‘Cavalleria rusticana’ – Dutch National Opera

... spacious in sound and intense with an incisive undertone. His arrival with the song of praise for Lola, at the opening of the opera, was a sensation.

“The opening of the 2019/2020 season at De Nationale Opera (DNO) could not have been more spectacular on Thursday evening … A spectacular work, especially with the compelling vocal qualities of the two solo teams. In the acting depiction of their roles, too, they drew the stories of love and infidelity into the audience …

In tenor Brian Jagde she {Anita Rachvelishvili} had a fantastic opponent, spacious in sound and intense with an incisive undertone. His arrival with the song of praise for Lola, at the opening of the opera, was a sensation.”

{De opening van het seizoen 2019/2020 bij De Nationale Opera (DNO) had donderdagavond niet spectaculairder kunnen zijn. Met zijn verbeelding van beide drama’s onder één grote theatrale boog zorgde regisseur Robert Carsen voor adembenemende momenten … Het spectaculaire school vooral in de meeslepende vocale kwaliteiten van de beide solistenteams. Ook in de acterende uitbeelding van hun rollen trokken zij de toeschouwers de verhalen over liefde en ontrouw binnen …

In tenor Brian Jagde had zij een fantastische tegenspeler, ruim van klank en heftig met een laconieke ondertoon. Zijn opkomst met het loflied op Lola, bij de opening van het stuk, was een sensatie.}
Franz Straatman – Place de l’Opera

“★★★★★ – Brian Jagde (Turiddu) was… a tenor of the outer class with an unprecedented swagger and daring.”

{Brian Jagde (Turiddu) was … een tenor uit de buitenklasse met een ongekende branie en durf.}
Peter van der Lint – Trouw

“… it is tenor Brian Jagde as Turiddu who is the real discovery of the evening. Jagde’s voice is rich with luscious tone and ease in high notes, while his offstage “Siciliana” and his agonized farewell to Mamma Lucia, played by the excellent Elena Zilio, were both superb.”
Denise Wendel-Poray – Opera Canada

“… the attention goes directly to the plot, which is carried along with the all-burning Rachvelishvili by a series of impressive DNO debutants, including tenor Brian Jagde (Turridu) and mezzo Rihab Chaieb as charismatic Lola.”

{… de aandacht gaat direct uit naar de plot, die naast de alles verzengende Rachvelishvili wordt gedragen door een reeks imposante reeks DNO-debutanten, onder wie tenor Brian Jagde (Turridu) en mezzo Rihab Chaieb als charismatische Lola.}
Mischa Spel – nrc.nl

“★★★★★ – It was an exciting night at the opera. Three leading American singers were making their Dutch National Opera debut and powerhouse mezzo Anita Rachvelishvili her much-anticipated return. All of them delivered on their promise, as the audience, grabbing every opportunity for mid-performance applause, made clear … {Brian Jagde} with an instrument this handsome and a characterisation this vehement, no one’s complaining. This Turiddu was a bit of a louse – even his true love Lola, a vocally seductive Rihab Chaieb, was disgusted by his drunken behaviour. Jagde invested him with explosive bravado, which was punctured during his agonised farewell to Mamma Lucia, a fierce Elena Zilio – one of several goosebump moments of the evening … The bar for the rest of the season has been set very high.”
Jenni Camilleri – Bachtrack

“With his powerful and emotional voice, Brian Jagde is a macho and unsympathetic Turiddu…”

{Avec sa voix puissante et pleine d’émotion, Brian Jagde est un Turiddo macho et antipathique …}
Cinzia Rota – ClassicAgenda.fr

“Brian Jagde is in any case a carefree Turridu with rucksack, who doesn’t care about anything, irresponsibly flirts with everything and sings with the most beautiful tenor tones.”

{Brian Jagde ist jedenfalls ein unbekümmerten Turridu mit Rucksack, der sich um nichts schert, verantwortungslos mit allem flirtet und schönste Tenortöne hochtrompetet.}
Manuel Brug – Klassiker Welt

“I had heard Brian Jagde twice before. Once live, in Verdi’s Requiem. The second time was on the DVD recording of Das Wunder der Heliane by Korngold, where he performed about the best Stranger in history. I was more than anxiously awaiting his debut as Turiddu. Not in vain. Jagde was the Turiddu of many girl’s dreams: attractive, seductive, macho, but with a small heart. Wonderful.”
– Basia con Fuoco

“Brian Jagde performed the role of Turiddu. Having started his vocal training as a baritone, he posses a dark, round, beautiful voice, with potent high notes, ideal for the role … Turiddu is a short role but the tessitura is quite high, which is uncomfortable for a dramatic tenor. Jagde’s off-stage opening aria “Oh Lola” featured a fluid vocal line, something not easy while going to high A flats constantly … His last aria “Mamma, mamma, quel vino” was dramatic and moving with the tenor ending with on perfect high B flat. His incarnation of Turiddu was believable and powerful.”
Mauricio Villa – Operawire

Photo: BAUS