As her lover, Edgardo, Jesus León, harkens back to older recordings we have heard; just an exquisite sound both youthful and boyishly masculine. From his first entrance he commanded never upstaging his lover. The couple’s intense need to fight the surrounding depression gives this production its force. At this time, it is hard to imagine León’s art outside of bel canto, so hopefully he will get the opportunity to resurrect these often overlooked roles.
Jeff Haller – Concert0.net – November 12, 2017
The men in question were Lucia’s brother, Enrico, portrayed by baritone Troy Cook; and Edgardo, portrayed by tenor Jesus León. Cook’s Enrico was conniving and vengeful, powerfully sung, while León’s intensely expressive Edgardo earned the loudest applause at curtain call. Though Edgardo was positioned as a star-crossed victim of Enrico’s merciless power grab, ultimately committing suicide in the opera’s final scene, his furious breakup with Lucia after she was driven by her brother to marry another man mirrored villain Enrico’s short-fused toxicity.
Carly Gordon – Schmopera – November 2017
