Organization

Librettist

Francesco Maria Piave

Conductor

Григорий Архипов

Stage director

Sergey Shepelev

Chorus master

Olga Zhilinskaya

Lighting designer

Nikolay Anisimov

Video designer

Maxim Yakimov

Singer

Baritone

Vladislav Kalashnikov

Rigoletto

Soprano

Alena Fialeková

Gilda

Valeria Balandina

Tenor

Dmitry Semkin

The Duke of Mantua

Bass

Ilnar Davletshin

Sparafucile

Contralto

Ekaterina Odaikina

Maddalena

Сергей Гарашкин

Marullo

Alexey Chistyakov

Matteo Borsa

The Count of Ceprano

Mezzo-soprano

Anastasia Ershova

A page

Sapaev Mari State Opera and Ballet Theatre

Yoshkar-Ola

Russia

The Classical Ballet and Opera House presents 
Opera Rigoletto performed by National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Mari El. Music by Giuseppe Verdi.

Rigoletto is one of Verdi's most famous works. The action of the opera is based on sharp dramatic contrasts. At the center of it is a sharp psychological drama that comprehensively outlines the image of Rigoletto — a sarcastic court jester, a tender, deeply suffering father, a formidable avenger. He is confronted by a frivolous and depraved duke, outlined against the background of court life. Spiritual purity, selfless devotion are personified in the image of the young Gilda.

These contrasting characters are vividly, with a remarkable wealth of psychological nuances, embodied in the music of the opera.

CAST

Rigoletto - Vladislav KALASHNIKOV
Gilda - Alina POLEVAYA
The Duke - Dmitry SEMKIN
Sparafucile - Ilnar DAVLETSHIN
Maddalena - Ekaterina ODAYKINA
Giovanna - Irina KOSTENKO
Count of Monterone - Anatoly MIKHAILOV
Marullo - Sergey GARASHKIN
Borsa - Alexey CHISTYAKOV
Count Cheprano - Ilnar DAVLETSHIN
Countess Cheprano - Tatiana TOLSTOLUZHSKAYA
Page - Anastasia YERSHOVA
Courtiers, servants - choir artists

The Orchestra under the direction of the chief conductor Grigory Arkhipov.

Rigoletto Verdi

Public

Approved

The plot of the opera is based on V. Hugo's drama The King Amuses himself, written in 1832. After the first performance in Paris, which caused a political demonstration, it was banned as undermining the authority of the royal power. 

Hugo's dramaturgy attracted Verdi with bright romantic contrasts, a violent clash of passions, freedom-loving pathos, and a tense, dynamic development of the action. Verdi considered the plot of Rigoletto to be the best of all that he set to music: “There are strong situations, diversity, brilliance, pathos here. All events are due to the frivolous and empty character of the duke; Rigoletto's fears, Gilda's passion, etc. create wonderful dramatic episodes. The composer interpreted the images of Hugo in his own way, which caused a protest from the writer. In a historical drama with large mass scenes and numerous details of the life and life of the court of Francis I (1515-1547), G. Verdi was first of all very interested in the psychological drama.

All sorts of pointers to King Francis the First were deleted from the plot, mass scenes were reduced and political overtones were minimized. The author of the drama V. Hugo was against such changes, but Verdi remained adamant. He was more interested in a romantic plot, rather than a political game, and it was the jester, and not the reveler king, who acted as the main character. However, in some ways the composer had to give in. When the opera was finished, not a single theater agreed to accept it in this form, everyone demanded to urgently change the names of the characters so that there would be no hints of famous personalities. Verdi had to agree after long refusals from almost all theaters in the world. Only when Francis I was transformed into the Duke of Mantua, and his jester Triboulet into Rigoletto, the composer received consent to the production.

The long-awaited premiere of the performance took place in Venice on March 11, 1851. The audience very warmly accepted another masterpiece of the brilliant composer. 

Rigoletto is one of Verdi's most famous works. The action of the opera is based on sharp dramatic contrasts. In the center of it is a sharp psychological drama that multilaterally outlines the image of Rigoletto - a caustic court jester, a tender, deeply suffering father, a formidable avenger. He is opposed by the frivolous and depraved duke, depicted against the backdrop of court life. Spiritual purity, selfless devotion are personified in the image of the young Gilda.

These contrasting characters are embodied in the music of the opera with a remarkable richness of psychological nuances.

English

Rigoletto by Verdi, From (2020/2021), Directed by Sergey Shepelev,, Conductor Григорий Архипов, Sapaev Mari State Opera and Ballet Theatre, Yoshkar-Ola, Russia

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Program, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues