At the MET, the music and drama of a model Rigoletto
Saturday, 22 January 2011 , 19.00

At the MET, the music and drama of a model Rigoletto
Following last Saturday’s Traviata, this Saturday we will listen to a new live broadcast from the New York Metropolitan Opera House featuring another work from the so-called ‘popular trilogy’ of Giuseppe Verdi: Rigoletto (In April we will close our live broadcasts season with the third piece of the series, Il trovatore).

The version of Rigoletto to be presented again at the MET in the 2010-2011season was created by Otto Schenk in 1998 and it originally featured Leo Nucci (Rigoletto), Luciano Pavarotti (Duke of Mantua), June Anderson and Cheryl Studer (Gilda). It is an event still spoken of today as particularly interesting; not only it has enriched the repertoire of the famous New York theater with tents of new presentations of this opera, but it has undoubtedly helped create a model image of the theater.

Not only that. In order to make sure that his version of Verdi’s opera will stand the test of time, Otto Schenk only kept very few, understated setting elements, remaining faithful to the principle of creating a show that sticks to the music. The result? A version that still lives before the eyes of thousands of spectators, under the batons of the most famous conductors. Once more this season, it both launches and consecrates new names.

Who are the main debutant artists whom the old version of Rigoletto brings under the spotlights at the MET?

Italian baritone Giovanni Meoni (Rigoletto) - the favourite of European theaters in baritono nobile roles which require great expressivity; Georgian soprano Nino Machaizade (Gilda) – the favourite of the audience since her debut in 2008 in La fille du régiment - and conductor Paolo Arrivabenni (also musical director of the Liege Royal Opera House, Belgium) – aspiring to a high-level validation by the New York theater.

Apart from them, Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja (photo) is back (after his successful Rodolfo role in December) as the Duke of Mantua, which was also his debut role at the MET three seasons ago. He is in excellent shape according to the American press; I assume that you, like myself, will greatly enjoy hearing him again.

So I hope you will join me on Monday at 8p.m. for one more new/old Rigoletto, broadcast live from the MET.