This review is for the performance on April 22, 2014. 

It has been seven years since the Metropolitan Opera presented Bellini's final opera "I Puritani." The work is known for its virtuosic soprano role and for the tenor role, which features a number of high Ds and one devilish high F. The work has been performed by all the great divas and has become one of the most popular Bel-Canto works.

This year the Met assembled two brilliant singers in the lead roles. Lawrence Brownlee, who has sung a number of bel-canto roles at the Met sung the role of Arturo, while the young Russian soprano Olga Peretyatko sang the role of Elvira in her Met debut season. While Brownlee was a wonderful Arturo, this was Peretyatko's night and based on this performance, it is easily predictable that she will become a mainstay at the Met.

Elvira is a young woman who goes mad when her beloved Arturo leaves her in order to save the Queen Enrichetta. From Peretyatko's entrance it was apparent that this was no happy child and she was subject to what men wanted from her. Peretyatko sat with her face down as if she was upset about something. During the exchange with her uncle Giorgio (Michele Pertusi) when she is told she will be married, Peretyatko ran across the stage desperately as if she was trying to beg him for her happiness. These few instance demonstrated a woman who is not completely stable from the start. However once she was told she would marry Arturo, Peretyatko's demeanor changed and she began twirling around the stage with happiness. However Peretyatko's Elvira never truly showed mental stability and this was demonstrated in the polonaise "Son Vergin Vezzosa." During this quartet she twirled around the stage with her veil and even put it on Enrichetta to help her join in on her happiness. The action gave off the impression that Elvira was a young child and the effect was subtly off-putting throughout the scene.

However, her turn into madness was truly shown when she discovered that Arturo has left her. During the concertato "Oh, Vieni al Tempio, fedele Arturo," Peretyatko took her bouquet of flowers, lied down on the floor and started picking at the petals and threw them on the floor one by one. Peretyatko's bodily movement demonstrated a woman who was completely entranced by her pain and madness. During the stretta "Ma Tu gia mi Fuggi," Peretyatko took the remaining flowers and threw them all over. She then ran through the chorus, pushing everyone around and erratically looking at each chorus member in search of Arturo before collapsing on the floor. The effect was thrilling and truly one of the most dynamic scenes in the production.

During the famous mad scene "Qui La Voce," Peretyatko came down the stairs with her veil singing the first lines of the aria. She then started to play with the veil and lied on the floor. During an orchestral interlude, as she lied down, she took the veil and began to cover herself. Her movements throughout became increasingly erratic and she burst out in haunting laughter. At one moment during the cabaletta "Vien, diletto, e in ciel la luna," Peretyatko jumped on a seat and sang the first part of aria as if she was about to fall off. She later fell on her back allowing the maids to catch her and once she came down from the seat she took the veil and put it back on. This time she walked up to Ricardo (Maksim Aniskin) as a bride going to get married. It was a frightening moment and one that could have escalated. However the erratic movements of madness were quickly thrown out in favor of vocal fireworks. The second part of the cabaletta while incredibly sung was less dynamic as Peretyatko stood in front of the stage and sang the remainder of the aria. It would have been interesting to see continue to further the use of the veil as a symbol of her madness throughout the remainder of the act.

However, that did not hinder her overall take on Elvira. During Act three she walked out onto the terrace as crazy as ever. When she saw Arturo, she did not immediately become sane. Instead, Peretyatko's Elvira was still stuck in the hallucination of Arturo, almost as if the appearance of the real man had thrown her into another traumatic state of shock. Throughout the duet there was never a moment where this Elvira was truly back in reality. That was only confirmed once the duet was over and she pushed Arturo away. As she heard the orchestra's march, Peretyatko covered her eyes with her hands and started rubbing them as if the past few moments had never really happened. It was one of the most effective and subtle touches in the soprano's interpretation.

Vocally Peretyatko was a gem and her voice is beautifully suited to sing this role. She has a flexible voice that easily dispatches the coloratura roulades as well as a sweet bright voice that easily expresses the innocence of Elvira. Her high notes are in top form and she is easily able to hold them out with any force. The soprano had a number stand out moments including her opening duet with Giorgio "Sai come'arde in petto mio." During her opening phrases Peretyatko sang with a desperate touch and even interpolated a high note coupled with a trill on the words "Io Moriro." When she repeated the words "Io Moriro," she created a dizzying coloratura run. These two moments created the sensation of woman already on the verge of going crazy. The subsequent portion of duet "a quel nome, al mio contento," Peretyatko voice's changed to a bright tone that showcased the happiness Elvira feels when she hears she will marry Arturo. When she sang the words "Ah Padre Mio," Peretyatko held an A for a few seconds as if she was relishing her happiness and the sensations of first love. Her final high D in the duet as she sings "Arturo" rang out throughout the whole auditorium and expressed joy.

Another moment that truly showcased Peretyatko's vocal beauty was during "A Te O Cara." When she joined in as part of the quartet, the soprano held an A for eight full beats. As she began the phrase on the word "Amor," Peretyatko began with an almost inaudible pianissimo but crescendoed into a glorious forte before then quieting into a low D. She repeated the same phrase twice and the effect was tender and beautiful.

The aforementioned concertato "Ah Vieni, Al Tempio," Peretyatko sang with anxiety. During the final moments, Peretyatko opted to interpolate the high notes in the section "Vieni Arturo." When the section first came up she sang it almost if she was sobbing following the original score but the second time around she interpolated a High D and it came out as a cry of a broken heart. The cadenza that followed was sung with a delicate tone. However the scale downward from a B had a moment where Peretyatko looked like she would laugh. It was moment that truly created the idea this Elvira had lost her mind.

Her mad scene, "Qui La Voce," was another showcase in vocal fireworks. When she first entered the room she sang with delicacy as she caressed the veil. It created a melancholy effect of a woman searching for her loved one. When the music took on a livelier tone, Peretyatko's voice took the bright tone from the opening duet. Her phrases however were chopped up like a schizophrenic. When she said the words "Egli Piange," she phrased them with sorrow and pain, her voice sighing with each noting. During the second part of her cabaletta "Vien diletto, e in ciel la luna," Peretyatko created devilish coloratura runs that showcased a lunatic and erratic woman. By the end she concluded with a strong E flat on the word "all' Amore" that felt like a plea for Arturo.

Her final cabaletta "Ah! Si o mio bell'Angelo" Peretyatko's voice once again showcased the bright and youthful tone that was heard at the beginning. Her coloratura passages also expressed joy as opposed to the ones in the mad scene. Overall Peretyatko showcased a memorable Elvira that will be remembered in years to come.

Brownlee was a fabulous Arturo even if he at times lacked the dramatic stage presence and his voice made up for the faulty directing. His opening aria "A Te, O Cara" was sung with conviction and beauty. Each phrase was given extra care and every time he said the words "Tanto Amor," there was an expression of delight that resounded throughout the auditorium.

His duet with Enrichetta was also a highlight. The phrase "Non Parlar di lei che adoro" is repeated four times and twice the tenor must go up to a high A. At the beginning Brownlee sang it with strength but as he continuously repeated the phrase, his voice obtained a weaker tone (expressing his increasing pain) until it had a glimpse of despair in the words "de la Vergine Adorata."

In the third act Brownlee sang his aria "A una fonte afflitto e solo" with sorrow. While it is supposed to be a serenade to Elvira, Brownlee gave it a darker tone and it felt more like a lamentation.

In the duet "Vieni, Vieni Queste Braccia" Brownlee showcased his brilliant high D and along with Peretyatko concluded the duet with a rousing high D that threatened to stop the show.

But it was his "Credeasi, Misera" that was the highlight of Brownlee's performance. He began the aria with a smooth legato line, which embraced his suffering for being condemned to death. However as the aria developed his "Crudeli, Crudeli" was sung with anger. He emphasized the words "tremante" and "Perfidi" as if he was guilting everyone for Elvira's madness. Brownlee than opted for a C# on the words "spirante" and the note came out as a plea. However when he sang the words "poi vi straziate" he sang the infamous high F and the effect was heroic in its execution.

Pertusi sang the role of Giorgio with dignity and strength. He accompanied Peretyatko in the opening duet with the flexibility and agility necessary for the role. However his truly stellar moment was when he sang his act two aria "Cinta di Fiori." Each phrase was caressed with remorse and pain. The words "Ove Ando" were sung as if he was sobbing.

As Ricardo, Aniskin replaced Mariusz Kwiecien but fared poorly. His voice is very unstable and at times when it seems he has complete control of the music, the volume is lost. During his opening aria "Ah! Per Sempre io ti perdei" he had the tendency of going flat. During one coloratura passage, which begins with the words "M'avanza," Aniskin sounded like he was running out breath and his coloratura run was inaudible. The subsequent phrase, which reached an E flat, ended off pitch as well; the cadenza at the end of the aria was also labored. The cabaletta part "Bel Sogno beato" was also inconsistent with spotty triplets and strained high Ds. The coda also featured labored coloratura and he was not able to reach the E during this passagework. Aniskin did not improve through the night and during the famous duet "Suoni La Tromba" his sound could not come through the orchestra.

The production by Sandro Sequi is a monotonous display of beige stairs in all five sets. While it is better looking than the newer black and white sets done in Europe for this opera, Sequi's production can be tiresome on the eyes. The direction by Sarah Ina Meyers was lacing in dramatic substance. Other than Elvira's erratic twirling around and on the floor, the men basically stood around. During the mad scene when Peretyatko was trying to interact with Aniskin and Pertusi, both men just stood or sat in place looking at her. One almost wondered if they were even paying attention to her at all. There was no dynamic movement or attempt at interaction to try and help her through her trauma. Why wouldn't the loving Giorgio or the love-stricken Giorgio try to help Elvira out of her despair? Why would they just stand there and basically ignore her? The third act was a bit more dynamic in its dramatic execution, but that was mainly due to Peretyatko's brilliance.

Conductor Michele Mariotti had a couple of miscues with the horns during the "Suoni la Tromba" duet and also felt a bit uncomfortable with some of the cuts the Met's current edition imposes. One of the weirdest incisions happened during the Elvira/Arturo duet. During the "Vieni, Vieni fra queste braccia," the singers opted not to repeat and the accompaniment sounded a bit lost as if it did not know what was about to happen. When the duet arrived at the coda there was a moment of hesitance. There were also a number of times when Mariotti opted to stop the music to let the singers reach their high notes. One moment was during the cabaletta "Vien Diletto" before the soprano reaches a B flat. While it may have been for dramatic purposes, it ultimately did not sound unified. However, besides these small flaws, the Italian led the orchestra with swift tempi and followed each singer with confidence.

Overall this was Peretyatko's night and one that showcased a rising star. She proved herself as one of the finest Belcanto sopranos in the world and does not deserve comparisons to past sopranos that she has been subjected to recently. Peretyatko is unique and a special artist that should not be missed.