Rigoletto
Is Rigoletto the first anti-hero in opera? Probably not, but Verdi's brilliantly audacious portrait negates any predecessors. Rigoletto is a jester without humor; whose cruel jokes could only be enjoyed by a court as corrupt as the Duke of Mantuas'. He willingly inhabits a sinister world where rape is a divertisement and assassins freely ply their trade. His ferocious rage and misanthropy constantly simmer beneath his clownish exterior until they inevitably and tragically erupt. He is a difficult and contradictory protagonist and we only learn to empathize with him through his love for his daughter, Gilda. But even that love is tainted by an obsessive protective streak which causes him to keep her locked away from the world. All of which makes the character feel extraordinarily contemporary.
But traditionalists need not worry. LA Opera's new production of RIGOLETTO (from San Francisco) is not a carelessly updated travesty of Verdi's intentions. Director Mark Lamos trusted that the story's universality would shine through its vaguely Sixteenth Century trappings. His direction, likewise, was unfussy and focused on telling the story in the clearest possible manner. Michael Yeargan's set which, except for the upstage rake would serve as well for KISS ME KATE, created a streamlined dramatic canvas on which to focus the action. Mark McCullough's appropriately lurid light scheme gave a sense of place while heightening the mood of the individual scenes.
George Gagnidze was a blunt and brutal Rigoletto. One could easily imagine his less-than-subservient manner inciting the courtiers to kidnap his daughter. He tore into Verdi's score with a gruff intensity which never flagged and his “Cortigiani,” in which he hurls powerless invective at the men who bar his efforts to save Gilda from the Duke, was thrilling. This was authoritative and musical singing of the highest dramatic order.
Gianlucca Terranova (LA Opera debut) was a clear audience favorite as the Duke. Possessed of a handsome face, an outgoing manner and a sweet, but powerful tenor, he sailed easily through the role with only a little tightening on top. Though the Duke's callow nature allows for little dramatic introspection, Terranova's command of the stage suggested that he might have more to offer in more challenging roles. Sarah Coburn was a beautifully sung and surprisingly willful Gilda. Her “Caro Nome” brought a young girl's coming of age vividly to life.
Andrea Silvestrelli's elegant and imposing Sparafucile effortlessly produced basso notes which others playing the role only approximate. Kendall Gladen, as Maddalena, proved beautiful bait for her assassin brother, but her otherwise lush tones were overpowered in the Quartet.
In the pit, James Conlon produced another miracle. Only a week after exploring the ravishing, but deliberately paced score of LOHENGRIN, he threw himself into Verdi's melodramatic whirlwind with the the energy of the possessed. Perhaps taking inspiration from the curse which starts the tragedy on its inexorable way, Conlon propelled the opera with a furious intensity that left the audience breathless at the conclusion of every scene. Verdi, the consummate dramatist, would have approved.
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion November 27 – December 18, 2010
213 972-0001 www.laopera.com