Giuseppe Verdi: Rigoletto

Soloists:

Marcelo Álvarez, Carlos Álvarez, Inva Mula

Orchestra, choir:

Orquestra Simfònica i Cor del Gran Teatre del Liceu

Conductor:

Jesús López-Cobos

Director:

Graham Vick

Arthaus presents Rigoletto, one of Verdi's most popular operas, as part of the famous opera production series at Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu. This tragic opera about the Duke of Mantua, the court jester Rigoletto, and his daughter Gilda is part of the composer's trilogía popolare trilogy, along with La Traviata and Il Trovatore. It is full of melodic arias, expressive duets, and highly dramatic orchestration. The Duke of Mantua is sung by the brilliant Marcelo Álvarez, and the title role is performed by baritone Carlos Álvarez, whose Rigoletto has been praised as the perfect embodiment of Verdi's court jester. Thus, this production features international stars in the two leading roles. The dramatic demands of this well-designed and compelling interpretation are met with excellence, both musically and visually, thanks to the leading male singers and Inva Mula as Gilda. She is Verdi's soprano par excellence. The Liceu's distinguished ensemble, orchestra, and choir, conducted by the experienced Jesús López Cobos, once again demonstrate the opera house's international reputation. Graham Vick's production and Paul Brown's set and costume design seek to convey the essence of the drama conceptually rather than literally, which makes the performance fascinating.