The Atlanta Opera’s production of Verdi’s Rigoletto is dark, decadent and electrifying, spotlighting a top-notch cast, from the world-class principal singers to the sturdy men’s chorus.
For the opera lover, this staging at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre (running through Sunday) is a must-see. The company is offering a free livestream of the November 10 performance at 8 p.m., with a pre-show starting at 7 p.m.
George Gagnidze, one of the world’s reigning baritones, leads the production as Rigoletto, the hapless jester whose daughter, Gilda, becomes the prey of the lecherous Duke of Mantua.
Gagnidze’s burnished baritone is complemented by the sparkling soprano of Macon native Jasmine Habersham as Gilda and the robust tenor of Won Whi Choi as the Duke.
Director Tomer Zvulun offers a modern take on the 1851 opera that provocatively connects the work, usually set in the Italian Renaissance, to our own troubled world, marked by violence and the depredations of the privileged. The sets and costumes may suggest fascist Italy of the 1920s and ’30s, but the overall spirit seems contemporary.
Deception lies at the heart of the opera: The Duke deceives Gilda, Rigoletto is deceived by an assassin, Gilda deceives herself.
Fittingly, masks (a tool of deception) are a prominent part of the opera’s opening ball scene. The Duke’s sycophantic courtiers are attired not in 16th century garb but in tuxes. With clowns and scantily clad dancers added to the mix, along with a torrent of mirthless laughter, the opening ball is the very picture of debauched revelry among the powerful elite.
Zvulun and his cast don’t downplay the melodrama of the opera but passionately embrace it. Instead of swords, the courtiers carry handguns. Indeed, a surprising act of gun violence early in the opera sets the tone for the brutality that follows. It also alters our perception of the Duke, often depicted as a charming if shallow and selfish rogue; he’s the one who sings one of opera’s greatest hits, “La donna e Mobile” (“Woman is Fickle”). In Zvulun’s gritty staging, the Duke becomes a callous villain.
The opera, of course, is not without its tender moments, particularly the poignant father-daughter duets between Rigoletto and Gilda. Rigoletto is a ceaselessly tuneful opera — indeed, Verdi thought it one of his best — that includes some of opera’s most familiar arias, such as the aforementioned “La donna e Mobile” and the soprano tour de force “Caro Nome” (“Sweet Name”).
Gagnidze is superb in the title role, with a voice both powerful and capable of caressing lyricism.
Habersham, with a radiant soprano, negotiates the challenging pyrotechnics of “Caro Nome” with skill and crystalline high notes.
Choi brings suave phrasing to the Duke’s seduction arias and clarion assertiveness to “La donna e Mobile.” In the tradition of swaggering Dukes of the past, Choi hangs on to the high notes, thrillingly so.
The remarkable young bass Patrick Guetti plays the assassin Sparafucile with a chilling stage presence and a voice of stentorian, cavernous resonance.
The lustrous-voiced Olivia Vote is Maddalena, Sparafucile’s partner in crime. David Crawford brings a rich bass-baritone to the role of Monterone.
The men’s chorus, directed by Rolando Salazar, sings with gusto and clear, skillful articulation.
Conductor Roberto Kalb, in his Atlanta Opera debut, leads a lucid and artfully detailed performance, balancing urgency and lyricism. Kalb exhibits a keen sense of musicality as he lovingly lingers over some phrases, allowing the music to blossom in the best Italianate style. The Atlanta Opera Orchestra sounds great and responds beautifully to Kalb’s direction.
Erhard Rom designed the fine, towering sets. Thomas Hase’s stark lighting, sometimes leaving parts of the stage in deep shadow, perfectly complements the darkness/light dichotomy of the story.
The excellent creative team includes Jessica Jahn (costume design), Melanie Steele (wig and makeup design) and Ricardo Aponte (choreographer).
Two performances remain of this compelling production of Rigoletto, on November 10 and 12.
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Paul Hyde, a longtime arts journalist, teaches English at a college in South Carolina. He writes regularly for Classical Voice North America and the Greenville Journal.
