Verdi's Rigoletto Opera

Yesterday we were treated, by my kind mother, to a night of Italian opera at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham. The production was by Opera North, and consisted of a contemporary setting to Verdi's 19th Century opera. On the right is a picture from the telegraph of Rigoletto in action. Of course this seemed quite odd, as his character was Il Duca's "henchman" rather than the jester as described in the classic synopsis of the story. In any case, this was an excellent introduction for me into the world of opera, and I was particularly impressed with the way subtitles were available on plasma screens either side of the stage to make it possible for me to follow the dialogue. It was truly beautiful music, and from where we were sitting (upper circle) we could also see the orchestra pit!

My fascination with Giuseppe Verdi's music began when my wife and I dropped by the Birmingham Symphony Hall and took advantage of a last minute booking of Verdi's Requiem which I was bowled over by. It was such a powerful rendition of Dies Irae, even if too operatic and not liturgically suitable! This was also one of the first times I realised the Mass had such a rich cultural history, and that since we've had Mass in the vernacular this fact has largely escaped the younger generation. When my mother remarked, at last night's opera (paraphrase), "It's better to have Rigoletto subtitled than the alternative of re-writing it into English, in a similar way to foreign films" I replied, "very much like the Latin Mass!"

But before I digress I should really comment on how I was affected by the story and passion of the opera. Well, the story seemed to revolve around a curse on Rigoletto; instituted by the wronged Monterone (whose entrance was spectacular), whose daughter had been seduced by Il Duca (the Duke, Rigoletto's master). When Rigoletto is also wronged in a similar way, having his own daughter seduced, it falls on him to try and fulfill the curse by avenging Il Duca and plotting his death. This tragically backfires on Rigoletto, and for me goes to show that justice can only be dispensed by God Almighty! For me, an upcoming father to a lovely little daughter, it was particularly poignant to see the way Rigoletto was so protective over his daughter, trying to preserve her dignity and honour, in the face of the cruel outside world; to see his daughter then succumb to Il Duca's slimy charms! How painful that must be. Needless to say, children can be brought so far, but must eventually make their own decisions and know that support will always be near.