Earlier in 2013, Latinos Post interviewed opera star Lisette Oropesa in anticipation of her performances at the Metropolitan Opera in Verdi's Rigoletto and Wagner's Siegfried. Since that interview, the soprano has engaged in a number of diverse performance opportunities, traveled to Santa Fe for the first time in her life, performed a new operatic role, performed at her Alma Mater and even made her name outside of the world of opera. Oropesa spoke with Latinos Post earlier this week to recap what has been a terrific year and preview her upcoming performances at the Met in Verdi's Falstaff.
While her 2013 did not start at the Met, Oropesa did perform in two roles at the house in April and it only seemed fitting that her year would end at the opera house that gave her big break. On Friday, she makes her Met role debut as Nannetta in a new Robert Carsen production of Verdi's late masterwork Falstaff.
"It's brilliant. I think a lot of people will respond to it. It's very colorful. It's detailed. I think it's got a lot of visual appeal," said Oropesa about the new Falstaff production. "I think all the characters are larger than life and it is truly coming off as an ensemble piece. I think it is going to be a lot of fun."
She noted that one of the major motifs of the production was eating; a slight nod to the title character's indulgent and possibly even predatory nature.
"There is eating in every single scene. I eat ice cream in one scene. There is a giant turkey at one point," stated Oropesa. "There is a restaurant scene. The second act takes place in a kitchen. After the fugue there is a giant feast. It's sensory pleasure oriented."
She also spoke about her wardrobe a bit. The costumes for the production were recently featured in a New York Times piece by Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim; Oropesa was one of the singers interviewed for that article.
"The fairy costume is gorgeous. It is white, long and stunning with a bow. There is this veil that looks like shimmery silk. When we get married I am wearing a fox mask," Oropesa told Latinos Post.
The involvement in Falstaff has also reunited her with conductor James Levine who is making his return to the Met after being absent for two seasons for health reasons. Levine conducted Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte earlier this season in a run that was lauded by critics. Oropesa expects the same reaction for the Falstaff as she elaborated on Levine's affinity for the Verdi work.
"I have heard him say on numerous occasions that he believes this is Verdi's true masterpiece," she stated. "He loves the score so much. I have seen him kiss and caress [the actual score]."
She also noted that Levine knows every single note of Verdi's music.
"I am convinced that he is a frustrated actor because he sings along to everyone's part. He knows every single word in the score," Oropesa noted. "I have never seen him so engaged with all the little details. During Rheingold [in 2009] he was also so involved with the music, but he never actually sang along."
She stated that she learned a tremendous amount from Levine during the rehearsal process for Falstaff but among the most important concepts she learned from the maestro was the idea of balance in the work.
"Falstaff can fall into one of two extremes. It can either be an extremely technical, accurate version, or it can be an indulgent version with more attention to characterization," she explained. "But one without the other can make for a less than perfect evening. Falstaff must have both."
Taking on a New Role
Prior to her arrival at the Met, Oropesa did one performance of Falstaff at the San Francisco Opera and also performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. In September she took on the role of Amalia in Verdi's rarely performed "I Masnadieri" in a concert version with the Washington Concert Opera. Oropesa noted that the decision to do I Masnadieri came after she was approached by conductor Anthony Walker.
"I had worked with Anthony Walker previously and he approached me with interest in putting on a lesser known work," she explained. "We decided that I Masnadieri would be a good fit for me vocally."
Oropesa elaborated on the experience of taking on the Verdi work and revealed that it actually suited her just as well as the roles of Nannetta and Gilda (from Rigoletto). She even made a case for the opera being performed more regularly and emphasized that she would love to interpret it onstage.
"I think that with a good director, I Masnadieri could be successfully done because it is a beautiful piece of music with a lot of very touching scenes," she stated. "A piece like this could really shine."
Oropesa noted that while learning the piece she worked with legendary soprano Renata Scotto. Scotto has actually been one of Oropesa's mentors on a number of roles and she remarked that working with the iconic artist was always a wondrous experience. During the interview, Oropesa narrated one particular moment in working with Scotto on the aria "Ah Non Credea" from Bellini's La Sonnambula.
"We were working [on the aria] together as a young artist and she demonstrated how Amina feels when she pulls the flower that is withered from her pocket," narrated Oropesa. "Scotto just had this incredibly sincere, intimate expression that encompassed everything that the [recitative] was about. In just a short demonstration she was just emoting right in front of me and it moved me to tears."
Returning Home
A few weeks before taking on I Masnadieri, Oropesa returned to the Louisiana State University, her Alma Mater, in a concert to help raise money for vocal and music scholarships. The soprano noted that she returns to her Alma Mater on a nearly annual basis to give back to those who gave her an opportunity to grow and develop as an artist.
"It's very important to stay connected with the people who donate money to singers at that stage," she stated. "When I was a student in college and advanced to the semi-finals of the Met [Council Auditions], I was going to come to New York without even a dress to wear. They took me shopping, got me a dress, got my hair done and helped get a whole new wardrobe for my first week in New York.
"Seeing a person like me become successful further along the road means a lot to them because they know that they, in some way, contributed to my success. So when I go back to LSU, each time, it's a confirmation that the money they are giving to the music program is well spent."
Oropesa was inducted into LSU's Opera Hall of Fame on Sept. 25, 2011.
Living In Santa Fe For the First Time
When asked what the most fulfilling experience of 2013 was for her, Oropesa is quick to talk about her experience in Santa Fe.
"While I enjoyed doing Gilda at the Met [in April], I felt that it went so fast," she said. "Meanwhile, I spent three whole months in Santa Fe for [Mozart's] Nozze di Figaro and I really bonded with my colleagues. We were like a big family and it was so hard to leave them when it was finally over."
Oropesa noted that being in Santa Fe was also a refreshing change of pace from New York.
"In NYC everything is go go go, but I felt like in New Mexico everywhere there was a sense of peace. Nothing is hurried, and the people all have a sense of zen about them. It was a serene place to spend a summer," said Oropesa. " Also the opera house is like a campus, and all rehearsal spaces are outdoors. The sun shines, you feel the breeze, you hear the birds sing...it's all very beautiful and you feel in touch with nature.
"Most theaters are heavy, closed spaces with only artificial lighting, and that kind of atmosphere makes one long for the great outdoors."
Outside the Opera World
When she is not singing, Oropesa spends most of her time running with her husband Steven Harris. She was recently featured in Runner's World magazine and revealed information about her lifestyle change and the reasons behind her disciplined running regime. The publication also allowed her to converse with the publication's readers to talk about her exercising and lifestyle.
"When I joined the Met in 2005, I weighed 210 pounds and was told I had talent but needed to lose weight. Through lifestyle tweaks, I lost 60 pounds over a few years. When I started running, I lost 25 almost off the bat," she said in the Runner's World Interview.
Oropesa and her husband are also on a strict vegan diet which they started about three years ago.
"The secret to giving up other foods is that you don't give everything up at once," she said. Oropesa noted that one of the major tools for giving up junk foods was learning how to cook.
"We cook all of our foods; we rarely ever go to restaurants anymore," she explained. "I cook my food to bring to work and whenever I travel, I make sure that there is a kitchen wherever I am staying."
Oropesa also noted that whenever she attends major events or parties she gives advance notice about her food preferences.
"I have to let them know that I am vegan, which is usually not a problem," she explained. "If I were to eat everything that is offered, at every opportunity, every time, I would have quite a bit of a problem maintaining a healthy diet."
Looking Ahead In 2014
Falstaff kicks off on Friday and runs until January 11. At that point Oropesa will start rehearsals for the Met's upcoming new production of Massenet's "Werther." Oropesa noted that she has no idea what the production is like and has yet to receive any information.
"I will find out on the first day of my contract," she explained.
She did however note her excitement about working with tenor Jonas Kaufmann for the first time.
"I have seen Jonas Kaufmann's work in Werther and he is a very visceral actor who I am sure will bring a lot to the role and I can't wait to work with him," she remarked.
Oropesa is also scheduled to perform in the St. Matthew Passion with the Chicago Bach Project on April 11. The soprano noted that other projects were in the works but could not comment on them at this point.
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