Comments on: 2010, WNO at Cardiff, Rigoletto

By: asperia

asperia — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 19:47:37 +0000

the end of the opera from the rigoletto recording on bbc is so touching. beautifully sung by simon.
it is a pity i can only listen to this 🙁

By: diana jones

diana jones — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 12:09:26 +0000

John, thank you for explaining the problem of the “sheep” noises.
I am relieved to know that it wasn’t some idiot there showing up the people of Birmingham! I did manage to get a ticket for Friday’s performance, and if anything, found it even better than the first one. I think Simon is the finest singer/actor this country has ever produced, and I’m only sorry I never got to see him when he was a frequent visitor to Birmingham with WNO in the early nineties.

By: Susanne from Germany

Susanne from Germany — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 08:41:09 +0000

Since 2003 I`m a fan of Simon, the great roles he has given in Munich, Vienna, Paris and Zurich I`ve seen in the last years.His Rigoletto reminds dramatically on Wozzeck I`ve seen in Paris two years ago.I think his person suits very well in Verdi roles, especially Rigoletto and Posa. For the performance”Rigoletto” I flought from Hanovre to Birmingham only for one evening (7/07), it was marvellous! Good luck for your Posa in Munich the next weeks,Simon!

By: John Woods

John Woods — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:59:22 +0000

Diana – I too was at that performance of Rigoletto last night. The ‘sheep noises’ were very frustrating I know. I too thought it was someone fooling around. But at the interval I saw that it was a severely disabled man in a wheelchair that was making the noises (he was doing it in the bar as well). It was unfortunate that it was during Pari Siamo, but he was not doing it deliberately-and he was stopped after that.

It was a wonderful performance. My first time seeing Keenlyside live and I was not disappointed (apart from the sheep noises!).

By: diana jones

diana jones — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 08:45:34 +0000

I saw Rigoletto in Birmingham last night and thoroughtly enjoyed almost every moment. Musically, the only thing that I could fault was the “Duke” in the quartet of act 3 was so loud that he drowned out the other singers! The other problem came from a member of the audience,who thought it extremely amusing to keep emitting loud “sheep” noises, starting during the short break at the end of act 1 and continuing well into the start of act 2, when,presumably, he was removed. All of the cast were brilliant, and I loved Sarah Coburn’s voice. Simon, of course, was outstanding,vocally and dramatically. In fact, there were 2 moments when he actually made me cry, something no Rigoletto has ever done before! Loved it so much I’m now off to see if there are any tickets left for Friday’s performance! Thank you Simon, all the cast, and WNO for a night to remember. And please, Simon, don’t wait so long to come back to Birmingham!

By: Terence Dawson

Terence Dawson — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:11:41 +0000

Thought the shift of setting to 1960s Washington DC worked well. The problem of Monterone’s curse works once one accepts that he is a Mafia Godfather.
The second act set in the Presidents office, which I thought very powerful,must be more convincing now than originally, thanks to the superb TV series “Mad Men”. All those suits and 60s sexism!
Sarah Coburns Gilda was superb, a real find. Gwyn Hughes Jones was unconvincing as the Duke(President)and the voice forced, which was a shame as he is a good lyric tenor.
SK’s first Rigoletto is a revelation of characterisation; from the odious pimp in the first act to the father of the last, breaking his heart at having to break his daughters.