Giovanna D'arco Verdi

The Metropolitan Opera give a live performance of Verdi's work adapted from Victor Hugo's play 'Le roi s'amuse'. In this version, which has been updated to a 1960s Las Vegas setting by director Michael Mayer, Piotr Beczala portrays the philandering Duke with Zeljko Lucic as his sidekick Rigoletto and Diana Damrau as Rigoletto's daughter Gilda, who has been kept a secret by her father and falls for the Duke while unaware of his true identity. Michelle Mariotti conducts the Metropolitan Orchestra.

This 1977 production was highly enthusiastically received. Speight Jenkins, the noted critic and opera impresario, wrote of Cornell MacNeil's Rigoletto in the New York Post that "few have ever sung a more moving denunciation of the courtiers or a better Vengeance Duet with Gilda. His was a great Verdian interpretation… Dramatically (Domingo) and Miss Cotrubas did not make a false move, and the same camn be said for Justino Diaz' ominous, well-sung Sparafucile, Isola Jones, the Maddalena…while John Cheek made a stirring Monterone. conducted with the command of Verdi that has so often been his trademark. His adherence to the composer's markings, his rhythm and his opneing of the traditional small cuts in the opera all made for a superb musical performance.

From the innovative and gorgeous "Tutto Verdi" project comes a chance to catch all the high points! The "Tutto Verdi" highlights DVD and Blu-ray discs include arias from 20 Verdi operas. The selections hail from the best-known and -loved productions like Aida, La Traviata, and Rigoletto as well as lesser-known beauties, all in HD and surround sound.

This extraordinarily powerful 1983 production may be the best-sung performance by Luciano Pavarotti on DVD, but when acting values are counted in, Ingvar Wixell manages to outshine the tenor star. Verdi gave the Duke two of Italian opera's most brilliant arias ("Questa o quella" and "La donna e mobile"), but he gave the deformed jester Rigoletto a depth and complexity of character that is reflected in music of great variety and enormous emotional impact: the cruel mockery of the opening scene, the self-doubts inspired by his dialogue with Sparafucile, the paternal anxieties and final despair at his daughter's sad fate, and the burning, self-destructive thirst for revenge. All these motives work their way into music of great dramatic richness, variety, and intensity. Wixell rises to its challenges, not only in the title role but in a cameo appearance as Rigoletto's nemesis Monterone. Location filming provides an atmosphere unavailable in staged productions. (Joe McLellan)

The opera was based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo and is perceived to be the first of Verdi’s great masterpieces of his mid-to-late career. This performance features a top-class cast, led by Nino Machaidze and Leo Nucci.
Nucci simply owns the role of Rigoletto…a master-class in vocal acting…Machaidze is the very embodiment of Gilda. Her characterization is simply marvellous…[she] has a lovely full tone - this is no canary Gilda - with 'Caro nome' poised and emotional…The supporting cast is excellent…I was highly impressed by Massino Zanetti's conducting. (International Record Review)