James Westman / Recensioni

It doesn't matter whether “Rigoletto” is a father-daughter story, an intrigue of political decay, a tale of unrequited love or a costumed affair with beautiful music, Giuseppe Verdi's 1851 masterpiece doesn't grow old. The varied elements came together almost seamlessly Friday night at downtown's Municipal Auditorium in the San Antonio Opera's final production of its 2009-10 season. Talent flowed from the stage at every turn of this emotionally complex opera. A great deal of the credit should go to Sam Mungo's well-paced stage direction and Enrique Patrón de Rueda's baton. The pit orchestra absolutely glowed and glittered throughout. The cast members won the evening, however, as they ignited their characters through the inflections of their singing instead of relying on acting, the costumes or the set, although all of those added to the opera's success. The most striking stage presence came from baritone Daniel Sutin as the court's jester and title character. His singing effectively articulated his ardent overprotectiveness, as his daughter's father, and his obsession with a curse placed upon him in the first scene.Soprano Audrey Elizabeth Luna, as Rigoletto's daughter, Gilda, delivered the best singing. Luna hit all her high notes in her big aria, “Caro nome,” which launches the opera's doomed love affair. Tenor Michael Wade Lee, as the duke of Mantua, executed the role of the despicable villain to the hilt. The story wouldn't work without the duke's shameless attitude toward women. Yet, Lee effortlessly tossed off, wonderfully, what may be opera's most famous aria, “La donna è mobile,” without making it sound like a cliché. Minor characters held up their end. The assassin Sparafucile, sung by Matthew Trevino, and Sparafucile's overly senuous sister, Maddalena, portrayed by Dana Beth Miller, stood out in the stormy final act.