"The curse haunting Rigoletto" Rigoletto, a well-known opera written by Giuseppe Verdi, is not only famous for its beautiful music and captivating story but also for a curse that seems to haunt those involved in its production. The curse, often referred to as the "curse of Rigoletto," has been associated with a series of unfortunate events and tragedies that have occurred throughout the history of the opera. One of the most notable incidents linked to the curse is the death of the original singer who played the role of Gilda, Rigoletto's daughter, during the premiere of the opera in 1851. Just a few days after the opera's debut, she suddenly fell ill and passed away, shocking the opera community. This untimely death was believed to be the result of the curse, casting a dark shadow over the production. Furthermore, there have been numerous accounts of misfortune surrounding productions of Rigoletto.
Rosa Feola Shines As Gilda
Even after vowing to avenge Monterone, sending his daughter away in disguise, and plotting a murder, he was still ultimately powerless to control his fate a fear shared amongst nearly all of us deep down. This interpretation really highlights some psychopathic traits of the Duke he sings the poetic words of what he believes is love really, to him, a fleeting spark of pleasure , but does not genuinely comprehend their meaning.
Furthermore, there have been numerous accounts of misfortune surrounding productions of Rigoletto. Directors, conductors, and actors involved in different stagings of the opera have reported accidents, injuries, and even deaths happening during the rehearsals or performances. Stories of falling set pieces, collapsing stages, and unfortunate accidents have plagued productions of Rigoletto in different theaters around the world.
Metropolitan Opera 2018-19 Review: Rigoletto
On the evening of April 26, 2019, guests excitedly filed into the Metropolitan Opera’s grand auditorium, eager to experience Verdi’s masterpiece “Rigoletto.” Returning to the stage for its second run of performances this season with a new principal cast, Michael Mayer’s production sets the tragic opera in Las Vegas in the 1960s.
With the audience seated and Maestro Nicola Luisotti standing ready at the podium, the curtain opened to reveal a strikingly flashy set, featuring bright neon signs littering walls of a Vegas casino. Two elevators sat on either side of the stage. The opera began with the Duke, owner of the establishment and known philanderer, chasing after the wife of a member of his entourage, with the encouragement of his sidekick – the hunchbacked comedian Rigoletto.
Relating To Rigoletto
George Gagnidze starred in the title role of the opera, which he first performed at the Met back in 2009. The Georgian baritone’s robust voice and skillful acting made for a compelling Rigoletto, rough and commanding yet pitiable and surprisingly relatable. He earnestly conveyed the inner bitterness of the wretched comedian as well as the vulnerability of a man fearful of losing his treasure in life – his darling daughter Gilda.
As he recalls and dwells upon the curse (“la maledizione”) placed upon him by Monterone, reimagined as an Arab tycoon in this production, Gagnidze reveals Rigoletto’s fearfulness and superstitious nature, highlighting the character’s awareness of the consequences of wrongdoing. In this way, the character became more than a seedy clown and overbearing father – he became relatable, as a man who knows he is fated to face his karma but tries desperately to protect himself, in this case by preserving the purity of Gilda, the light in his life.
Jumping ahead, the final scene was a high point of Gagnidze’s performance: Rigoletto, gloating over the success of his plot, hears the Duke’s voice gaily singing “La donna è mobile,” and comes to realize that the body in the trunk is not his target – it is his precious daughter. Despite the jester’s dejected spirit, his taunts, his plot to kill the Duke, Gagnidze managed to make him, in this moment, a man with whom the audience could empathize. Even after vowing to avenge Monterone, sending his daughter away in disguise, and plotting a murder, he was still ultimately powerless to control his fate – a fear shared amongst nearly all of us deep down. The baritone’s final defeated cry of the curse was haunting – in fact, it sent a chill down my spine.
Rosa Feola Shines As Gilda
Making her highly anticipated Met debut as Rigoletto’s prepossessing young daughter Gilda, Italian soprano Rosa Feola revealed herself to be enchanting in the role. Feola’s mellifluous sound is of rich color and features a lovely quick spin that paints her as a youthful, energetic, if not somewhat naïve soul. A soul so pure and innocent that it will attract tragedy with magnetic force.
Her “Caro Nome” was the perfect balance of passionate and delicate. Jay Goodwin, the Met’s Editorial Director, mentions in the Program Note that because “Rigoletto” is driven constantly forward in an “arioso-like mixture” of recitative, aria, and ensemble numbers, it is important that Gilda’s signature aria (among other solo numbers) be “handled by the performers with tasteful understatement to avoid seeming out of place and stalling the crucial momentum.” As she sang of her beloved Gualtier Maldè, the Duke in disguise, Feola tenderly delivered skillful coloratura and jubilant trills, evoking the feeling of Gilda’s rapidly fluttering heart. Her staccato notes were punctuated with youthful anticipation, as if the young beauty could hardly catch her breath in her state of joy and excitement.
In revealing her disobedience to her father in the second Act, Feola initially presents her Gilda as distraught and embarrassed. However, as she relives the events leading up to that night – the discovery of the handsome young man at church, their romantic eyes-only conversations – she makes it clear that her distress has more to do with fear of hurting her father than her abduction and affair. In those moments, the infatuation of “Caro nome” could be still heard in her voice, gentle yet carrying an intense emotion, suggesting that she would remain beguiled by the Duke.
Feola performed Gilda’s final moments, as she chose to sacrifice herself for her lover, with a moving (almost frustratingly so) woefulness. Maintaining a warm, “pure” sound to the end, even through her sorrows and the thunder storm, the soprano highlighted Gilda’s youthful innocence in a way that not only made her death more heart wrenching but made Rigoletto’s loss all the more painful to experience.
The Duke – Antagonist?
Tenor Matthew Polenzani made for an animated Duke, introducing the casino owner to the audience with a jaunty, carefree rendition of “Questa o quella.” Throughout the opera, Polenzani sang with a vibrancy and clarity that captivated not only his female conquests but his Met audience.
Suavely dressed and confidently belting into a mic, our first impression of the Duke is that of the smooth womanizer we all love to hate. However, by the time the opera concluded, I found that I did not harbor strong negative feelings toward the character – I did not feel bothered by his escape from justice. And no, any lingering distaste was not simply dispelled by Polenzani’s charming execution of the character’s melodious tunes! Interestingly enough, it was the one-dimensional face the tenor gave to his character, completely absorbed in himself, that made the Duke tolerable, as it illuminated his symbolic, as opposed to outright antagonistic, role in the opera.
Polenzani performed the Act one duet with Gilda (his sound blended beautifully with Feola’s) and his Act two aria “Parmi veder” with such conviction that one would get the sense that the Duke was not only enamored with his latest catch, but actually believed in those feelings. Shortly after his affair with Gilda, when he jovially pumps out his well-known “La donna e mobile” and catches the attention of Maddalena (Ramona Zaharia), we were pulled from his magnetism.
This interpretation really highlights some psychopathic traits of the Duke: he sings the poetic words of what he believes is “love” (really, to him, a fleeting spark of pleasure), but does not genuinely comprehend their meaning. Due to the character’s charming but ultimately flat persona, I was left with the understanding that the he functioned more as a symbol of, or device for, misfortune than a person in whom one could become invested.
Image Of The Jester
Though Gagnidze’s performance was exciting, I noticed that his costume did little to provide a visual expression of his character. Appearing on stage in a simple sweater and trousers ensemble, the jester hardly looked his own part – the only evidence of his being a comedian were his taunts toward Ceprano and Monterone. Surely with a Vegas-themed production, his costume could have been a bit more flamboyant and jester-like.
Additionally, I felt that his deformity was underplayed, enough so that had it not been alluded to in the libretto, it may have gone unnoticed by those unfamiliar with the opera. I feel it’s important to note this, as Rigoletto’s negative self-image, which has developed as a result of his abnormal physical appearance among other misfortunes, is a driving force in the plot: his adversities lead to misery, his misery seeks company, he taunts and ridicules an aggrieved father, and ultimately he brings a curse upon himself. The father’s anguish in the opera’s final moments is most poignant when the audience understands that Gilda is a metaphor for the purity left in his life, and although we hear his self-depreciating words in the father-daughter Act one duet, it is more convincing when we can visually see a pitiable hunchbacked jester – especially in a time where some guests may not pick up on nuances in the music.
A Stormy Final Scene
While I enjoyed the casino primarily for its fun visual, I really felt that the translation of the inn to a sketchy club on the outskirts of town worked particularly well. Having departed earlier on the ominous rumble of his own name following an introductory chat with his now client, sinister hit man Sparafucile (Dimitry Ivashchenko) returned with his louche sister Maddalena in the doomy setting perfectly fit for a murder-for-hire plot. Zaharia brought some humanness to her dodgy character through expression of love for the Duke, desperately pleading with her brother, intent and intimidating, to spare his life. As the siblings hatched a plan to kill the next person who came through the door, Gilda, still consumed by the fire of young love, decides to sacrifice herself. The weather in the heavens was reflective of the drama on Earth, depicted on a huge screen featuring zigzagging neon lights that intensified along with the music and plot, up through the opera’s climax – Gilda’s murder.
All in all, the performance was thoroughly entertaining and the singers proved themselves well-suited to their parts. The Vegas themed production, with its casino, sketchy night club, and dubious ensemble, was an interesting and engaging concept for the opera, eliciting an omnipresent sense of foreboding that complemented the dark nature of the plot. Feola’s Met debut was indeed a triumph, enhanced by the artful performances of Gagnidze and Polenzani.
As an illustration of the apparent effectiveness of a curse—all the more alarming for being unforeseen—this episode might have found itself right at home in Verdi’s operatic universe. The device of the curse (along with its corollary, revenge) is, after all, as commonplace in nineteenth-century opera as the elaborate car chases meant to set the pulse pumping in blockbuster action films.
However, it is essential to note that curses are often seen as superstitions, and the curse of Rigoletto is no exception. Many claim that the curse is merely a coincidence or a result of the dangerous and demanding nature of productions involving complex scenery, intense emotions, and a challenging vocal score. Yet, the belief in the curse has persisted over the years, creating an air of mystery and intrigue around the opera. Despite the curse's aura, Rigoletto continues to be performed worldwide, captivating audiences with its powerful music and compelling story. The curse, whether real or imagined, has not deterred artists and performers from bringing this masterpiece to life on stage. In conclusion, the curse haunting Rigoletto is a topic that has fascinated and intrigued people for years. Whether based on actual misfortune or simple superstition, it adds an extra layer of mystique to an already compelling opera. The curse remains a part of the opera's legacy, reminding us that art sometimes holds secrets and mysteries that cannot be fully explained..
Reviews for "The fateful connections: how Rigoletto's curse links past and present"
1. Jane - 1/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "The Curse Haunting Rigoletto". The storyline was confusing and disjointed, making it hard to follow along. The acting was also subpar, with the characters lacking depth and emotion. I had high hopes for this production, but unfortunately, it fell far short of my expectations.
2. Mark - 2/5 stars - While "The Curse Haunting Rigoletto" had some interesting moments, overall, I found it to be lackluster. The pacing was slow, and there were many unnecessary scenes that didn't contribute much to the plot. Additionally, the costumes and sets felt outdated and didn't add any visual appeal to the production. I wouldn't recommend this to someone looking for an engaging and exciting theater experience.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I didn't enjoy "The Curse Haunting Rigoletto". The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the characters. The plot seemed convoluted and didn't seem to have a clear direction. While some of the actors did a decent job, others seemed miscast or lacking in their performances. Overall, I left the theater feeling uninspired and unimpressed.
4. David - 1/5 stars - "The Curse Haunting Rigoletto" was a complete letdown. The storyline was predictable, with no surprises or twists to keep me engaged. The dialogue was cliched and unoriginal, making it hard to invest in the characters. The production lacked creativity and innovation, feeling like a generic retelling of a tired narrative. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time or money on this production.