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Rigoletto
Last Thursday’s October 14th performance of Rigoletto was an eye opener. I have always had preconceived notions that the opera is boring and dull. The lack of dialogue and outdated style has always been unappealing to me. But watching Rigoletto changed all of that. The first thing that caught my eye was the gorgeous scenery. The backdrop gave everything such a realistic feel throughout the entire performance.
Having a previous understanding of what the opera was about, made it much more enjoyable. Instead of trying to figure out what was going on, I was able to appreciate the talent and voices of the performers. It amazed me that they could all project their voices so well in an opera house as large as the Met. Although at times, I found it difficult to hear Gilda when she was not singing extremely high notes. The emotion that the singers sang with added to the excitement of the performance. It also helped move the plot along and made it easier to follow. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the opera actually had some humorous parts to it, contrary to my assumptions that it was mainly boring.
The music itself was quite remarkable. Whatever emotion was being played out on stage was audible through the music. It helped heighten tension, convey fear, and intensify love, during all three arias, adding tremendously to the overall performance. I did not fully understand why the orchestra conductor needed a five-minute applause before each aria. Isn’t just one enough? This also occurred with the singers, who came out and took a bow after each aria, and received a five-minute applause. This made it seem like they thought they deserved the recognition and only added to the pretentious name the opera has for itself. Why one bow at the end, with all the performers could not suffice, I am unsure.
Right before the first intermission, someone came out and made an announcement that George Gagnidze who played Rigoletto, was recovering from a cold. This is the same announcement that was made during the opening night performance. It sounds like a pretty long recovery if you ask me. I did not hear anything wrong with Gagnidze performance, but I am sure that other more avid operagoers started nitpicking after the first intermission.
Rigoletto really helped me develop a stronger appreciation for the opera and all the hard work that goes into it. I will no longer place it at the bottom of the entertainment totem pole.
By: Rebecca Glikman