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Kieron Quirke's rating
, Rigoletto is as enthralling as ever
By
Kieron Quirke
22 Sep 2009
It's back again. Jonathan Miller’s Rigoletto was first produced at ENO in 1982 and has racked up 12 revivals since. The man himself has returned to direct this one. The lovely sets remain well-kept and sturdy. A shame then that last night’s fine performance wobbled in the middle.
Miller’s production famously substitutes the 16th-century court of the Duke of Mantua with a beautifully realised world of 1950s Mafiosi, where the code of vendetta that drives Rigoletto and his tormentors feels not out of place. The hotel bar where Michael Fabiano’s sultry Duke cuckolds his subjects is a decadent place buzzing with excited and outraged chorus members. Fabiano has real threat: a vain bully who’s learned some love songs.
Among his thugs, Anthony Michaels-Moore’s Rigoletto is a believable standout turn — his magnificent, theatrical baritone that of a man who can topple the mighty by jest alone. Later, the same voice rages at fate and makes you tremble. It’s in the introspective, almost ghostly second scene that Michaels-Moore seemed less at ease. It did not help that, as Gilda, Katherine Whyte’s tremulous pipe took a while to warm. Her acting, too, was initially uncertain: Caro Nome delivered as if to a gala audience.
Yet come the second act, with the ever lively ENO chorus and conductor Stephen Lord’s bold dynamics injecting some drama into proceedings, Whyte too perked up and gave her best. The final act — set around that glowing, dingy Hopper-esque bar — was as enthralling as ever.
In rep until 23 Oct (www.eno.org).
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (3)
Yet another brilliant revival from ENO and if the audience reaction on the second night was anything to go by a welcome return. This is the second production in their new season and with 5 out of 7 productions between now and Christmas being new. What more can an opera junkie ask for.
As for Charles's comments, perhaps he should look at the scheduling at the Royal Opera House where they receive more than double the amount of public subsidy that ENO receives and this season are reviving some productions more than once between now and July.
- Andy, London, 30/09/2009 15:35
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I couldn't disagree more with the comment about ENO not deserving its funding. What is going on in this guy's head? ENO has always programmed fantastic and, more often than not, innovative works - I think this season there are something like 10 new productions and only 4 revivals. I, for one, am over the moon that Rigoletto is back. His doesn't seem like an informed opinion, then again perhaps neither is mine?
- K Parker, Ashtead Surrey, 23/09/2009 18:16
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Apparantly, this revival is "back by popular demand". As was the last one and the one before that, not forgetting the one before that, ad nauseam.
I am coming round to the idea that ENO do not deserve the funding it gets.
Blah de blah. "Come and see this aaclaimed production". "Another chance to enjoy". Yeh, we know. You can't be bothered to put anything else on.
Heard the one about diminishing returns?
- Charles, Kennington, 22/09/2009 20:42
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