At the Met Opera, a new production of Charles Bellini's 17th-century romance "I Puritani" brings together lavish sets and stunning singing, yet ultimately falls short in its ambitious attempt to balance historical realism with operatic fantasy.
The story revolves around Elvira, a young Puritan woman who becomes entangled in the tumultuous world of 17th-century England during the English Civil War. The opera's lead roles are performed by Lisette Oropesa as Elvira and Laurence Brownlee as Arturo, with standout supporting performances from Eve Gigliotti as Enrichetta and Artur Ruciński as Riccardo.
Under director Charles Edwards' vision, "I Puritani" becomes a visually stunning spectacle, replete with dramatic tableaux, eerie lighting effects, and lavish costumes. However, the production's over-ambition often takes precedence over its narrative coherence. The English Civil War serves more as a backdrop to Elvira and Arturo's star-crossed romance than a serious historical study.
While Edwards' sets are undeniably breathtaking, they also detract from the on-stage action at times, drawing attention away from the singers and obscuring crucial plot points. Additionally, some of Edwards' creative choices feel like a departure from the original opera, such as the inclusion of ghostly doubles or the staging of Elvira's final confrontation with Riccardo.
The singing itself is where "I Puritani" truly shines. Oropesa brings a raw emotional intensity to her portrayal of Elvira, even if some of her performances feel slightly uneven due to vocal fatigue in more demanding scenes. Brownlee proves himself a versatile and expressive Arturo, bringing a warm, gentle quality to his singing that perfectly complements Oropesa's work.
In the end, "I Puritani" feels like an admirable but imperfect interpretation of Bellini's beloved opera. While Edwards' production is undeniably striking, its over-reliance on visual spectacle and fantasy elements at times detracts from the emotional core of the story. Nonetheless, the Met Opera's commitment to showcasing this beautiful but challenging work is a testament to the enduring power of music to transcend time and circumstance.
The story revolves around Elvira, a young Puritan woman who becomes entangled in the tumultuous world of 17th-century England during the English Civil War. The opera's lead roles are performed by Lisette Oropesa as Elvira and Laurence Brownlee as Arturo, with standout supporting performances from Eve Gigliotti as Enrichetta and Artur Ruciński as Riccardo.
Under director Charles Edwards' vision, "I Puritani" becomes a visually stunning spectacle, replete with dramatic tableaux, eerie lighting effects, and lavish costumes. However, the production's over-ambition often takes precedence over its narrative coherence. The English Civil War serves more as a backdrop to Elvira and Arturo's star-crossed romance than a serious historical study.
While Edwards' sets are undeniably breathtaking, they also detract from the on-stage action at times, drawing attention away from the singers and obscuring crucial plot points. Additionally, some of Edwards' creative choices feel like a departure from the original opera, such as the inclusion of ghostly doubles or the staging of Elvira's final confrontation with Riccardo.
The singing itself is where "I Puritani" truly shines. Oropesa brings a raw emotional intensity to her portrayal of Elvira, even if some of her performances feel slightly uneven due to vocal fatigue in more demanding scenes. Brownlee proves himself a versatile and expressive Arturo, bringing a warm, gentle quality to his singing that perfectly complements Oropesa's work.
In the end, "I Puritani" feels like an admirable but imperfect interpretation of Bellini's beloved opera. While Edwards' production is undeniably striking, its over-reliance on visual spectacle and fantasy elements at times detracts from the emotional core of the story. Nonetheless, the Met Opera's commitment to showcasing this beautiful but challenging work is a testament to the enduring power of music to transcend time and circumstance.
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Her singing is so raw and emotional, it's like you can see her pouring her heart out on stage. But I do feel bad for her - some scenes looked super uncomfortable, like she was really pushing herself vocally. Laurence Brownlee as Arturo is also amazing, his voice just glides across the stage in this smooth, rich way.
. The sets were straight fire 
, but sometimes took away from the singers, you know? And that last act with Riccardo... I wasn't feeling it 
. But the real MVP was Lisette Oropesa's Elvira - she brought so much emotion to that role 
. Laurence Brownlee as Arturo was on point too 
. Overall, it felt like they were trying to do too many things at once and lost sight of the story 
. Still, I loved seeing this beautiful opera performed live 
!
I mean, you gotta admire the ambition of this new production of "I Puritani". Bringing all that lavishness and drama to the stage is definitely a bold move, and the Met Opera's commitment to showcasing it is awesome 
. But, at the same time, I feel like they took some risks that didn't quite pay off. Like, don't get me wrong, Lisette Oropesa and Laurence Brownlee are incredible singers - their chemistry on stage is undeniable 
.
. And don't even get me started on how some parts feel like they're more fantasy than historical reality 
. But hey, that's all part of the challenge of performing a masterpiece like "I Puritani" - finding that balance between artistic expression and historical accuracy 
.
. Maybe next time they can dial back the drama a notch and focus more on what really matters: the music 
.
I mean, I loved Lisette Oropesa's performance as Elvira, she brought a lot of emotion to her parts, but I felt like some of the other scenes with her were a bit rough due to vocal strain 
. The male lead Laurence Brownlee was great though, he had this warm and gentle quality that really worked for Arturo's character 
. Overall, it was an interesting take on the opera, but sometimes it felt like they were more focused on making it look cool than telling a coherent story 
.
. And yeah, some of those creative choices feel out of place in this particular adaptation 
. But Lisette Oropesa and Laurence Brownlee absolutely shine! They bring so much emotion to their roles 
. Overall, it's an okay production, but it could've been more focused on the music and storytelling 
But sometimes I just wanna see the actors on stage instead of the decorations 
. And what's up with the ghostly doubles? It was a bit jarring 
. Lisette Oropesa brought so much emotion to Elvira though, it was really moving 
.
and honestly, it was like they were trying too hard to make it a blockbuster show 
. The sets were straight outta a historical drama film, but sometimes I felt like I was watching a scene from Game of Thrones instead of an opera 
. The singing was amazing tho! Lisette Oropesa's Elvira had me emotional 
. But for some reason, the whole thing just didn't feel cohesive like I wanted it to 
. Okay so maybe some parts feel a bit uneven or like they're struggling to balance realism with fantasy, but that's all part of the creative risk, right? I love that the production is willing to take chances and push boundaries – it shows how much they care about the music and the story 
. artur brownlee's performance is solid, i guess, but what's up with the ghostly doubles? who thought that was a good idea? 
and don't even get me started on how often the sets kinda ruin the whole scene 
... at least the singing's good, but not enough to save this thing from being just okay, imo 
. The only thing that kept me from giving it 10/10 was some of those pacing issues. It felt like they were trying to fit too many storylines in there and it got a bit confusing 
. Sure, some of the creative choices are a bit weird (ghostly doubles? 
), but that's all part of the charm, right? Overall, I think "I Puritani" is a testament to the power of music to bring people together and transport us to another time and place 
]
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? For me, it's all about finding that balance between beauty and substance 
, I mean who needs ghostly doubles in an opera about love and war?