Florentine’s Rigoletto

The Florentine Opera’s production of Rigoletto last weekend had all the sweep and passion you’d expect from a Verdi opera. But it was Georgia Jarman’s performance as Gilda that really set the house afire. Turning the well-known aria “Caro Nome” into an object lesson of dramatic singing, Jarman whispered, cooed and literally brought herself to the floor—all in the interest of adding theatrical spark to the already deliciously romantic vocal performance. It had its splashes of grandstanding—but it served the story, as well.
To make Victor Hugo’s story credible, we have to believe that Gilda would choose to sacrifice herself for a man she’s met just once—so no amount of swooning would be too much for the aria she sings after her tryst with the duke (Arturo Chacon-Cruz). Jarman also helped provide an extra helping of tender affection in the scenes with Rigoletto, her father. A good thing, since Luis Ledesma sang the role with command, but seemed unsure of how to approach it dramatically.
Director William Florescu put the story in an abstract, timeless setting. Noele Stollmack’s abstracted backdrop and platforms kept the action pared down to its simplest elements. But its clean geometry emphasized the stage’s expansiveness, and the space tended to overwhelm the performers in the intimate scenes.
Joseph Rescigno and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra found the dramatic power in Verdi’s score, and Rescigno was a particularly sensitive accompanist for the soloists.