Verdi: Rigoletto (1982)
Rigoletto is a jester in the court of the Duke of Mantua. He has a hunch-back and he's rather unattractive, but he's good at his job of humiliating the courtiers for the amusement of the Duke. The courtiers, of course, are not amused. The Duke is a ladies man who feels his life would be meaningless if he couldn't chase every skirt he sees. In fact, we learn as the opera begins that he's recently been noticing a young lady every Sunday on her way to church, and he's vowed to have his way with her. What nobody realizes is that the girl is the jester's beloved daughter, Gilda, and that Gilda has seen the Duke every Sunday and is smitten with him. Suddenly Count Monterone appears at court, furious that the Duke has seduced his daughter. Rigoletto ridicules Monterone, the Duke laughs, and Monterone casts an awful curse on both of them. Later, the courtiers discover that Rigoletto is secretly living with Gilda...
Director: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
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Ingvar Wixell as Rigoletto / Monterone |
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Edita Gruberova as Gilda |
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Luciano Pavarotti as Il Duca di Mantova |
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Ferruccio Furlanetto as Sparafucile |
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Victoria Vergara as Maddalena |
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Fedora Barbieri as Giovanna |
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Bernd Weikl as Marullo (singing voice) |
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Roland Bracht as Ceprano |
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Louis Otey as Marullo |
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Rémy Corazza as Borsa |
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Kathleen Kuhlmann as Contessa di Ceprano |
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Maren Shipman as Page |
| Directing | Jean-Pierre Ponnelle | Director |
| Writing | Victor Hugo | Original Story |
| Art | Gianni Quaranta | Production Design |
| Writing | Francesco Maria Piave | Writer |
| Sound | Giuseppe Verdi | Original Music Composer |
| Sound | Riccardo Chailly | Music Director |
| Camera | Pasqualino De Santis | Director of Photography |
| Production | Horant H. Hohlfeld | Executive Producer |
| Costume & Make-Up | Martin Schlumpf | Costume Design |
| Art | Dieter Klimpel | Set Dresser |
| Sound | Riccardo Chailly | Conductor |
