Metropolitan Opera Archives

Rigoletto received twelve performances this season.
Production photos of Rigoletto by Ken Howard / Metropoltian Opera.

FUNDING:
Revival a gift of The Jane W. Nuhn Charitable Trust

Review 1:

Review of Martin Bernheimer in the February 2006 issue of Opera

There was more excitement in the house, and not an empty seat in sight, on December 10 when the Met assembled its 792nd performance of "Rigoletto." The clunky production, staged by Otto Schenk and designed by Zack Brown in 1989 (now overseen by Sharon Thomas), hardly dealt in revelations. But the conductor was new, and so was much of the cast. The prime attractions, in any case, had to be Rolando Villazón as the Duke and Anna Netrebko as Gilda. Amid roaring ovations, the stardust twins had arrived.

They came, they sang, they acted (oh, how they acted), and, despite some inequities, they conquered. Villazón looked like a perpetually ardent, perpetually eager student but sang with astonishing elegance and flair. He phrased artfully, respected dynamic distinctions, even demonstrated mastery of the subtle diminuendo. Unlike any tenor in memory, he flourished both verses of "Possente amour." Although he declined the interpolated high climax at the end of the cabaletta, no one could care much in context. Netrebko, dark-haired and nervy, sang and moved with uncommon passion, flaunted a lovely trill, never confused prettiness with pathos, and commanded sympathy even when she encountered difficulty with exposed top tones. With these two, it was good to hear the love duet uncut for a change, interweaving double cadenza and all.

It would gratifying, some day, to see Villazón and Netrebko working in this opera with a director who can focus a unifying concept and, perhaps, impose a bit more discipline. It might be helpful, too, if the duo could collaborate with a conductor more flexible than Asher Fisch, whose foremost concerns on this occasion seemed to be speed and propulsion.

Eric Halverson returned as a marvelously black-voiced, quietly menacing Sparafucile, pallidly seconded by Nancy Fabiola Herrera as a Carmen-orientated Maddalena. Values were set askew, however, by a void at the centre. Carlo Guelfi - so promising five seasons ago - revealed ample intelligence supported by little voice as an essentially snarly Rigoletto. Where are the Verdi baritones of yesteryear?

Curious postscript: the minor duties of Giovanna, Gilda's easily corrupted nurse, were vividly executed by Kathryn Day. It may be worth noting that in her pre-mezzo, pre-comprimaria days she was admired as Kathryn Bouleyn, a radiant soprano whose credits include the title role in the first professional performance in America of "Rusalka" (San Diego, 1975).

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