A father's curse disrupts the Duke's The opera will be presented tonight
party and begins Rigoletto's tragedy. in Rudder Auditorium.
A night at the opera
can be enjoyed by all
by Tim Foarde
Battalion Staff
Take a dark and gloomy story
of an accursed jester driven by
revenge and smitten by fate.
Add a masterpiece score by one
of the world's greatest compos
ers. Bring in a cast of American
singers to weld the two
together, and you've got the
opera "Rigoletto."
The Texas Opera Theatre will
perform Verdi's “Rigoletto"
tonight at 8 in Rudder Audi
torium.
Opera lecturer Simon Sargon
was on the Texas A&M Univer
sity campus last week preview
ing “Rigoletto." Sargon said
that the action-filled plot of
“Rigoletto" — performed in En
glish — is well-suited for college
students.
“Rigoletto is a very good
opera for a first opera experi
ence," Sargon said in an inter
view before the operalogue.
“Verdi believed in being con
cise. His great maxim was 'never
bore an audience, keep every
thing short.'"
Sargon said people should
realize that opera is a theatrical
experience and not just per
formed to hear superstars pro
duce beautiful vocal sounds.
"An opera like “Rigoletto"
plays like a very finely honed
play with a series of carefully
varied scenes," Sargon said.
“The interactions between the
characters constantly enrich
your appreciation of the charac
ters and their depth."
Opera was never intended to
appeal exclusively to the upper-
class, Sargon said. Rigoletto,
which has been popular since
1851, was intended to entertain
the masses. The opera can be
understood and enjoyed by
more people, Sargon said, when
it is performed in English.
"Many people feel opera is a
strange world outside the Amer
ican experience," he said.
"Opera is caricatured by fat sin
gers singing in a foreign lan
guage while the audience sits
oored for two hours."
Sargon said he would much
rather see operas such as Verdi's
and Mozart's in English.
“The worst thing is to go to a
comic opera that really is
humorous and people are sitting
there like stones because they
can't get any of the jokes," he
said.
“The most important thing is
that the opera play is a theater
piece. If value is lost in terms of
the sounds of the Italian, it is
greatly outweighed by what is
gained in terms of audience in
volvement with the action."
What makes opera special is
the fact that the words, action
and music contribute to the
emotional effect of the story.
Sargon said.
“Rigoletto is a marvelous ex
ample of this. All of the lengths
are calculated so you never lose
interest in what's happening.
There's a constant panorama of
change on the stage. Musically,
of course, there is a succession
of beautiful melodies.
“The arias are set against the
ensemble numbers, the chor
uses against the solos. It keeps
your ear constantly engrossed at
the same time as the story plays
on stage."
Sargon said the stereotype of
a boring, upper-class opera per
formance is being disintegrated
by touring groups such as the
Texas Opera Theater.
“The Texas Opera Theater is
taking opera out on the road,"
Sargon said. "They're taking the
most attractive young opera ta
lent and changing the
stereotype of flamboyant opera
singers with capes and furs."
The story, music and emotion
of opera will appeal to anyone
who loves good music and dra
ma, if it's presented in a fresh,
intelligible way. This is what the
Texas Opera Theater hopes to
bring in “Rigoletto."
Unaware that her suitor is the infamous Duke of Mantua,
“ Gilda vows eternal love in the Texas Opera Theater's thrill
ing new production of Verdi's "Rigoletto," sung in En
glish. MSC OPAS presents "Rigoletto" tonight at 8 p.m. in
Rudder Auditorium.