For one of the best-known and most frequently staged of Verdi’s opera, Rigoletto can prove at times quite frustrating. There is a feeling that is difficult to shed that the opera is trying to do many things at once, none of which are truly fully developed. It is a class commentary – Rigoletto is really doomed not by a curse, as he believes, but by the inescapable class divide between him and the Duke’s court – a moral tale, in that it is heavily implied that the tragic ending could be averted if only Rigoletto was prepared to forgive and move on with his life, and, from a more modern standpoint, also a story about the evils of misogyny and the unbalanced relationship between genders.
None of these aspects are fully fleshed out, and all feel somewhat unresolved by the time the opera is over: partly because of the fact that Verdi tried to condense a work by Victor Hugo which would probably have required a longer stage production, partly due to the effect of the censorship of his time, partly because of the additional constraints imposed by opera as an art form.
Any new production of Rigoletto is therefore inevitably confronted with a question: which of these aspects do we choose to concentrate on, which one do we elect to bring to the forefront? Class, perhaps the most obvious, has often been the answer; this new production by WNO, however, takes a different path, concentrating on the characters, their psychology, and their private turmoil.
Paul Carey Jones
It does so by paying close attention not only to the singing, but to the acting: a path WNO has increasingly been taking in its recent productions and which has brought fruit in terms of both engagement and added depth. Such a step is especially welcome considering the static tendencies that opera, as an art form, is still sometimes reluctant to shed, and WNO casts past and present must be applauded for taking on the added burden of expressive acting without compromising the high quality of their vocal performances.
Here, mindful of the grotesque elements which exist in both the plot and the characterisation of its protagonists, the acting is especially physical, in places even over-the-top: Daniel Luis de Vicente’s Rigoletto is reminiscent of some figures from contemporary cabaret in both make-up, movement, and stage presence, and is not afraid of leaning into his character’s more exaggerated aspects, while still retaining the poignancy of a tragic hero. His performance has range both in terms of acting and of vocals, a necessary feat to make a character like Rigoletto truly convincing.
Nathanaël Tavernier’s Sparafucile is a looming, menacing figure in an ornate costume, almost more apparition than human; Paul Carey Jones as Monterone has a dignity that is deliberately lacking in all other characters. Vocally, stand-out performances come from Soraya Mafi, whose Gilda comes across vulnerable and strongheaded, a charming depiction of a character which is often wronged by deliveries which deprive her of depth; and Raffaele Abete as the Duke, here represented more as a mindless libertine than as a nefarious manipulator: unaware of the trail of sorrow he leaves behind himself, he breezes through the tragedy with remarkable lightness, reflected in Abete’s delivery of the famous aria – and infamous operatic earworm – La Donna è Mobile.
Alastair Moore and the cast of Rigoletto
Not that the class element can altogether be ignored: here it is best channelled by the contrast between the doomed characters of Rigoletto and Gilda and the riotous, disquieting mass of the courtiers, who, in a staging reminiscent of Fellini’s films, are shown to be constantly occupied by what appears to be a single, non-stop orgy throughout the opera. Their mocking presence appearing high up in the windows at the tragic moment of Rigoletto’s ultimate undoing is one of the starkest, most striking images to come from this production: even more so because it is the final note on which the opera ends.
Soraya Mafi and Raffaele Abete
This is yet another clever, thoughtful, technically excellent performance by WNO, and yet there is a pall hovering above it that is hard to ignore. In spite of it being one of the most courageous, insightful, and altogether interesting purveyors of opera in the UK – delivering in recent years a string of productions which are hard to much for quality and intelligence, at least in this country – the WNO remains under attack because of cuts, and its future more than ever uncertain.
Perhaps Rigoletto’s reflection on class and injustice can translate to this matter, too: more and more we live in a world that is forgetting the importance of the arts, and neglecting – if not actively damaging – the people working to make the arts relevant and accessible for a contemporary audience.
Operas like Rigoletto still have much to say to the contemporary viewer; a society without an access to opera – a society without WNO and other associations that prove to be forces for good in cultivating and constantly renewing the art form – is a much poorer society, and the damage affects everyone, not only opera aficionados. As we applaud WNO for delivering to such a high standard while under fire, we must not ignore the risk of losing such an important voice for British opera.
Nathanaël Tavernier, Daniel Luis de Vicente and Alyona Abramova
The opera was directed Adele Thomas with designs by Annemarie Woods. The Orchestra was evenly conducted by Pietro Rizzi.
Images: Richard Hubert Smith
Wales Millennium Centre September 27, October 1 and 4 then touring.
For further performances, including Llandudno, visit: https://wno.org.uk/whats-on/start
Mike Smith reviews Rigoletto: Welsh National Opera, Rigoletto: Latex, knickers and lots of wigs. Thankfully some very fine singing. https://operascene.co.uk/wp-admin/post.php?post=7442&action=edit