SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL OPERA  REVIEW
 

Verdi, Rigoletto: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Teatro Argentino. Conductor: Guillermo Brizzio, Teatro Argentino, La Plata. 27.6.2010 (JSJ)

Director: Pablo Maritano

Sets: Daniel Feijóo

Costumes: Sofía Di Nunzio

Lighting: Gabriel Lorenti

Chorus: Miguel Martínez

 

Cast:

Rigoletto: Lisandro Guinis / Fabián Veloz

Gilda: Sabina Puértolas / Eleonora Sancho

Duke of Mantua: Darío Schmunck / Leonardo Pastore

Sparafucile: Christian Peregrino / Ariel Cazes

Maddalena: Mónica Sardi / Florencia Machado

Monterone: Ernesto Bauer / Gustavo Feulién

Count Ceprano: Alberto Jáuregui Lorda / Víctor Castells

Borsa: Sergio Spina / Emanuel Esteban

Marullo: Emiliano Bulacios / Ricardo Crampton

Giovanna: Matilde Isnardi / Susana Paladino

Countess Ceprano: Oriana Favaro / Ximena Ibarrolaza

Page: Cecilia Pastawski / Victoria Gaeta

Ujier: Juan Fernández Mendy / Jorge Koszarek

L-R  Matilde Isnardi (Giovanna) Sabina Puértolas (Gilda) and Lisandro Guinis (Rigoletto)

After the Ainadamar experience the Teatro Argentino returned to the more traditional repertoire for its next offering, with a new production of Rigoletto – a staple of the house returning after its longest gap of more than a decade since the start of the available records on this work in the 1930s.

Overall this production by Pablo Maritano was a very traditional one, with believable scenery and good use made of the scenic elements. Thus, during the prelude, Rigoletto was seen coming out of his home and ascending a tall flight of stairs up the side of a building where he entered, and then the building front was removed to reveal the interior – the interior of the Duke’s palace – where the work opens. The downside of this, however, was in this interior a raised stage area somewhat set back, which impacted on the acoustics.

The opening party, an orgy in this case, complete with breasts falling out of open blouses, set the tone for the production in accentuating the varying emotions – there the Duke’s lust, later Rigoletto’s love and tenderness for Gilda, and ultimately of course tragedy as he discovers his dying daughter in the sack meant for the Duke.

Lisandro Guinis, a Platense by birth, was a powerful Rigoletto, both visually and vocally. With a firm line across the range, he convincingly portrayed all the emotions, without being trite. Spanish soprano Sabina Puértolas as Gilda was also good and her voice, light but somewhat closed, is well suited to the role of a young innocent. However, Dario Schmunck as the Duke failed to impress – maybe it was an off night but while technically faultless, vocally he was light and his characterization lacked impact.

Christian Peregrino was a suitably dark Sparafucile and Mónica Sardi was a flirty Maddalena – and the idea of having their house side-on with the interior on one side and the exterior on the othermaking up the other half with a little drawbridge in between worked well. Ernesto Bauer also was noteworthy as Monterone, and the other parts were also mostly well done.

Guillermo Brizzio commanded the orchestra well and the chorus were also well up to par to make this an excellent, but not quite outstanding, production.

Jonathan Spencer Jones

Picture © Genitti / Teatro Argentino

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