Madama Butterfly, San Francisco Opera

Tenor Brian Jagde is simply a dream come true as “Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton”. His character, of course, is the ultimate cad, the definition of the Ugly American. But for the trusting Butterfly – who gives up family, social acceptance and sheds her religious convictions for the god of her husband – Jagde is the ideal package.

“Jagde has emerged as first rate Puccini tenor, possessing the spinto weight expected of Pinkerton or a Cavaradossi as well as the lyrical beauty to do justice to Puccini’s richly melodic score.”
operawarhorses.com

“Tenor Brian Jagde is simply a dream come true as “Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton”. His character, of course, is the ultimate cad, the definition of the Ugly American. But for the trusting Butterfly – who gives up family, social acceptance and sheds her religious convictions for the god of her husband – Jagde is the ideal package. His full lyric tenor stems from his training with San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program and Adler Fellows.”
Examiner.com – Sean Martinfield

“. . . Racette was in good company, with Brian Jagde providing a full-throated, tall and handsome Pinkerton . . .”
Huffington Post – George Heymont

“Jagde is a revelation. Good tenors are hard to come by and, with his strong, true voice and good looks, this one looks to have a major career ahead of him. The magical duet that ends the first act was a revelation, the voices soaring and blending in what is as much a depiction of the act of love to come as Wagner’s famed similar scene in “Tristan.” But, can the boy act? Well, he manages to make Pinkerton seem both shallow and sincere at the same time. Quite a feat.”
CultureVulture – Suzanne Weiss

“Brian Jagde portrays Pinkerton in this opening scene as a typically brash young American serviceman insensitive to the foreign culture in which he finds himself. Think of GIs in Vietnam or US sailors carousing with teenage bar girls in the prostitution dens surrounding the US Naval base at Subic Bay in the Philippines. But Jagde’s boyish good looks and his robust, ringing tenor have great appeal. When he sings of Butterfly’s beauty and grace, he seems genuinely captivated by his delicate wisp of a geisha girl. There ensues Puccini’s famous love duet, sung beautifully here by Patricia Racette and Brian Jagde . . . belatedly realizing the pain he has caused, Pinkerton bids a poignant farewell to his past happiness here in the aria, “Addio fiorito asil,” robustly sung by Brian Jagde.
berkeleydailyplanet.com– James Roy MacBean

“Brian Jagde offers the same frustration as his most recent SFO performance as Cavaradossi: a tenor who unleashes a gorgeous Domingoesque lirico spinto and then proceeds to disappear. (Did Puccini’s tenors have lunch breaks written into their contracts?) His wedding-night duet with Racette, “Viene la sera,” is a thing of beauty, and he projects just the right cocky charisma in Pinkerton’s “Yankee vagabond” song, “Dovunque al mondo,” to rationalize Cio-Cio-San falling for his blarney.”
operaville.blogspot.com – Michael J Vaughn

“Racette is in good company on stage. Tenor Brian Jagde is perfect as Pinkerton, Cio-Cio San’s jilting lover. Jagde’s expressive voice beautifully complements Racette’s soprano and Luisotti’s lyrical orchestra. He plays Pinkerton genuinely, which serves the story well.”
theatrestorm.com – Emma Bushnell

“Brian Jagde has grown from the Merola program in 2009 to an outstanding leading tenor, with a bright tone and good looks to sweep Butterfly off her feet. His voice is warm and beautiful.”
SFist.com – Cedric Westphal

“Tenor Brian Jagde created an incredibly commanding Pinkerton. With his charming spinto timbre, he could deliver his lines with so much puissance and clarity – and, at the same time, with ease and suavity. Despite the anti-hero qualities of his character and the perversity of his actions, his singing was something to look forward to every time he was on stage.”
MusicalCriticism.com – Marina Romani

“Lt. Pinkerton is played by Brian Jagde with “Ken Doll” looks and a cookie-cutter operatic tenor. His highlight is in his climactic act of shamefully fleeing from confronting Cio-Cio-San.”
examiner.com – John McMullen

“Jagde’s ringing voice pairs well in the magnificent love duet ending Act I, and he is eminently believable when he turns coward late in Act II.”
The Bay Area Reporter – Philip Campbell

“That the San Francisco company’s circle of Puccini specialists includes the incomparable dramatic soprano Patricia Racette, the strong performance of Elizabeth DeShong (in what in early career has been a signature role),  the sweet-voiced tenor Brian Jagde and sweet-voiced baritone, Brian Mulligan, made it an experience as eye-catching as it was dramatic and melodious.”
Opera Warhorses

“The trio with Sharpless, Suzuki, and Pinkerton in Act II was exceedingly beautiful. Brian Jagde is a convincing Pinkerton and he sang well. He has a lot of volume.”
Opera Tattler – Charlise Tiee

“Cio-Cio-San (Racette), falls in love with a handsome and charismatic American naval officer, Lieutenant Pinkerton (tenor Brian Jagde) . . . This (is) Racette’s second SFO pairing with hunky Merola/Adler tenor Brian Jagde as Pinkerton and their natural ease with each other and on stage chemistry made their Act 1duet, “Bimba, Bimba, non piangere” (“Sweetheart, sweetheart, do not weep”) intensely passionate.”
ArtHound – Geneva Anderson

“I enjoyed the physical performance of [Brian Jagde] playing Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton (great name). He had a frat-boyish, carefree kind of attitude that stayed interesting to watch throughout. Too bad he’s absent for the whole middle.”
Theatre – Alex Coulombe

“Tenor Brian Jagde gave an ardent and often moving performance as the faithless Pinkerton … an expansive and wrenching account of the final “Addio, fiorito asil,” Pinkerton’s surge of remorse.”
SFGate.com – Joshua Kosman