A “passionate” and “virile” Don José in ‘Carmen’ at the Teatro San Carlo

“Brian Jagde was an excellent Don José . . . he transcended in voice and the eloquence of his acting, and offered with Montiel artistic outbursts that I will remember forever. The end of the fourth act was dramatic and heartbreaking. A José madly in love and jealous that faces the refusal of his unbridled desires. Carmen’s murder was part of a vocal and gestural culmination that imprisoned all participants in a sublime musical delirium.”

{Brian Jagde fue un don José excelente . . . a medida que pasaba la representación su inmersión en el papel trascendía en elocuencia vocal y actoral, y ofreció junto con Montiel espasmos artísticos que quedarán para el recuerdo. El final del cuarto acto fue espectacular y desgarrador. Un don José loco de amor y de celos que se enfrenta a la negativa de sus deseos desenfrenados. El asesinato de Carmen formó parte de una culminación vocal y gestual que encarceló a todos los asistentes en un delirio musical sublime.}
Francisco Quirce – Codalario

“A true and exact process of psychological evolution and timbre (was shown) immediately by the Don José of Brian Jagde; The pursuit of a light color and use of falsetto in the first part up to the interaction with Carmen, an act of release, began turning over to the acquisition of his (true) identity. Most surprisingly, the American tenor used darker registers, a burnished core sound, and full voice in the upper register in the later acts. The romance “La fleur que tu m’avais jetée” had a virile consistency and passionate abandonment.”

{Un vero e proprio processo di evoluzione psicologica e timbrica quello subito dal don José di Brian Jagde; ricerca del colore chiaro e uso del falsettone nel primo quadro fino al congiungimento con Carmen, atto di svolta liberatoria di acquisizione di identità. Quasi sorprendendo, il tenore americano ha usato i registri più scuri e ha emesso dei centri bruniti e acuti sonori a voce piena nei frangenti successivi. La romanza “La fleur que tu m’avais jetée” ha avuto consistenza virile e e abbandono passionale.}
Dario Ascoli – Corriere del Mezzogiorno

“American tenor Brian Jagde, as a Don José that was measured from one act to another, transformed himself from an affectionate lover to a ruthless killer.”

{il tenore americano Brian Jagde, un Don José misurato che da un atto all’altro si trasforma da amante affettuoso a «killer» spietato.}
Donatella Longobardi – Il Mattino

“Interpreting Don José was American Brian Jagde, an attractive voice and sonorous in the “voce acuto.”

{Interpretó a Don José el estadounidense Brian Jagde, de voz atractiva y sonora zona aguda . . .}
Pablo Meléndez-Haddad – ABC.es

Image: Teatro San Carlo