Performed in ItalianThe performance will have synchronised Russian and supertitles
Premiere of this production: 19 December 2000
Opera in three acts Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave after the play Le Roi
s’amuse by Victor Hugo Performed in Italian Artistic director - Evgeny
Kolobov Conductor Antonino Fogliani (Italy) Stage Director - Ralph
Langbaka (Finland) Set Designer - Lennart Mork (Sweden) Choirmasters -
Natalya Popovich, Sergey Lysenko Lighting Designer Gleb
Filshtinsky
Performed in Italian with Russian surtitles
Running time: 3 hours 5 minutes with two
intermissions
Premiered on 19 December 2000
The production was awarded the Casta Diva Russian Opera Prize as the
“Event of the Year” in 2000.
The court jester Rigoletto, a spiteful hunchback, revenges
his many years of humiliation on others by ruthlessly aiding vice. He is the
main procurer of young girls to the dissolute Duke of Mantua. But “divine
justice” befalls Rigoletto, while his daughter becomes the sacrificial lamb.
Protecting and cherishing his daughter, he hopes to receive forgiveness. When he
loses her, he is enlightened, but, alas, it’s too late.
At a ball
in the palace of the Duke of Mantua, the court jester Rigoletto, a hunchback,
taunts Count Ceprano, whose wife is the target of the Duke’s wandering eye.
Count Monterone, whose daughter the Duke has seduced, pushes his way in and
calls a curse on the Duke for destroying his daughter’s honour and Rigoletto for
making jest of it. Through trickery, Rigoletto’s daughter, Gilda, is carried off
to the Duke to suffer the same fate as Monterone’s daughter. Rigoletto plots his
revenge through use of the assassin Sparafucile and his sister Maddalena. But
when a court jester plots revenge, who will have the last laugh? Things do not
go as planned for Rigoletto as the curse comes back to haunt him.
Synopsis
FIRST ACT
First scene
Following a beautiful unknown girl, whom he accidentally had met in Madrid,
the Count Almaviva arrived in Seville under a name of Lindoro. His servant
Fiorello managed to find out the girl’s address. To entice Rosina from the house
the Count sings her a serenade at night, but all his efforts are in vain… The
Count pays off musicians.
The barber Figaro recently moved in Siviglia, enjoying wide popularity here.
By chance he is brought together with his former master – Almaviva. Fortunately
to the Barber the Count, as it turned out, is in love with Dr. Bartolo’s ward –
Rosina, and in this situation a person who can enter Doctor’s house may be
extremely useful!
Meanwhile Bartolo is away for a short while. A new serenade by “Lindoro”
turns out to be more successful than the first one. The Count demands from
Figaro to bring him in to Bartolo’s house. To this the Barber suggests him to
pretend to be a drunken soldier. After that he gives a long and confused
explanation about his address in Seville, but without success, as it seems.
Sums, promised by the Count for his service, makes Figaro to give himself up to
rosy dreams… Second scene
Rosina is ready to run away with a splendid “Lindoro”, but how to do that? To
write a letter! Figaro, as usual, comes to offer his services to Rosina, but she
has no time to say a word about the letter as he disappears, hearing Doctor’s
steps.
Bartolo suspects that Figaro has come on purpose. He has heard that his ward
is noticed by the Count Almaviva and intends without delay to make Rosina his
wife tonight. A patient, that has come to him, a military musician Don Basilio,
works up a strategy of the battle: first, to defame an enemy spitefully, second,
immediately to make a marriage contract between Rosina and Bartolo. Their
conversation is overheard by Figaro: the girl should hurry up, if she does not
like to marry her guardian! Rosina gives the letter to the Barber, but Dr
Bartolo is already here and sets a trap to her, trying to catch her. The Count
disguised as a drunken soldier bursts into the house and tries to hand a letter
to Rosina. A fight begins between the Count and Bartolo. A noise draws attention
of a military patrol. After hearing to confused explanations from all who are
present, the Officer takes a decision to arrest the “soldier”. After a short
talk with a perspective prisoner tкteatкte, he changes his decision.
Nobody understands anything.
SECOND ACT
First scene
The Count again penetrates Bartolo’s house under a new mask to find a way to
Rosina’s heart. Disguised as Don Alonso, a faithful pupil of supposedly ill Don
Basilio, he gives the girl a singing lesson. Rosina performs an aria from a
popular opera “La Fille mal gardйe”. Old Bartolo does not approve of modern
music.
Figaro comes to shave the Doctor so that the lovers could talk without
trouble. Suddenly Don Basilio comes… A sum of money helps to diagnose scarlatina
with him and to suggest an idea to him to return home and receive medical
treatment. Rosina is going to escape with Almaviva at midnight, but Bartolo
again suspects of something and casts reproaches upon her. The servant Berta,
who has got tired of strange quarrels and shouts, dreams about
love… Second scene
Dr. Bartolo and Don Basilio work up a plot: it’s necessary to convince
Rosina, that Lindoro has another lover and he is an agent sent to kidnap the
girl for the Count Almaviva. Rosina agrees to the immediate marriage to Bartolo.
At midnight sharp the Count appears, but Rosina meets her “Lindoro” not the way
that he has expected. To become reconciled with the girl Almaviva is forced to
reveal his real name. The time for escape is missed; Basilio, the Notary and
then Bartolo appear. Rosina’s kidnapping is cancelled. The Count has at once to
marry lawfully in presence of all witnesses.
"Rigoletto" - G.Verdi. Opera in three acts - Novaya Opera
About This Video
01:19
Rigoletto is a classic example of the Verdi theatre: passionate, tearful, tender and evil,with historical costumes and a romantic environment. The co-project of the Novaya Opera and the Savonlinna Opera Festival, Rigoletto has run on stage more than fifteen years, enjoying unvarying success. In different years this production featured Dmitry Hvorostovsky and Franz Grundheber as Rigoletto and was conducted by Evgeny Kolobov and Antonino Fogliani.
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