The Duke lives the high life. The court jester taunts too well. Revenge has unintended consequences both times it is attempted.
Director: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Writers: Victor Hugo (play), Francesco Maria Piave (libretto)
Stars: Ingvar Wixell, Edita Gruberova, Luciano Pavarotti.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0253590/
It's really too soon to watch another Rigoletto; the prior was on Sept 15 (this is Sept 29): Verdi: Rigoletto (1977), 8.
I like this better because it's a film, not a stage performance, and the palace is gorgeous, while the impoverished zones are wretched, plus we get some scenes on water (canals, river). We also get inserts of character reactions and/or parallel actions that wouldn't appear onstage.
I like this less because of the interpretation. LP imbues the Duke facially with more aggression, which makes him completely unsympathetic, and makes Gilda's sacrifice really incomprehensible, and perhaps more tragic.
I like the music, and La donna e mobile is not the only highlight.
Good stuff.
Unitel, dir. Ponnelle; 8
