Above: Rosa Feola and Benjamin Bernheim in RIGOLETTO at The Met
Author: Oberon
Saturday November 26th, 2022 matinee - After reading several glowing reviews of the French tenor Benjamin Bernheim over the past few years, and hearing of his recent success in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR opposite Lisette Oropesa at Vienna and Zurich, I decided to add today's Met matinee of RIGOLETTO to my schedule. And I'm glad I did! This afternoon's performance was strongly cast, from the title-role down to the Page and Guard.
This was my first time to see the Bartlett Sher production. The staging is inoffensive, with some interesting ideas; but the scene of Gilda's sacrifice at the inn was clumsily managed. The set sometimes revolves like a carousel on high speed. Having been brought to the palace by the courtiers, Gilda seems eager when the duke comes to her, but then she seems humiliated when she emerges from the bedroom soon after. Having a bloodstain on her white nightgown might have been a telling touch.
In my estimation, Mr. Bernheim carried off top vocal honors. The voice is wonderfully clear and well-projected, with top notes that bloom. He is capable of ravishing soft singing, and he keeps the music fresh with subtle dynamic shifts. His performance was stylish and assured; I certainly hope we will hear more of him at The Met.
Quinn Kelsey's Rigoletto (photo above) was sung with great power and commitment. His incredibly sustained "Ah no, è follia!" at the end of the "Pari siamo!" monolog was one of the afternoon's great thrills, and throughout the opera, his vocal generosity seemed boundless. Whether it was the baritone's decision or the conductor's, "Cortigiani, vil razza dannato!" was taken at an absurdly fast pace, giving it a surface urgency rather than a deeper sense of feeling; but when "Miei signori..." was reached, the great beauty and tenderness of the Kelsey voice was at its most impressive. There were a few rather husky notes as the opera progressed, but overall Kelsey's Rigoletto was a stunning performance. (I should mention here the beautiful playing of the cellist in the "Miei signori..." section).
Rosa Feola had many lovely passages as Gilda, though the sound of the voice is not truly distinctive. To me, she seems more of a lyric rather than a coloratura soprano, and some of the topmost notes tested her a bit. It would be nice to hear her as Liu or Mimi.
Aside from Mr. Bernheim, John Relyea's Sparafucile was a big draw for me. The basso cuts a fine figure as the assassin, and his dark timbre is perfect for this music. At the end of his Act I encounter with Rigoletto, Mr. Relyea's incredibly sustained low-F drew a round of applause.
In her Met debut role of Maddalena, Aigul Akhmetshina displayed an attractive presence and a plushy voice; she merits more Met opportunities. I consider Monterone to be a very important character in the opera; though his scenes are relatively brief, if they are powerfully delivered they can make a great impact. Today Bradley Garvin sang the role with vivid authority. As the courtiers, Scott Scully (Borsa), Jeongcheol Cha (Marullo), and Paul Corona and Brittany Renee (the Cepranos) were all excellent, and Edyta Kulczak's Giovanna - clearly on the Duke's payroll - had a memorable moment: as Rigoletto stands aghast at having been an accomplice in the kidnapping of this own daughter, the nurse flees the house with her suitcase. Brilliant!
How many times over the decades that I have been going to the opera have the singers of the Page and the Guard in RIGOLETTO captured my attention? Today was the first! Met choristers Andrea Coleman and Yohan Yi each stepped up to bat, and each hit a home run. Ms. Coleman has a bit more to sing, and she sang it prettily indeed; and Mr. Yi's "Schiudete: ire al carcere Monteron dee!" was strikingly voiced. I borrowed this photo of Mr. Yi and Ms. Coleman from the Met Chorus's Facebook page:
I met Speranza Scapucci when she was at Juilliiard; several of my young singer-friends who were studying there at the time spoke highly of her. Lately, she has come into her own, with prestigious productions on her resumé, including a debut at La Scala conducting Bellini's CAPULETI ED I MONTECCHI featuring Ms. Oropesa as Giulietta. This run of RIGOLETTO marked her Met debut performances.
From the pit, Ms. Scapucci certainly gave us a lively RIGOLETTO; the opera swept by with a feeling of inevitability, yet she also had a handle on the more reflective passages. The only drawback, really, was her tendency to let the brass players cover the voices; things got out of hand in the 'storm' trio in the final act, where Mlles. Feola and Akhmetshina and Mr. Relyea were giving their all, to no avail.
Metropolitan Opera House
Saturday November 26th, 2022 matinee
RIGOLETTO
Giuseppe Verdi
Rigoletto...............Quinn Kelsey
Gilda...................Rosa Feola
Duke of Mantua..........Benjamin Bernheim
Maddalena...............Aigul Akhmetshina
Sparafucile.............John Relyea
Monterone...............Bradley Garvin
Borsa...................Scott Scully
Marullo.................Jeongcheol Cha
Count Ceprano...........Paul Corona
Countess Ceprano........Brittany Renee
Giovanna................Edyta Kulczak
Page....................Andrea Coleman
Guard...................Yohan Yi
Conductor...............Speranza Scappucci
~ Oberon