Reviewed by James Karas
The Canadian
Opera Company has scheduled two operatic gems for its winter season, Rigoletto
and The Barber of Seville, and no one can argue with these
inveterate crowd pleasers. One may argue that the company should be more
adventurous but no one can get tired of its two choices, so be it.
This revival of Christopher Alden’s 2011 production is carried by an excellent cast but it may be best described as quirky or unorthodox or, at times, a bit confusing for someone seeing the opera for the first time.
Before I discuss those attributes, I want to praise the singers and state unequivocally, that they make the production enjoyable and worthwhile seeing even if you have seen the opera umpteen times.
Quinn Kelsey as the court jester Rigoletto. whether he is expressing love for his daughter Gilda or mocking and then begging the courtiers, gives a marvellous and emotionally splendid performance. When he sings with Gilda, he displays a deeply felt affection for her. When he mocks the courtiers, he is disgusting and in his last outburst when he realizes that Sparafucile has killed Gilda instead of the Duke, he delivers an emotional knockout.
Soprano Sarah
Dufresne has a lush and gorgeous voice and her Gilda is vocally outstanding and
emotionally moving. Yes, you do have to forget or ignore the fact that she is naive.
She decides to get killed to save the life of the repulsive Duke because she
loves him. Sure. Put all that aside and listen to her singing. Dufresne will be
replaced by Andriana Chuchman on February 10, 12 and 14.
Tenor Ben Bliss sings the amoral, selfish and swaggering Duke. He starts with “Questa o quella” and ends up with the unforgettable “La dona e mobile” which has a gorgeous melody and offensive lyrics but, once again, just listen to it and ignore the details until after you leave the theatre.
A few comments about Alden’s idiosyncrasies.
In the opening scene we find Rigoletto seated in a leather chair in a corner of the stage. Alden is a fan of seated characters and rarely allows them to face or sing to each other. We are in what looks like in a Gentlemen’s Club. The members are dressed formally a la 19th century private club members that may represent such a place in London. Rigoletto, the odious court jester has a hump but otherwise is dressed like the other club members. He goads and insults the Courtiers and one of them Monterone (Gregory Dahl) curses him. The Duke and the courtiers make up a social group that have the morals of alley cats.
As we know, the courtiers abduct Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda from her house. While she sings some beautiful arias and duets with her father in a place that does not look like a residence, we see courtiers milling around. The Duke sneaks in (he bribes Gilda’s maid Giovanni sung by Simona Genga) and we are treated to romantic, really romantic, duet by the Duke and Gilda. What starts as a lecherous cad and ends as a rapist and disgusting person (“La dona e mobile”) becomes a romantic hero for a few minutes. But as soon as he leaves and the courtiers who were milling around disperse, they return with faces covered and abduct Gilda. What were they doing there before?
They take Gilda
to the palace and a distraught Rigoletto begs the courtiers to tell him where
his daughter is. He sings to us and not to the courtiers who have huddled
around Gilda who is lying on a couch and presumably being raped. She should be
found in a bedroom but Alden has her on a couch. Is the Duke raping her or the courtiers? We know
it should be the Duke thinking she is Rigoletto’s mistress (really?) The scene
is confusing. Rigoletto should be begging the courtiers directly but they have their
backs to him and he addresses us. Well, take it as it comes.
The final scene takes place in Sparafucile's dingy tavern or den of murder and iniquity. Sparafucile is a hit man for hire and his sister Maddalena (Zoie Reams) is a lowlife for hire. In Alden’s production and Set and Costume Designer Michael Levine, it looks like a swanky hall where the members of the Gentlemen’s Club are having a general meeting. We hear the wonderful quartet and the goings on but what are they doing there? It is an awful night of thunder and lightning and murder, what are the well-dressed men doing there.
Johannes Debus conducts the Canadian Opera Orchestra and Chorus in a splendid performance.
______________
Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi cis being performed seven times until February 14, 2026 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario. Tel: 416-363-6671. www.coc.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment