house debut
October 7, 11, 14, 19, 22, 26, 30, November 3, 2017
Rigoletto, melodramma in three acts
Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, after the play Le roi s’amuse by Victor Hugo
Lyric Opera of Chicago performances at the Civic Opera House, Chicago, IL, USA
Production owned by the San Francisco Opera Association
Conductor: Marco Armiliato
Rigoletto: Quinn Kelsey
Gilda: Rosa Feola
Duke of Mantua: Matthew Polenzani
Sparafucile: Alexander Tsymbalyuk
Maddalena: Zanda Švēde
Count Monterone: Todd Thomas
Borsa: Mario Rojas
Marullo: Takaoki Onishi
Count Ceprano: Alan Higgs
Countess Ceprano: Whitney Morrison
Giovanna: Lauren Decker
A Page: Diana Newman
An Usher: Kenneth Nichols
Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra and Chorus
Chorus Master: Michael Black
Original Production: Mark Lamos
Director: E. Loren Meeker
Set Designer: Michael Yeargan
Costume Designer: Constance Hoffman
Lighting Designer: Chris Maravich
Photos (link to Rosa's Facebook page)
The opening performance on October 7, 2017 was broadcasted live by WFMT.
Recording of a performance (or a composite recording) was later broadcasted through WFMT Radio Network Opera Series.
Excerpt:
Reviews:
"Much of the excitement came from a superb performance by the luminous Italian soprano Rosa Feola, making her Lyric debut as Gilda [...] Feola sang ravishingly and acted touchingly as a trusting young naif who casts her lot with her seducer, knowing full well that it will cost her her life. Feola earned herself a thunderous reception, and rightly so. [...] she embodied Gilda’s contradictions (the girl is both pure and capable of deep romantic feeling) with a radiant and sizable soprano that soared with melting tonal beauty, precision and a graceful command of the Verdi line. That Feola is lovely to look at and has natural stage presence is a further plus. [...] Never in my now 40 years on the Tribune aisle have I heard Gilda’s touchstone aria “Caro nome” sung more ravishingly, delicately or movingly. This is the monologue in which the enraptured girl muses about how the duke, disguised as a humble student, has stolen her heart. The audience roared its approval on Saturday, but Feola rose to every vocal and dramatic moment just as affectingly. Let’s have her back in Chicago, posthaste."
John von Rhein, "Chicago Tribune"
"Rosa Feola made a quite sensational company debut as Gilda [...] The Italian soprano has appeared many times in Riccardo Muti’s programs with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra [...] But none of those events prepared one for the luminous vocalism and dramatic power of her doomed Gilda Saturday night. Feola’s youthful, quicksilver soprano is ideal for this role and her “Caro nome” had it all—tonal purity, fine flexibility and a gleaming high register with pinpoint accuracy in the cabaletta’s top notes. The duet “È il sol dell’anima” with Matthew Polenzani’s Duke was simply gorgeous, tenderly sung with nuanced expressive poise by both artists. [...] Her characterization of Rigoletto’s trusting daughter was just as remarkable. Feola completely embodied the role, conveying the girlish excitement of being in love with the Duke (masquerading as a poor student), her shame at her kidnapping and seduction, and despair at seeing the Duke’s moral vacuity firsthand (in the Quartet). The opera’s final scene rarely comes off as it should, but Feola made it devastating, with Gilda’s dying phrases softening and ebbing away as she tells her father that she will soon be reunited with her mother and watch over him in heaven. Rosa Feola’s Gilda was nothing less than a star-making performance."
Lawrence A. Johnson, "Chicago Classical Review"
("Rosa Feola's luminous, heartbreaking Gilda in Lyric Opera’s Rigoletto" was mentioned as "best opera debut" of 2017 by Chicago Classical Review.)
"In an altogether sublime cast it is Feola, the Italian soprano with a voice of honey-coated warmth and easeful technical brilliance that is paired with exceptional acting skills and natural beauty, who steals the stage. Her performance of the extended aria “Cara nome” is breathtaking — full of the surprise and fever of first love."
Hedy Weiss, "Chicago Sun Times"
"It is always rewarding to hear a young singer make a successful debut, and last night Italian soprano Rosa Feola stunned the usually staid Lyric audience with her brilliant performance as Gilda. It was a near-perfect assumption of the role, with her meltingly beautiful voice, her charismatic stage presence, and her strong acting skills creating a three-dimensional characterization, unusually subtle and with a huge emotional palette. The audience simply fell in love with her. Her “Caro nome,” bubbling with youthful excitement about her love for “Gualtier Malde,” besides being magnificently sung with Ms. Feola’s limpid lyric soprano pouring forth fountains of silvery sound, was unusually moving. In the aria, Ms. Feola showed a Gilda not only thrilling to the feeling of first love, but also transitioning from girl to woman and having something of a sensual awakening as well. She sang throughout without a hint of strain, tossing off high notes with ease and purity of tone. This was a performance that I will long remember, and I certainly think that Rosa Feola has a very bright future ahead of her in the lyric soprano repertoire. Her solo bow at the curtain call drew an ovation larger than I’ve heard at Lyric in years."
Henson Keys, "parterre box"
"There we find Rosa Feola’s Gilda, who’s a standout vocalist. The higher she goes, the more relaxed she sounds, until she is nearly lounging in the upper ranges. [...] She sings her “Caro nome” facing the audience, with both arms outstretched behind her and grasping a rail, as if holding herself back from melting into the hall. The performance, both visually and vocally, was one of fearless directness."
Dan Wang, "Bachtrack"
"Feola was a mesmerizing and dazzling Gilda in terms of phrasing, lyrical quality and stage presence. Her “Caro nome” was without a doubt the most spectacular moment in a night full of them. Feola captured the innocence and naïvete of a sheltered young woman yearning for love. Even the way she spoke the name “Gualtier Malde” before launching into “Caro nome” highlighted Gilda’s chasteness and simple nature. [...] pure-hearted her characterization was. Feola is one of the most exciting new sopranos to grace the operatic stage [...]"
Santosh Venkataraman, "Opera Wire"
"[...] first among the reasons to applaud this production [...] is the Lyric debut of soprano Rosa Feola as Gilda. [...] Feola’s outing as Gilda is phenomenal. She conveys innocence and youthful earnestness with ease. She creates a young woman who is lovably sweet and she sings with the same sweetness. Her top notes are luscious and her phrasing blooms beautifully. [...] Feola makes this fateful decision believable and therefore all the more tragic."
M.L. Rantala, "Hyde Park Herald"
"[...] what a spectacular debut it was! Feola met the expectations of the role immaculately with a crystalline coloratura and engrossing stage presence. This was an artist of supreme musical intelligence. "Caro nome," the opera's showcase soprano aria, was shaped with such a sense of style and finesse that gave this warhorse a freshness and immediacy that eludes most. Hers were not merely vocal pyrotechnics, but the pining sighs of youthful love (that is, lust). [...] Feola captured the tragedy of Gilda’s existence with a disarming simplicity; one couldn’t look away while she was on stage. She was rewarded with a long, exuberant, and deserving ovation."
Michael Pecak, "Schmopera"
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