 2018 and what you hear in the HD broadcasts is far from what you hear in the house.
Very happy to have experienced the Met HD. And relieved to be excused from figuring out why Elvira was portrayed as a painter. Surprisingly few questioned the final twist.
Did they live happily ever after, or not? Peter Brase on X informs me that Rivera has sung a number operas with Teatro Nuevo in NYC. Oropesa sang Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda at Salzburg last summer. Thrilling.
Total agreement about the awful production: why, oh, why, with the paintings? They made no sense!
I have seen Lawrence Brownlee in person only twice, both years ago in San Francisco: he was in the last SF Opera "Don Pasquale" and I reviewed a good recital he gave. I had found his voice on the dry side, and thought he sounded warmer and richer in the broadcast of "I Puritani." I understand what you mean about a certain sameness in his singing, though I'm not sure I agree.
About Ricardo José Rivera: I've been lucky enough to see him twice in person quite recently, both times as a guest artist at Opera San José. He was a hilarious and scene-stealing Papageno in their "Magic Flute" in 2024, a production in which he and the Papagena were by far the best singers. Last year, he was a sexy Guglielmo in a good production of "Così fan tutte." It was a thrill to see him in the "Puritani" broadcast.
Lisette Oropesa was indeed marvelous. She hasn't sung at SFO in a number of years; I saw her most recently in "Les Huguenots" in Paris in 2018, as Marguerite de Valois, in which she was excellent.
I am very excited to hear more of Rivera! And please do defend Brownlee—I would love to learn to hear something different than what I hear!
I also hope to hear more of Rivera, though he isn't on the schedule of any Bay Area companies this season.
I can't further defend Brownlee. I haven't heard him in person since 2018 and what you hear in the HD broadcasts is far from what you hear in the house.
Here's my review of the 2018 recital, though: https://www.sfcv.org/articles/review/lawrence-brownlee-transcendent-cycles-my-being
Very happy to have experienced the Met HD. And relieved to be excused from figuring out why Elvira was portrayed as a painter. Surprisingly few questioned the final twist.
Did they live happily ever after, or not? Peter Brase on X informs me that Rivera has sung a number operas with Teatro Nuevo in NYC. Oropesa sang Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda at Salzburg last summer. Thrilling.