Florentine’s Overly Sparse ‘Rigoletto’

A bare stage is an odd and misguidedtrend at Florentine Opera. There was almost nothing to see in a Tosca production earlier in the season.Last weekend Rigoletto was more ofthe same. The audience saw a back gray wall made of large squares (somemissing), a stairway, a platform and vast space that became a blank canvas fora lighting design, costumes and direction. None were distinguished enough towarrant such emphasis.

Minimalistopera productions require more ingenuity than the Florentine’s to be stylish.It’s as if the director, William Florescu, and scenery and lighting designer,Noele Stollmack, wanted to give Rigoletto,set in sixteenth century Mantua,a contemporary spin, but were unwilling to commit to anythingspecific. 

SopranoGeorgia Jarman as Gilda, Rigoletto’s doomed daughter, performed with heartfeltpassion, in short supply in this production. Her vocal color and Italianphrasing and style were constantly satisfying. She sang with ebullient ease;only the descending scale trills in her aria “Caro nome” seemed a bit labored.That’s quibbling, though. Jarman was first rate.

I saw theSaturday evening performance, with Peter Castaldi as Rigoletto (Luis Ledesmasang the role on Friday and Sunday.) A dull and unformed actor, he lacked theessential quality of this unlucky hunchback court jester: he was not simpatico.His relationship with Gilda was emotionally out of balance; Jarman was Italianheat to Castaldi’s arctic chill. His singing was inconsistent, at times runningout of steam. 

Tenor ArturoChacon-Cruz, as the hedonistic Duke of Mantua, has an intense sound. At hisbest, when his voice is free, he sings with exciting Italianate resonance.Generally, the higher he sings the better he is. But too often his voice hasobvious tension. Chacon-Cruz is undeveloped as a true bel canto singer or as an actor on the opera stage.

There wasgood singing in supporting roles: Kelly Anderson as Monterone, StephenMorscheck as Sparafucile, and Audrey Babcock as Maddalena. Conductor JosephRescigno led a fairly brisk interpretation of the score. As always atFlorentine, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in the pit elevated theperformance.