Continue the journey…
We recommend five further works to explore after Verdi’s Rigoletto
For his next opera after Rigoletto, Verdi turned to 15th-century Spain. Based on García Gutiérrez’s play of the same name, Il trovatore’s darkly dramatic narrative, involving alleged gypsy curses, mistaken identities and bitter civil war rivalries, proved a huge hit at its premiere, thanks not least to moments such as the nowfamous Anvil Chorus. (Roberto Alagna et al; Lso/pappano Warner Classics 9029573750)
The plays of Victor Hugo, meanwhile, sparked a number of 19th-century operas, including Ponchielli’s 1876 La Gioconda, based loosely on Hugo’s Angelo, Tyrant of Padua. Though both the opera’s title – meaning ‘The
Joyful Girl’ – and its most famous moment, the orchestral Dance of the Hours, suggest a light-hearted evening’s entertainment is in store, that impression could not be further from the truth. (Maria Callas et al; La Scala Milan/votto Warner Classics 2564634080)
Around 40 years before Ponchielli, Mercadante was inspired by the same play for Il giuramento (‘The Oath’). A success at first, by the turn of the century, it had fallen into comparative neglect – unjustly so, as its fastpaced action is adorned by sublime moments such as the doomed Elaisa’s
Act III aria ‘La posa. Bella ancora’. (Mara Zampieri et al; Vienna State Opera/albrecht Orfeo C680062)
When Donizetti turned to Hugo for his Lucrezia Borgia in 1833, the playwright wasn’t best pleased, successfully suing for plagiarism.
While the Act II brindisi (drinking song) provides a jolly highlight, students of 16th-century papal history will be unsurprised to learn that the title character is not someone to be messed with, especially with a bottle of poison in hand. All ends grimly, of course. (Joan Sutherland et al; National Po/bonynge Decca E421 4972)
Finally, after all this operatic misery, treat yourself to a little levity in the company of Renée Fleming. In 2001, the US soprano made her debut on The Muppet Show where, joined by pigs, bananas and accordion-playing sheep, she treated viewers to a specially adapted version of ‘Caro nome’ from Rigoletto. A fine moment indeed.
(Renée Fleming (soprano); Muppets Youtube)
Mercadante’s neglected
Il giuramento is adorned by some sublime moments