March 3, 2006
Verdi’s opera Rigoletto continues to be one of the most frequently staged operas. The plot centres around the court jester, Rigoletto, his daughter Gilda, and the womanizing Duke of Mantua who has set his sights on Rigoletto’s lovely daughter. The Duke woos Gilda, his courtiers kidnap her and take her back to his bedroom, the outraged Rigoletto vows revenge, and it all ends in tragedy when Rigoletto hires an assassin to kill the Duke but Gilda, who has fallen in love, sacrifices herself to save the Duke’s life. All in all, a powerful tale of lust, love, revenge, and heartbreak.
I will admit that I when I read the company’s publicity material, which included lines like “This spectacular magnificently-staged production is inspired by the tradition of Renaissance painting including naked chorus girls to reflect the moral degradation and sexual excess of the Mantuan Ducal court” I was slightly concerned. Don’t get me wrong, I like a bit of gratuitous nudity as much as the next person (and there was certainly no shortage), but the publicity material was ominously silent on the matter of music. The advertising also made much of the golden eagle, with a seven-foot wingspan, which would feature in the show (possibly even more gratuitous than the nudity), yet still no mention of the music.
But I needn’t have worried. Not only was this a visually stunning production, but it featured some really first-rate singing too. Vladimir Dragos gave a powerful, compelling performance from start to finish as the anguished Rigoletto. Maria Tonina (Gilda) captivated the audience with her versatile singing and her ability to float effortlessly at the top of her range or sing with gusto as the moment dictated. The young tenor Andriy Perfilov certainly looked the part of the Duke, and by the second act he had warmed vocally to the role as well, singing the famous ‘La donna è mobile’ aria with conviction and a flirtatious sparkle. There were a few moments when the ensemble between the singers and the orchestra could have been tighter, and at one point the eagle tried to make a break for it, but overall this was a brilliant performance visually, theatrically, and musically. The Ellen Kent & Opera International tour continues around the country until 24 June 2006.
I will admit that I when I read the company’s publicity material, which included lines like “This spectacular magnificently-staged production is inspired by the tradition of Renaissance painting including naked chorus girls to reflect the moral degradation and sexual excess of the Mantuan Ducal court” I was slightly concerned. Don’t get me wrong, I like a bit of gratuitous nudity as much as the next person (and there was certainly no shortage), but the publicity material was ominously silent on the matter of music. The advertising also made much of the golden eagle, with a seven-foot wingspan, which would feature in the show (possibly even more gratuitous than the nudity), yet still no mention of the music.
But I needn’t have worried. Not only was this a visually stunning production, but it featured some really first-rate singing too. Vladimir Dragos gave a powerful, compelling performance from start to finish as the anguished Rigoletto. Maria Tonina (Gilda) captivated the audience with her versatile singing and her ability to float effortlessly at the top of her range or sing with gusto as the moment dictated. The young tenor Andriy Perfilov certainly looked the part of the Duke, and by the second act he had warmed vocally to the role as well, singing the famous ‘La donna è mobile’ aria with conviction and a flirtatious sparkle. There were a few moments when the ensemble between the singers and the orchestra could have been tighter, and at one point the eagle tried to make a break for it, but overall this was a brilliant performance visually, theatrically, and musically. The Ellen Kent & Opera International tour continues around the country until 24 June 2006.