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Opera Company's "Rigoletto' (2nd review)
Steve Cohen
The Duke of Mantua goes squishy
STEVE COHEN
The biggest attraction to the current Rigoletto by the Opera Company of Philadelphia is tenor Matthew Polenzani as the Duke of Mantua. He’s the biggest name the OCP has cast recently, and his name on the billboards stirs memories of the days when Philadelphia opera companies routinely presented the Met’s brightest stars, such as Franco Corelli, Joan Sutherland and Birgit Nilsson. ("Routinely" is the operative word. Usually those star-centered productions didn’t measure up to today’s OCP all-around standards.)
Polenzani is a 38-year-old tenor from Evanston, Illinois, who has starred at the Metropolitan Opera since 1997, singing French, German, and Russian parts as well as the light Italian roles of Mozart and Rossini. But his appearances here represent the first times he’s performed Verdi’s Duke on any stage.
So how does Polenzani fare in this demanding role? Seldom is the part sung with such grace and musicianship. Polenzani omits some of the interpolated high notes that other tenors throw in for splashy effect. He links long phrases to make sense of the words, and does so with graceful portamenti, or sliding transitions. But his interpretation is totally wrong for the character.
Searching for swagger
The Duke of Mantua is a reckless and dangerous man, arrogant and cruel. Polenzani is too nice. His voice is gentle and caressing. We miss the squillo, or ping, that would give edge to the character.
Polenzani’s romantic moments are vocally endearing. But he sounds less comfortable in the opening aria that defines his character, "Questa o quella," and the last act’s "La donna è mobile," which sums it all up. Missing is the Duke’s sexist swagger and also the irony: This supremely fickle lothario is calling all women fickle even while his last dalliance is about to give up her life rather than waver from her steadfast love for him.
A human Rigoletto
Polenzani is upstaged, actually, by his co-stars. The 62-year-old Cornish baritone Alan Opie is as convincing as any Rigoletto I’ve ever seen— and my experiences go back to the days of Leonard Warren, Robert Merrill and Cornell MacNeil. Opie’s singing is lovely, although his voice lacks their lush sound – but whose doesn’t, nowadays? Opie surpasses them in creating a human being with whom we empathize. His devotion to his daughter, his heartbreak when she’s seduced, and his desire for vengeance are totally believable.
The daughter, Gilda, is admirably played by a young Israeli soprano, Chen Reiss. She projects innocence and vulnerability in a manner reminiscent of the French soprano Natalie Dessay. Reiss has a warm sound and soars easily to the coloratura high notes in "Caro nome." Signing her for this debut is a worthy accomplishment by the Opera Company. In fact, Robert Driver deserves applause for choosing this entire cast, because other companies seem to believe the opera can sell itself no matter who sings it. We rarely see such a good ensemble.
Corrado Rovaris keeps things moving neatly in the pit. But I’d prefer more violence from the pit– as in the storm scene when Gilda is killed, for example– where piercing brass and screaming strings would be appropriate.
To read Lewis Whittington's review, click here.
STEVE COHEN
The biggest attraction to the current Rigoletto by the Opera Company of Philadelphia is tenor Matthew Polenzani as the Duke of Mantua. He’s the biggest name the OCP has cast recently, and his name on the billboards stirs memories of the days when Philadelphia opera companies routinely presented the Met’s brightest stars, such as Franco Corelli, Joan Sutherland and Birgit Nilsson. ("Routinely" is the operative word. Usually those star-centered productions didn’t measure up to today’s OCP all-around standards.)
Polenzani is a 38-year-old tenor from Evanston, Illinois, who has starred at the Metropolitan Opera since 1997, singing French, German, and Russian parts as well as the light Italian roles of Mozart and Rossini. But his appearances here represent the first times he’s performed Verdi’s Duke on any stage.
So how does Polenzani fare in this demanding role? Seldom is the part sung with such grace and musicianship. Polenzani omits some of the interpolated high notes that other tenors throw in for splashy effect. He links long phrases to make sense of the words, and does so with graceful portamenti, or sliding transitions. But his interpretation is totally wrong for the character.
Searching for swagger
The Duke of Mantua is a reckless and dangerous man, arrogant and cruel. Polenzani is too nice. His voice is gentle and caressing. We miss the squillo, or ping, that would give edge to the character.
Polenzani’s romantic moments are vocally endearing. But he sounds less comfortable in the opening aria that defines his character, "Questa o quella," and the last act’s "La donna è mobile," which sums it all up. Missing is the Duke’s sexist swagger and also the irony: This supremely fickle lothario is calling all women fickle even while his last dalliance is about to give up her life rather than waver from her steadfast love for him.
A human Rigoletto
Polenzani is upstaged, actually, by his co-stars. The 62-year-old Cornish baritone Alan Opie is as convincing as any Rigoletto I’ve ever seen— and my experiences go back to the days of Leonard Warren, Robert Merrill and Cornell MacNeil. Opie’s singing is lovely, although his voice lacks their lush sound – but whose doesn’t, nowadays? Opie surpasses them in creating a human being with whom we empathize. His devotion to his daughter, his heartbreak when she’s seduced, and his desire for vengeance are totally believable.
The daughter, Gilda, is admirably played by a young Israeli soprano, Chen Reiss. She projects innocence and vulnerability in a manner reminiscent of the French soprano Natalie Dessay. Reiss has a warm sound and soars easily to the coloratura high notes in "Caro nome." Signing her for this debut is a worthy accomplishment by the Opera Company. In fact, Robert Driver deserves applause for choosing this entire cast, because other companies seem to believe the opera can sell itself no matter who sings it. We rarely see such a good ensemble.
Corrado Rovaris keeps things moving neatly in the pit. But I’d prefer more violence from the pit– as in the storm scene when Gilda is killed, for example– where piercing brass and screaming strings would be appropriate.
To read Lewis Whittington's review, click here.
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