Perfectly complementing one another, the couple merged into one as their last notes melted into a passionate kiss. It wasn’t only “Caro nome,” however her duet with Polenzani – “È il sol dell’anima” – was truly a thing of beauty. Growing up listening to the 1971 Decca recording of Rigoletto with Joan Sutherland as Gilda, I had high expectations, but Feola easily surpassed them. Speaking of lengthy applause, the award for longest applause during Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Rigoletto easily went to Italian soprano Rosa Feola, last night’s Gilda, whose Act I aria “Caro nome” stole the show. The extended applause following this scene could not have been more deserved. Act II’s scena ed aria “Povero Rigoletto – La rà, la rà – Cortigiani, vil razza dannata” left me emotionally spent as I watched Kelsey move through his desperation, first attempting to inconspicuously glean information about his daughter’s whereabouts, then losing himself as he angrily chastises the courtiers, and finally resorting to begging them for compassionate understanding in a last-ditch effort to save his daughter from the clutches of the lascivious Duke. Polenzani dazzled the audience with all three of his spectacular arias, one in each act: “Questa o quella” (Act I), “Parmi veder le lagrime” (Act II), and the most well-known tune of the entire production, “La donna é mobile” (Act III). The leading men could not have been more comfortable in their respective roles these were clearly singers who have delved into, explored, and mastered every nuance of their parts. Leading the cast were Evanston native Matthew Polenzani as the Duke of Mantua and Hawaiian baritone Quinn Kelsey as the title character, both of whom have become staples in the roster at Lyric (lucky Chicagoans!). The opening performance of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Rigoletto was a masterfully executed, well-rounded tour de force.įirst and foremost, the vocal performances in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Rigoletto were world-class. Last night I was reminded of what happens when opera is done right – very right.
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