RIGOLETTO
Covent Garden

THIS excellent production of Rigoletto, originally by David McVicar, showed Covent Garden at its best, giving us some fine singing but also jolting us out of any romantic delusions by bringing out the thoroughly sordid nature of the story. It did so without any updating.
A single massive “timeless” set on a revolve did the business (although sometimes too slowly) with colour provided by period costume and skillful lighting. Veteran Verdian, Sir Edward Downes, set the atmosphere from the first note, his conducting creating an air of excitement with a taut, virile reading of the score, the orchestra playing at its best for him.
It was a great pleasure to hear the Polish tenor, Piotr Beczala again, playing another amoral seducer, the Duke of Mantua. He brought extraordinary glamour and charisma to the character as well as superb singing, providing a completely believable pivot to the story.
As Gilda we had another fabulous Russian singer: Anna Netrebko.
It is rare to hear this role taken by a voice with such rich quality and depth, able to carry that warmth seamlessly into the highest notes, and fully up to all the technical demands.
She is also a fine actress of great physical beauty and grace.
The only serious disappointment was Paolo Gavanelli as Rigoletto. He portrayed the character well enough with his acting but his voice sounded, for the most part, constricted and inflexible, with a dry throaty tone, unable to convey the varied moods and searing pathos of the wonderful music Verdi gave him.
Also notable were Elizabeth Sikora’s Giovanna, and Darren Jeffery as Monterone, a graduate of the Young Vilar Artist’s programme. Thanks to the sponsors, too often forgotten, and without whom opera would scarcely survive: The Jean Sainsbury Royal Opera House Fund and Friends of Covent Garden.