Rigoletto

Guiseppe Verdi/Francesco Maria Piave

Rigoletto, the heartrending escalation of vengeance.

Rigoletto is based on Victor Hugo's play Le roi s'amuse. It is an indictment of the moral decline of the aristocracy and likewise of French classic drama and its rules.

In Rigoletto, as in most of his works, Verdi does not exactly show his sunny side. The content hardly allows for laughter, but the carnivalesque humourous melodies keep the opera from becoming unnecessarily heavy. There is a perfect balance between light and dark.

Cast

Crew

Rigoletto Peter Michailov
Gilda Monique Krüs
Duca Raimond Sepe
Sparafucile, Monterone Ulf Maria Kühne
Maddalena Jan Merchant
Giovanna, Page Clara Rullmann
Marullo Sander Heutinck
Borsa Amand Hekkers
Ceprano Amos Paran
countess Isa Roest
constable Luuk Tuinder
musical director David Levi
choirmaster Hoite Pruiksma
director and producer Corina van Eijk
art direction Dimitri Nicolaev
costume design Corine Buskop
gaffer Tinus Holthuis
orchestra and choir Spanga Festival Koor en Orkest

Press

´I cannot remember ever having seen anywhere such a playful, ingenious and witty staging of Rigoletto as on that soggy field in Spanga.´

De Volkskrant, 1990

´In this production Corina van Eijk presents the triangular relationship between the desire for purity, unbridled lust and a father's quest for revenge in a convincing and original manner.´

NRC Handelsblad, 1990

´This did not prevent Peter Michailov and Monique Krüs from delivering remarkable vocal achievements.´

Trouw, 1990

´... and I experienced the most creative staging by far of this work that I have seen since my first encounter with it in 1954.´

Opern und Konzert, 1990

< Opera Spanga chronology