The Metropolitan Opera Presents Rigoletto (1977– ) Online

Rigoletto is in the top 5 of my favourite Verdi operas. The characters while bruisers to sing are compelling, as is the dramatic story and the music especially Cortigiani, Ella Mi Fa Rapita...Parmi Veder Le Lagrime, the Quartet(my favourite Quartet of any opera), Caro Nomme and Si Vendetta, Tremenda Vendetta.

This is a very good production. The costumes and sets are absolutely lovely, the video directing is interesting and I loved the storm effect at the end of the La Maledizione. The orchestra are precise and clearly very passionate, likewise with the conducting of James Levine. If there was any disappointment musically, I would have preferred Povero Rigoletto to have been more melancholic and poised.

The performances in general are very good. In support we have Justino Diaz as a very silky-voiced and overall excellent Sparafucile(apart from the vowel change on the repeated Sparafucile in his scene with Rigoletto), Isola Jones as a great Maddelena and Ariel Bybee as a fine Giovanna.

If I had to choose my favourite performance of the production, it would have to be Placido Domingo as the Duke of Mantua. I saw an interview with him and Tony Randall with Domingo saying he hates the Duke of Mantua. If there was true, it doesn't show in the performance, he is wonderful in the role and the most consistent vocally and acting-wise of this Rigoletto. He is in fantastic voice in what I consider his best decade for singing(though Domingo has been consistently great to outstanding) and his acting is the most believable from any Duke of Mantua, he literally broke my heart in Parmi Veder Le Lagrime.

Ileana Cotrubas is very good as Gilda. Her lovely voice is ideal for the role, and she tackles the colouratura and dramatic elements very well. She shines especially in Si Vendetta, the Quartet and in her final duet with MacNeil.

What did let the production down, other than a (perhaps) need for a more melancholic Povero Rigoletto, was the inconsistent lead performance of Cornell MacNeil. Do not misunderstand me, I love MacNeil, he was a wonderful baritone, with one of the darkest, richest and most flexible voices in his prime, however this performance was when he had a more open sound, consequently some of the darkness of his voice was lost. MacNeil's performance as Rigoletto is not bad, just inconsistent. He does have some fine moments, especially the Cortigiani, Si Vendetta and the La Maledizione(which is very impressive if not as powerful as Warren's or Herlea's or as unique as Milnes'), but there are others where he disappoints. Early on in the production he does crack a few times and he is under the note in Povero Rigoletto sometimes, also his acting can be malevolent and moving like in the Cortigiani but others where it is wooden such as his reaction to finding Gilda's body.

In conclusion, very good but not outstanding. 8/10 Bethany Cox