This is Opera North’s first new production of Verdi’s Rigoletto for sixteen years, and for British-Nigerian Femi Elufowoju Jr., his theatrical skills honed at Stratford East’s Theatre Royal, a first venture at directing opera. With a cast comprised of several ON debutants, the result is an undoubted musical triumph, although something of a directorial oddity.
An obvious, abiding difficulty in choosing an anti-hero – Don Giovanni, Peter Grimes – for an operatic subject is to find enough appealing humanity to such a self-evidently flawed character so as to make an audience sympathetic as to his ultimate fate. We need enough evidence to, at least, understand mitigating underlying reasons – hormonal, upbringing, cruelties of fate – to account for their errant behaviour. Rigoletto is perhaps the hardest of all to redeem. As ever, he is despised, not so much for his physical deformities as Verdi’s original Court Jester, and certainly not as an ostentatious braggart courtier, as Mr. Elufowoju casts him, but as the Duke’s toady, mocking the victims of his master’s profligate defilements. As a father, he is as keen as any other to keep his daughter from the rake’s roaming eye, but, whilst we willingly look out for young Gilda, we still think Rigoletto himself gets everything he deserves. As Miss Prism observed elsewhere, “That is what fiction is all about.”
Eric Greene‘s Rigoletto provides sincerity without any loss in sophistication, the barbed arrogance of his taunts splendidly contrasting with the desperation and hushed vulnerability of dealing with the curse under which he labours. Verdi’s original conception involved a continuous sequence of duets and Rigoletto and Gilda, in both their Act I combination and the achingly despondent Act III departure, bring together carefully matched voices to engagingly beautiful music. Rigoletto’s solo venture, Act I’s Pari Siamo (‘We Are Alike’) gives us a generous baritone of expressive declamation and touching tenderness.
As the one ray of optimism for humankind, Jasmine Habersham‘s Gilda, for me the highlight of the night, sings Caro Nome Che Il Mio Cor (‘Beloved Name, The First To Move The Pulse Of Love Within My Heart’) with a radiant warmth that claims the audience’s favour immediately. After that, she can do no wrong vocally, though, as an Italian operatic heroine, she is still fated to die for love. Her Act III confessional Tutte Le Feste Al Tempio (‘Each holy day’) is sung with all the youthful innocence, compassionate and persuasive ardour for which one might hope. Miss Habersham, one senses, is destined for great things.
Making an ON first appearance too is Siberian-born, Roman Arndt, a lyrical tenor of great agility and no mean strength. His is a believable irresolute, philandering Duke, an autocrat answerable to no-one, the head of a regime, as Voltaire once described in another context as “absolutism tempered only by occasional assassination”. Vocally, he is full of self-ordained axioms such as the Act I Questa O Quella (‘This One Or That One’) and the very famous La Donne E Mobile (‘Women Are Fickle’), which he delivers with an assured aplomb.
Callum Thorpe‘s Sparafucile, the assassin, is a distinguished basso, who can vocalise the details of contractual negotiations with all the cut-throat bite, as if enacting the deed itself. His low pedal notes are fitting cadential endings as if the paperwork is signed and sealed at the same time.
A special mention must be reserved for Sir Willard White, as forceful a bass as I remember as Count Monterone, whose indignant and furious curse upon the Duke and sycophant underling might be heard all the way down New Briggate. This is his first operatic appearance here in over 20 years and most welcome it is.
Hazel Croft‘s Giovanna, Molly Barker‘s Countess Ceprano and Ross McInroy as her outraged husband all give strong support, showing the excellence of the cast throughout.
Conductor Garry Walker has the orchestra alert and precise, judging tempi to let the voices articulate the words and never letting the action flag. Rae Smith‘s sets are breathtaking, judging by the audience reaction, glamorous splendour of the Court in Act I, bizarre surrealism of Gilda’s safe house in Act II and a seedy, grubby suburb in Act III, whilst Howard Hudson‘s outsized neon-lighting and darkening backdrop evokes a fitting night storm in the finale.
Sung in Italian with English titles.
Further performances: Leeds Grand Theatre at 7 p.m. on Saturday 29 January, Friday 04 February, Friday 11 February (audio described) and Saturday 19 February.
Then touring Salford Quays, Nottingham, Newcastle and Hull until 01 April.
Photographs by Clive Barda. Feature photograph: Eric Greene as Rigoletto and Roman Arndt as the Duke of Mantua.
