[Met Performance] CID:1150

Metropolitan Opera Premiere, New Production

Rigoletto
Metropolitan Opera House, Fri, November 16, 1883

Debut : Luigi Guadagnini, Miss Genetti, Grace Goldini




Rigoletto (1)
Giuseppe Verdi | Francesco Maria Piave
Rigoletto
Luigi Guadagnini [Debut]

Gilda
Marcella Sembrich

Duke of Mantua
Roberto Stagno

Maddalena
Sofia Scalchi

Sparafucile
Franco Novara

Monterone
Achille Augier

Borsa
Amadeo Grazzi

Marullo
Ludovico Contini

Count Ceprano
Baldassare Corsini

Countess Ceprano
Miss Genetti [Debut]

Giovanna
Imogene Forti

Page
Grace Goldini [Debut]


Conductor
Auguste Vianesi


Director
Mr. Corani

Director
Mr. Abbiati

Set Designer
Charles Fox, Jr.

Set Designer
William Schaeffer

Set Designer
Gaspar Maeder

Set Designer
Mr. Thompson

Costume Designer
D. Ascoli

Costume Designer
Henry Dazian

Composer
Giuseppe Verdi

Giuseppe Verdi



Roberto Stagno repeated "La donna ? mobile"
The quartet was repeated
Rigoletto received three performances this season.

Review 1:

Review in The New York Times:

Last night's performance at the Metropolitan Opera House afforded the New York public an opportunity to listen to one of Mr. Abbey's baritones for the first time, and to hear Mme. Sembrich and Signor Stagno in fresh roles. Verdi's "Rigoletto" was the work in which those singers, as well as Mme. Scalchi, made their appearance. Mme. Scalchi has heretofore been seen as Maddalena, and her small and rather thankless share in the evening's labors, familiar as it is to Metropolitan opera goers, has already been commended in these columns. The interest in the representation, therefore, centers in the other artists in the cast. The part of Gilda can hardly be said to wholly suit Mme. Sembrich, although her singing was as nearly perfect as possible from the first air which she sings in her father's garden, to the closing quartet. While "Caro nome" was certainly not invested with the tender sentiment to which we have been accustomed from other artists whose names will at once occur to all music-lovers, the rest of the soprano's work was noticeable for all the excellent qualities for which she is already famous. Signor Stagno did not materially add to his reputation by his performance of the part of the Duke. He sang "Questa o Quella" in the most perfunctory fashion, and his further share in the night's entertainment went without notice until "La donna e mobile" was reached. The familiar number was granted the customary encore, though without the slightest reason, the tenor's repetition of the air being even less successful than the original effort. Signor Stagno's part in the great quartet (which was redemanded, as usual) does not call for particular attention. "Rigoletto," presumably, was produced at this early period in the season for the purpose of allowing Signor Guadaguini, one of Mr. Abbey's "first" baritones, an opportunity to exhibit his quality. If this be the case, it is clear that the result did not warrant the expectations of the management. The latest baritone has a rather worn voice of ordinary compass, and suffers from that bane of most modern singers, a pronounced tremolo. It is sufficient to say that Signor Guadagnini will hardly appear in the part again, and it is a thousand pities that the poor man came so far to do so little. Any detailed criticism in a case such as this is entirely unnecessary. Mme. Scalchi's fine voice and thoroughly artistic method lent a dignity to the quartet which otherwise would have been sadly missed. Signor Vianesi conducted with his usual care, and the stage attire of the opera was all that could be desired. This afternoon "Lohengrin" will be sung by Mme. Nilsson, Signor Campanint and the other artists who have heretofore taken part in Wagner's work.

Photograph of Roberto Stagno as the Duke of Mantua by Mora.

Photograph of Marcella Sembrich as Gilda.

Photograph of Sofia Scalchi as Maddalena by Mora.



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