Rigoletto

The story

To elevate a jester to a tragic stature comparable to a Macbeth or a Lear is no easy feat. The dramatic essence of Shakespeare runs in the veins of this Rigoletto, although the story is based on the controversial Le roi s’amuse by Victor Hugo. While the play was prohibited in France for more than fifty years, Verdi himself fought with the censors who initially prevented the publication of his opera. Multi-faceted, perhaps more than any other opera by Verdi - tender, cruel, interspersed with remarkable strokes of black humour -, Rigoletto is also a heart-wrenching study about the love between a parent and a child. Given the helplessness of a woman in the face of a group of men, Teatro Real’s production, which is directed by Miguel del Arco, also considers society's concept of masculinity. Nicola Luisotti conducts some of the great voices of our day, including Javier Camarena, Ludovic Tézier, Marina Viotti and Adela Zaharia.

Cast

J Javier CamarenaDuke of Mantua L Ludovic TézierRigoletto A Adela ZahariaGilda P Peixin ChenSparafucile M Marina ViottiMaddalena C Cassandre BerthonGiovanna J Jordan ShanahanCount Monterone C César San MartínMarullo F Fabián LaraMatteo Borsa T Tomeu BibiloniCount Ceprano S Sandra PastranaCountess Ceprano N Nicola LuisottiConductor