Bellini's "I Puritani" throws down a seemingly impossible gauntlet to its four central performers: Sing with all the beauty expected of bel canto opera, the brilliant vocal technique and full voices, even though the score is particularly difficult, and, by the way, the tenor must hit a stratospheric F, a rare feat.After waiting 25 years to find the right cast, Seattle Opera has not only taken up the gauntlet, its production of this tale of two star-crossed lovers in 17th-century England delivered in spades on opening night.Lawrence Brownlee rocked the house as Arturo, one of the lovers, when he elegantly skewered that high F. A former Seattle Opera Young Artist, Brownlee's mellifluous tenor is more powerful and nuanced than when he last performed here in "Florencia en el Amazonas." Soprano Norah Ansellem was appealingly believable as Arturo's love Elvira and displayed an assured agility as she tackled the high notes written for the demanding role. One of the greatest delights in the production were the duets in Act II between baritone Mariusz Kwiecien as Riccardo, Arturo's rival for Elvira, and bass-baritone John Relyea as Giorgio, Elvira's uncle. Both former Seattle Opera Artists of the Year, the pair scaled the score's extraordinary heights with powerful vocal fluidity and rousing emotional aplomb.Employing the same acting firepower and lyric baritone that made him such a mesmerizing "Don Giovanni" in 2007, Kwiecien was an entirely sympathetic Riccardo, even as he schemed against Arturo. Relyea wielded an imposing voice and emotional eloquence befitting Elvira's uncle.Simeon Esper, Fenlon Lamb and Joseph Rawley were fine as the smaller roles. The chorus did a stirring job as a supporting player as did conductor Edoardo Müller and the orchestra.While this opera does not pivot around plot, director Linda Brovsky has artfully steered the production through some rough patches in the story line that would otherwise be laughable to a modern audience. One such moment is when Elvira believes Arturo has deserted her and she abruptly goes mad, which could feel like a non sequitur given a lack of setup in the libretto. Thanks to Brovsky and Ansellem, as the music's intensity mounts, it is in Elvira's physical responses as she is buffeted by a chaotic swirl of soldiers that we clearly see the sudden unhinging of her mind.Oddly for a production firmly rooted in the 17th century, Robert Dahlstrom's castle stairs and walkways-built of steel for safety-were left unadorned. Their contemporary industrial look clashed with the rest of the production, including the set designer's own stone walls and Peter J. Hall's opulent period costumes. Thomas C. Hase's painterly lighting masterfully morphed the stationary set so it felt spacious for a crowd scene and snug for an intimate encounter, bright for a happy day-lit moment and chilling for a frightening night chase.Numerous cuts have been made to "I Puritani" over the years to accommodate particular singers' skills and audience preferences of the time. With much of that material reinstated, Seattle Opera's production clocks in at a hefty three and a half hours, including two intermissions. With a production and performances of this caliber, the expansion prolongs the pleasure.Freelance writer Maggie Larrick lives in the Seattle area and is the former editor of the Queen Anne News.Seattle Opera's "I Puritani"
plays at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St., through Sunday, May 17. Prices: $25-$162. Tickets for Mother's Day Tea at 12:30 p.m. May 11 sold separately. Tickets/information: 389-7676, www.seattleopera.org"[[In-content Ad]]
