Revisões de produção anteriores
4Kyungho Kim’s gleaming tenor provided vocal thrills, and he got the Duke’s self-absorption down pat.
The stage premiere of the Národní divadlo’s powerful new production of Verdi’s Rigoletto directed by Barbora Horáková Joly was a gala night at the opera. The splendor of the newly restored State Opera, to say nothing of the audience’s response and an entire flower shop’s stock delivered on stage during the curtain calls, added to the luster of the evening. And for all the talk about the death of fashion post-COVID-19, the younger people in the audience didn’t get the memo.
On 20 January, at the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera, for the 68th time, a poster featured a production of Giuseppe Verdi's "Rigoletta" directed by Gilbert Deflo, which is over twenty years old. The performance is modeled on the production of La Scala, which premiered in 1995, which means that the costumes and set design are a copy of those from the Milanese performance, adapted to the size of the stage of the Polish National Opera. "Rigoletto" Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera, photo: Krzysztof Bieliński During the twenty years of "Rigoletta's presence" on the Warsaw stage, the cast has seen a whole galaxy of stars, ranging from Andrzej Dobber, Agnieszka Zwierko and Artur Ruciński, to guest performances by Piotr Beczała and Aleksandra Kurzak, which electrified the Warsaw audience. Today, alongside well-known singers, the rising stars of Polish vocalism debut, bringing youth and a breath of freshness to this patina-covered realization. "Rigoletto" Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera, photo: Krzysztof Bieliński Warsaw's "Rigoletto" is aging with class. Monumental, decorative decorations, the change of which is so complicated that a dozen or so minutes after the start of the performance, one of as many as three twenty-minute breaks is needed, are made with reverence and attention to detail. The sumptuous palace of the Duke of Mantua, elaborate costumes referring to historical costumes from the era allow you to plunge into the magical world of theater that many viewers yearn for today. While the modernized regietheater productions are becoming a thing of the past after only a few or a dozen performances, classic productions such as "Rigoletto" or "Nabucco" have been attracting crowds thirsty for a faithful libretto, a scenographically rich performance, for years. "Rigoletto" Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera, photo: Krzysztof Bieliński The attraction of this year's series of performances was also a cast consisting of proven singers who have been performing their roles for years and young adepts of the profession, who managed to create memorable vocal and acting creations. Andrzej Dobber was, as always, excellent – especially in the scene of begging for his daughter's devotion, and Aleksandra Kubas-Kruk captivated with a beautiful, shiny, lyrical timbre of voice and fervor of interpretation. Tadeusz Szlenkier confirmed his position as one of the leading Polish tenors, and his noble-sounding voice captivated in the famous aria of the Duke of Mantua La donna è mobile. "Rigoletto" Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera, photo: Krzysztof Bieliński Iurie Maimescu, a native of Moldova, cursed with the right power, and Łukasz Konieczny in the role of Sparafucil fantastically conveyed the character of a paid murderer. A lot of good can also be said about Anna Bernacka and Elżbieta Wróblewska, who perform as Maddalena and Giovanna. Particular praise was deserved by young singers performing in supporting roles, but attracting the viewer's attention with their vocal skills and stage freedom. Currently studying at the prestigious Juilliard School and winning further awards in vocal competitions, Hubert Zapiór (Marullo) is a very talented baritone, who is additionally helped by acting skills gained at the Warsaw Theatre Academy. As Countess Ceprano, Bożena Bujnicka delighted with her beauty and voice, whom earlier this season I could admire in "Orpheus and Eurydice" in Lublin, and in the role of the count he became known as a very promising young bass Jasin Rammal-Rykała. "Rigoletto" Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera, photo: Krzysztof Bieliński Patrick Fournillier is a conductor who works very well with singers and the performance under his baton could satisfy the most demanding opera lovers musically.
'La Bohème' also plays at Christmas time. Johannes Leiacker's blue-framed stage design is wintry. It's snowing and snowing. The freezing artists live on a cinemascope-sized pedestal close to heaven. A counter in the Latin Quarter, a giant saluting upside down -Nicholas, shine of lights, a chapel with Mickey Mouse masks, the night city in the distance: it's nice to look at.
