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GELFAND’S WORLD - I've always found the storyline in Rigoletto to be creepy. Why is it that the girl always has to (figuratively speaking) throw herself in front of the bus to save her rat of a boyfriend, even as the menfolk get away with doing terrible things? I know, she DOES IT FOR LOVE and it results in some wonderful music. It is a plotline of some of the greatest operas of the 19th century.
That having been said, Verdi's masterpiece of an opera has some memorable tunes that audiences leave humming. The most memorable is La Donna e' Mobile' sung by the Duke of Mantua. There are lots of examples on the internet. Here is one version from the Royal Opera.
The other most memorable tune is the aria Caro Nome from the first act and is sung by the character Gilda. Here is one example.
The LA Opera has been doing Rigoletto the last couple of weeks, with one performance remaining this weekend. If you like this kind of music (and who wouldn't?) then you are unlikely to find it much better than in this production.
Wednesday night's performance at the Music Center featured Kathryn Lewek as Gilda. To borrow the old cliche, she stole the show. Lewek replaces Lisette Oropesa in this role for the last two performances. As the program notes explain, she is an accomplished opera star who has been featured in the world's best opera houses in Mozart's Queen of the Night role from the Magic Flute.
Quinn Kelsey, also an established opera star, sang the role of Rigoletto. This is the hunchback court jester who is supposed to make the Duke laugh, but who carries around a seething rage that will ultimately get his beloved daughter killed. Like I said, creepy, but musically stunning.
Rene Barbera was featured as the Duke of Mantua. I went into the performance wondering if the Duke could deliver the goods with enough volume to shake the rafters up in the balcony, but he managed to be heard, and he had the kind of voice that sells tickets.
In keeping with the post-Covid evolution of opera here in L.A., the cast members were mainly American born and trained. The singers mentioned so far came from, respectively, East Lyme, Connecticut, New Orleans, Honolulu, and San Antonio, Texas. Other American cast members came from Paducah, Kentucky, Grass Valley, California, and Minot, North Dakota. This company managed to squeeze in a singer from South Korea and another from China, along with one Brazilian.
What we didn't see was the old style operatic performance that was populated mainly by Europeans. There are lots of terrific English and European opera singers -- that's not the issue -- but it would appear that L.A. Opera can put on a world class production out here on the frontier and not be beholden to the pool of European performers.
One other thing about opera here in L.A. -- Audiences here don't have to worry about orchestral performance. We go into the theater understanding that the instrumental part will be excellent. This Rigoletto was no exception. Perhaps we are taking our good luck for granted here, but James Conlon is going to be missed when he no longer is full time Music Director.
Two other thoughts about Rigoletto. I find that I am not alone in thinking that the plot is a bit weird and definitely old fashioned. I chatted with a few members of the younger generation after the performance. One young woman explained that she often has to ignore the themes of 17th - 19th century works in order to enjoy the musical parts. Another young woman described the plot of Rigoletto as it applies to Gilda as "Rapey."
All that having been said, conductor James Conlon considered a different aspect of the Rigoletto story. As he explained, Verdi was revolutionary in making societal outcasts into his protagonists. Rigoletto is a physically deformed court jester, while another one of his heroines is a sex worker. You can read Conlon's take on Verdi's genius and the remarkable accomplishments of Rigoletto here.
By the way, tickets are now on sale for the next season, and it is a season that is well worth catching. It will include, among other shows, West Side Story, La Boheme, and the remarkable Phillip Glass opera Akhnaten. You can find information at Laopera.org.
(Bob Gelfand writes on science, culture, and politics for CityWatch. He can be reached at [email protected])
