Il Rigoletto is a bit of an anomaly in Verdi's oeuvre. Based on a somewhat scandalous play by Victor Hugo, the opera upped the ante considerably, bringing scrutiny by the Austrian government (which at that time controlled northern Italy, where Verdi was writing) who didn't take lightly to having a theatrical presentation which depicted lecherous and lustful royalty who cut a patently sleazy swath through the kingdom's womanfolk. In fact Verdi and librettist Francesco Maria Piave had to go to great lengths to keep their piece under wraps while it was being written in order to escape the watchful eye of government censors. When Il Rigoletto premiered in 1851, it was only after mediation provided for several changes from both the Hugo original and the first adaptation of Verdi, hopefully (in the government's eyes at least) to remove some of the "too close for comfort" stigma of the depiction of a royal court ruled by hormones.

Verdi's musical language is typically lush in this piece, though some of the orchestral interludes sound positively Germanic, almost Brahmsian, in their burnished used of diminished and minor tonalities. The entire opera posits a sort of dichotomous tonal world as the tragedy of Rigoletto's daughter's involvement with the Duke of Mantua spirals to its hopeless conclusion. On the one hand we get the glittering, highly ornamented moods of the court scenes played off against the dark and brooding interior worlds of Rigoletto. It makes for a fascinating juxtaposition, and one which this production handles admirably.

This is one of the most impressive physical productions I've seen recently, with a very nice and apt metaphorical use of lighting and color schemes which help to provide a bit of subliminal meaning to the proceedings. The opening court scene is told in vivid reds, highlighting the Duke's rampant lustiness. Other, later scenes, as revenge becomes the guiding principle, are told in a variety of cool and moody blues. There's an air of decrepitude amidst opulence to many of the sets--brickwork is slightly askew and, whether intentional or not, the interior of Gilda's bedroom looks like it could use a good paint job.

Vocally this is a very impressive Rigoletto indeed. Nucci handles the upper end of the baritone ranges of the role (actually verging into low tenor territory at times) quite handily, with some excellent use of melisma and a neatly controlled vibrato that keeps the vocal lines nicely focused. Mosuc is simply spectacular as Gilda, a soprano role that can too often become maudlin. Mosuc's incredible dynamic control is put to excellent use here, especially in such showcases as Act I's "Caro Nome," a difficult aria that Mosuc handles easily.

Conductor Nello Santi is obviously old-school, and that's exactly what's needed for a production like this. He exhibits a firm control of his orchestra and unlike some other recent opera DVDs I've reviewed where the conductors seem to be playing for the camera, Santi obviously couldn't care less he's being filmed. The orchestra plays splendidly, with some very nice balance between brass and strings especially.

Il Rigoletto is a pretty exhausting piece, for audience and player alike (in fact, by the closing bows the entire cast and Santo are drenched in sweat). It's not an easy opera to sit through, and it certainly has nothing approaching a happy ending, and yet its investigation into the meaning of human relationships, love and revenge provides an unusually insightful look at the tempestuous emotions that rule men and women of every time period and class. This Rigoletto mirrors that interior world with an altogether stunning physical production that brings the tragedy of these characters vividly to life.

The Blu-ray

Video:
This is one of the sharper looking opera Blu-rays I've reviewed recently, in a nice 1080i 1.78:1 transfer. The image is helped immensely by the very opulent production values, including some great costumes and minimal, though very effective, sets. What really helps this Rigoletto, though, are the incredible lighting schemes, something this Blu-ray reproduces flawlessly.

Sound:
Both the PCM 2.0 and DTS HD 5.1 mixes are superlative, with brilliant fidelity across the entire frequency range. As is usual with these opera Blu-rays, the 5.1 mixes tend to underutilize the rear channels, but there is a fair amount of immersion here, and some great use of directionality in the singing. Subtitles in English, Italian, French, Spanish and German are provided.

Extras:
Only trailers for other ArtHaus and Naxos products are provided, which is a real shame.

Final Thoughts:
Il Rigoletto virtually defines tragic opera, and this production plays up the emotional undercurrents that swirl beneath Verdi's florid music. One of the most handsome productions I've had the pleasure to view recently, and unusually well sung, this Rigoletto is Highly Recommended.

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"G-d made stars galore" & "Hey, what kind of a crappy fortune is this?" ZMK, modern prophet