Opera Colorado puts best foot forward with ‘Rigoletto’

DENVER — If Opera Colorado wanted to give its patrons a healthy dose of confidence in its recent reorganization and revitalization campaign, the outstanding production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” that opened Saturday night in Denver should have accomplished it.

That the company would have chosen a warhorse of the Italian repertoire at this time was totally expected. That the production would have been ambitious was expected. But the tremendous vocal caliber on display Saturday went well beyond what we are used to hearing at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. All five lead singers (three of whom are making their Opera Colorado debut) gave awe-inspiring vocal and dramatic performances, lending an even more shattering impact to this ultimate tale of revenge gone wrong.

Baritone Gordon Hawkins is an imposing presence throughout, whether playing the titular jester as a vicious, mean-spirited trickster, as in the opening scenes; or as the humiliated fool who unwittingly assists in his daughter’s kidnapping and defilement, or as the ultimate tragic figure whose triumphant vengeance is instantly transformed to utter despair at the end.

When he needs to be tenderer, as in his gorgeous duets with soprano Rachele Gilmore, who plays Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda, Hawkins adapts himself with ease. Hawkins clearly considers this a signature role, and it shows.

Tenor Rene Barbera gives a spine-chilling performance as the lecherous Duke of Mantua

Writing a lyric tenor as a villain was a bold move on Verdi’s part, and it still seems unexpected and jarring today — as it should. Barbera’s sustained high notes have an assured clarity of pitch, and they ring confidently through. The Duke, of course, gets the opera’s most famous tune, and despite the ubiquity of “La donna è mobile” in popular culture, its setting, especially when it provides Rigoletto with the evidence that his victim is still alive, is effective as ever.

Bass Stefan Szkafarowsky is forceful and sinister as the assassin Sparafucile, and he does double duty as Count Monterone, who places the opera’s famous curse. At least one costume change is unbelievably quick.

Mezzo-soprano Dana Beth Miller, as Sparafucile’s sister Maddalena, the Duke’s unfortunate savior, has a glowing, penetrative voice that is best spotlighted in the famous Act III quartet.

But the audience favorite, and the cast’s real standout, was Gilmore as Gilda. This is a character that can become maudlin or even pathetic in the wrong hands. Gilmore makes Gilda noble, not an easy feat. While magnificent in duets with both Hawkins and Barbera, Gilmore’s solo aria at the end of Act I — the only true moment of respite in the plot — is the musical highlight of the entire production, even more so than “La donna è mobile.” Gilmore soars, even floats into the vocal stratosphere, never once appearing to exert any labor to get there. In her decorative vocal runs, the notes melt into each other like butter.

Stage director Bernard Uzan, using marvelous sets on loan from Utah Opera, makes interesting and effective artistic decisions. The most striking of these is the staging of Gilda’s death.

As is typical in Italian opera, Gilda sings for quite some time after she should have been long gone. Uzan mitigates this by placing Gilmore above the actual action dressed in white, as if she has already departed and Rigoletto is imagining her being alive. The usual singing from the body bag can be almost tragicomic, and this idea beautifully circumvents that.

Conductor Leonardo Vordoni effortlessly negotiates the score and is particularly admirable in following the expressive musical decisions of the singers. The chorus and supporting roles in “Rigoletto” are hugely important to the plot, and the production makes fine use of OC’s Young Artists in most of the supporting roles. As usual, John Baril’s chorus is impeccable.