A feeling of « déjà vu »? YES! Since it was in Rigoletto, the opera of the day, that I discovered the star of the evening, Rosa Feola, 4 years ago! And yes, despite a year 2020 marked by COVID and by almost all the cancelled performances, the Rome opera “festival” survived during the summer in the open air! I had then discovered a promising and talented Rosa Feola in an equally talented production!
But this time, we are getting even more serious, Rigoletto, a masterpiece of Verdi’s repertoire, is given within the walls of the Bastille opera, 2800 whispers when the aria “La Donna e Mobile” hums like: « Hey, but I know that! » « Aaah but yes it is this opera! »…
Moreover, and for me, the Verdian climax is nowhere else than in Rigoletto, 3 minutes of blood, violence, anger, tears, chills…
I am of course talking about the aria of the character of Rigoletto: « Cortigiani, vil razza dannata… » A moment out of time also performed by an old acquaintance, Roman Burdenko, whom I had also discovered during COVID (which shows that behind every bad thing there is a good thing), not in Rome this time, but an hour by train further south, in Napoli! Where I Puritani was given in concert form, and his duet with Davide Luciano has still been ringing in my head for 4 years! Imagine then how much I was waiting to discover him in the title role, which requires as much singing emotion as acting talent! There is no doubt that his future is more than promising in this role! The fact that he is not dressed as an older man somewhat discredits the relationship with his daughter but I am concerned with details!
A magnificent discovery in the person of Liparit Avetisyan who plays us an unbearable but so talented Duke with notes that last and last for the great pleasure of the Parisian public. We feel that he takes pleasure in playing this character, and it shows!
A funny story, when I left for Paris on Saturday morning from Switzerland, I saw someone getting on the train next to me, and I said to myself… But I know him! And yes! It was the conductor Domingo HINDOYAN, who was also leaving for Paris to direct Rigoletto! He never ceases to amaze me!! What a memory of having seen him at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival in this Tosca given in the form of a semi-concert, the music of the Te DEUM still haunts my ears and my buttocks are still saying bravo! Congratulations Domingo, I am still looking forward to seeing him in the future, I can no longer say that he is promising since everything he promised more than 6 years ago is happening, but then I do not doubt for a second that I will see him as a pioneer of conductors in the next 10 years!
It is impossible to comment on this staging objectively, you know my love of beautiful vintage stagings, or modern but intelligent, many people like the work of Claus Guth, I do not share their opinion, that’s how it is.
Once again thank you, thank you to the Opera national de Paris which has clearly changed direction in their communication recently, much more dynamic, much more open, much more desire to make discover, to make share, and to make learn what is hidden when the curtain falls in front of 2800 people who hold their breath.
