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OPERA REVIEW
September 24, 2004
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By Kathryn Cathcart
San Francisco Lyric Opera opened a four-performance run of Verdi's Rigoletto
on Friday, September 24, and demonstrated how a small company can successfully
meet the challenges presented by the famous melodrama. The charming intimacy
of the Florence Gould Theater in the Palace of the Legion of Honor afforded
splendid acoustics, favoring both the cast and the cleverly-reduced
orchestra (string quintet, four winds, four brass, filled out by the discreet pianism
of Codrut Barsan).
Artistic Director Barnaby Palmer led a well-paced performance, particularly
in the vigorous portions of the score, only occasionally demonstrating a
tendency to over-indulgence with slower tempi. Heather Carolo's direction was
musically sensitive and nuanced, and she was particularly effective with the larger
ensemble scenes. Set designer Jean-Francois Revon scored high with an
affluent-looking court for the Duke of Mantua and managed to create a variety of
focal points in Rigoletto's house, but his failure to provide a viable space
outside the Act III tavern made it necessary to place the final duet inside,
thereby slightly diminishing its credibility. The male costumes were admirable,
particularly Rigoletto's and the courtiers', as outfitted by Emily Erlich Inget,
and Gilda looked appropriately virginal. Inget was less successful with the
other women's costumes, however, and she should perhaps have sought a
different solution for the Duke's and Count Ceprano's wigs.
A veteran basso buffo, Razvan Georgescu made a believable first foray into
baritone territory with the vocally demanding role of Rigoletto, mastering many
of the role's difficulties. Although he could possibly have explored more of
the character's spiteful bitterness, he nevertheless brought a genuine and
sympathetic pathos to the father's grief and horror. Gilda was sung with finesse
and technical confidence by Jennifer Chung. Her ample lyric tone lacked a
suggestion of vulnerability with the Duke, but her second and third act duets
with Rigoletto were the vocal highlights of the evening, along with a splendid
account of the delicate "Caro nome" (Dear name).
J. Raymond Meyers demonstrated a solid tenor as the Duke of Mantua and lent
his accustomed professionalism to the role. Sergei Zadvorny's cavernous bass
was effective as both Sparafucile and Monterone, and Kathryn Palumbo was a
dominating Maddelena. Strong contributions came from Lyric Opera veterans Jimmy
Kansau, Andrew Cox, and Joshua Brown as Borsa, Marullo, and Ceprano, and Raeeka
Shehabi-Yaghmai, Mark Shattuck, and Tina-Maria Garcia rounded out the cast as
Countess Ceprano/Giovanna, Usher, and Page. Kudos to Simon Palmer for the
excellent supertitles.
(Kathryn Cathcart is an opera coach and conductor, Music Director of the Opera Program at the
San Francisco Conservatory of Music.)
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Razvan Georgescu (Rigoletto)
Jennifer Chung (Gilda)
