To close my two-week festival stay in Verona, it could only be with a masterpiece by Verdi. And even though I had already seen this particular masterpiece 11 times live this year, nothing could stop this evening from being magnificent: blazing sunshine, a sold-out arena, and a staging more spectacular than any Rigoletto I have ever seen—without a doubt. But this time, this Rigoletto promised to be… dantesque!

First, because originally it was Amartuvshin Enkhbat—the Lamborghini of Verdian baritones—who was set to sing the title role, practically his signature part. But as fate would have it, and with the stars perfectly aligned, he couldn’t make it… and so the Ferrari took the starting line instead. Yes, ladies and gentlemen—Ludovic Tézier was stepping in on Friday night, for one of my favorite roles, sung by one of my favorite artists.

At his side, another last-minute change: soprano Nadine Sierra had been scheduled to sing Gilda, but she withdrew a few days earlier—also canceling her Traviata just a week before. Stepping in was Nina Minasyan.

Finally, the tenor I had applauded just a few days earlier in Aix-en-Provence for Les Pêcheurs de Perles—and who had just performed Mitridate at the Salzburg Festival—would sing the Duke of Mantua. Going from caviar to foie gras in the space of a few days!

What could ruin this evening? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The mere reading of the cast list 45 minutes before curtain had everyone exchanging looks as if to say: Tonight… is the night!

And I almost started without naming him—shame on me!—Michele Spotti, the conductor, who shone on the podium with both charm and talent.

Let’s start with the best of the best: Ludovic Tézier. How can I explain, ladies and gentlemen, how to convince you to run and get tickets no matter when or where he sings near you? Just like a diehard Rolling Stones fan would follow their band in the ‘80s, I followed the “baritone of baritones” from Verbier (Cavalleria Rusticana last week) to Verona, to see him sing three roles in seven days (Traviata, Aida, and now Rigoletto). His Cortigiani was pure marvel, his Si, vendetta… beyond words. Why do people still come to me mourning “the singers of the past” when we have Ludovic Tézier right here, right now?

Pene Pati was also making his much-anticipated debut in Verona. We all know his talent from his recent role debuts (including Pêcheurs in Aix just weeks earlier), but now he was tackling one of the most famous tenor roles in the repertoire—before 15,000 people, most of whom were waiting for La donna è mobile so they could film it and send it to friends saying, “Look, I was in Verona! You know this tune? I heard it live!” Although his first act was a bit reserved, Acts II and III saw him open up and deliver a deserved ovation at the end.

Nina Minasyan gave a solid performance as Gilda—her Caro nome was lovely, with excellent diction. A real pleasure to see and hear her on the Verona stage for the first time.

Gianluca Buratto has so much talent that, for me, it’s almost a shame to see him in a smaller role—important, yes, but I know how extraordinary he can be from past performances (I still can’t forget his Puritani in Naples a few years ago).

And a huge bravo to Martina Belli, a mezzo who studied at Rome’s Santa Cecilia Academy. Her Maddalena was powerful, tenacious—absolutely wonderful.

This 14th visit to the “city of lovers and drama” was yet another triumph, and I’m already counting the days until next year. For me, Verona remains THE ultimate festival for Italian opera, the most magical for its setting, and the most enjoyable to experience. That said, I hope future editions feature fewer Aidas and Nabucchos—these things divide opinion, but I believe most would agree it’s time to move away from neon lights and overdone special effects. Modern staging is like a daisy: passionately… a lot… a little… a little… and basta.

CAST

Il Duca di Mantova

Pene Pati

Rigoletto

Ludovic Tézier 

Gilda

Nina Minasyan 08/08

Sparafucile

Gianluca Buratto 

Maddalena

Martina Belli 

Il Conte di Monterone

Abramo Rosalen

Marullo

Nicolò Ceriani 

Matteo Borsa

Matteo Macchioni

Il Conte di Ceprano

Hidenori Inoue 

La Contessa di Ceprano

Francesca Maionchi

Un Usciere di Corte

Ramaz Chikviladze

Un Paggio della Duchessa

Elisabetta Zizzo