Verdi - Rigoletto / Chailly Pavarotti Wixell Gruberova Vienna Philharmonic

Product description Giuseppe Verdi - Rigoletto DVD 1998 / Directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, Starring Ingvar Wixell, Edita Gruberova, Luciano Pavarotti / Wiener Philharmoniker / Conducted by Riccardo Chailly / Decca English Summary: Luciano Pavarotti stars in this lavish production of Verdi's tragic tale of love and corruption. Directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, this 1990 staging of Rigoletto captures Pavarotti is strong voice, with the superstar tenor supported by Edita Gruberova and Ingvar Wixell. The French theatre director Jean-Pierre Ponnelle oversaw this acclaimed production of Verdi's RIGOLETTO in 1990. Starring one of the world's three most adored tenors, Luciano Pavarotti, this operatic tale of court corruption is moving and heart wrenching, a tragedy as only opera can express. Pavarotti is sublime as the heroic Duke, and the lovely Edita Gruberova matches him with her Gilda. Amazon.com This extraordinarily powerful 1983 production may be the best-sung performance by Luciano Pavarotti on DVD, but when acting values are counted in, Ingvar Wixell manages to outshine the tenor star. Verdi gave the Duke two of Italian opera's most brilliant arias ("Questa o quella" and "La donna e mobile"), but he gave the deformed jester Rigoletto a depth and complexity of character that is reflected in music of great variety and enormous emotional impact: the cruel mockery of the opening scene, the self-doubts inspired by his dialogue with Sparafucile, the paternal anxieties and final despair at his daughter's sad fate, and the burning, self-destructive thirst for revenge. All these motives work their way into music of great dramatic richness, variety, and intensity. Wixell rises to its challenges, not only in the title role but in a cameo appearance as Rigoletto's nemesis Monterone. Location filming provides an atmosphere unavailable in staged productions. --Joe McLellan From the Back Cover Jean-Pierre's classic film of Verdi's dark tragedy features the legendary Luciano Pavarotti as the dashing Duke of Mantua (celebrated for his aria "La donna è mobile"). Filmed on location and capturing all the drama and color of Renaissance Italy, it also showcases two other great singers of our time--Ingvar Wixell as the hunchbacked court jester, and Edita Gruberova as his beautiful but ill-fated daughter. Ingvar Wixell: Rigoletto/Monterone Edita Gruberova: Gilda Lu