Rigoletto Is Met Opera's Jan. 29, 2022, Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Rigoletto is Met Opera's Jan. 29, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as the 2021-2022 season's eighth Saturday matinee opera broadcast.

Rosa Feola made her Met Opera debut, as naive Gilda, in the last four performances (Friday, April 26, 2019; Wednesday, May 1; Saturday, May 4; Friday, May 10) of Michael Mayer's 1960s Las Vegas casino setting of Verdi's Rigoletto; she makes her first Met Opera reprisal of Gilda in the 2021-2022 season's new Rigoletto production, set in 1920s Art Deco Europe by Bartlett Sher; photo of Rosa Feola, after her third Met Opera performance, Saturday, May 4, 2019, as Gilda, by Yige Li: Yige Li, CC BY 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons

Verdi's Rigoletto is Met Opera's Jan. 29, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast, scheduled as the eighth Saturday matinee opera broadcast in the 2021-2022 season.

Rigoletto by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901) receives 14 performances in the 2021-2022 season. The season's performances feature two casts. The winter cast sings in nine performances, including the Jan. 29 Saturday matinee opera broadcast. The first through seventh winter performances took place New Year's Eve, Friday, Dec. 31, at 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 4, at 8:00 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 7, at 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 15, at 8:00 p.m.; Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 7:00 p.m.; and Saturday, Jan. 22, at 8:00 p.m. The eighth and ninth performances are scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 25, at 7:00 p.m., and Saturday matinee, Jan. 29, at 1:00 p.m.

The spring cast sings in the season's last five performances of Rigoletto. Spring's performances are scheduled for Saturday, May 28, at 8:00 p.m.; Wednesday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 4, at 8:00 p.m.; Wednesday, June 8, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, June 11, at 8:00 p.m.

Rigoletto's 14th, closing performance, Saturday, June 11, closes the season as the 2021-2022 season's last opera. Rigoletto succeeds the season's last Saturday matinee opera broadcast, The Rake's Progress by Russian-born composer, conductor and pianist Igor Stravinsky (June 17, 1882-April 6, 1971).

The 2021-2022 season's presentation of Rigoletto debuts a new production by Bartlett Sher. The American theater director had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Nov. 10, 2006, in the opera company's 551st performance of Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868).

Bartlett Sher's new production resets the opera to 1920s Europe and adorns the stage with Art Deco sets. Rigoletto's original time frame is northwestern Italy's then water-ringed city of Mantua in the 16th century.

Bartlett Sher's new take on Rigoletto replaces the production, set in a 1960s Las Vegas casino, that debuted in the 2012-2013 season by Michael Mayer. Met Opera retired Mayer's Rigoletto staging in the 2018-2019 season, after the production's fourth revival. The American theater director had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, with the debut of his Rigoletto production, in the opera company's 842nd performance of Rigoletto.

Bartlett Sher's production team comprises Michael Yeargan, scenic designer; Catherine Zuber, costume designer; and Donald Holder, lighting designer. American opera and theater set designer Michael Yeargan had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, March 11, 1993, in the opera company's 53rd performance of Ariadne auf Naxos by German late Romantic and early modern composer Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sep. 8, 1949). British-born American costume designer Catherine Zuber had made her Met Opera debut Friday, Nov. 10, 2006, alongside Bartlett Sher. American theater, opera and dance lighting director Donald Holder had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Oct. 8, 2004, in the opera company's 343rd performance of The Magic Flute / Die Zauberflöte by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

Daniele Rustioni conducts the December and January performances, including the Jan. 29 Saturday matinee opera broadcast. The Italian conductor had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, March 23, 2017, in the opera company's 1,156th performance of Verdi's Aida.

Daniele Rustioni shares the conductorship with Karel Mark Chichon, who conducts the May and June performances. The British conductor had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, in the opera company’s 857th performance of Madama Butterfly by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924).

Quinn Kelsey originally was scheduled to appear in all 14 performances in the title role of a thoughtless jester who learns a cruel lesson. The American baritone had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, March 29, 2008, as Schaunard in the opera company’s 1,194th performance of Puccini’s La Bohème.

Quinn Kelsey shares the role in January with Michael Chioldi, according to Met Opera's announcements via Twitter Tuesday, Jan. 4, and Thursday, Jan. 6. Michael Chioldi sings Rigoletto on Tuesday, Jan. 4; Friday, Jan. 7; and Tuesday, Jan. 11. The American operatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, April 6, 1996, as Fléville in the opera company's 152nd performance of Andrea Chénier by Italian verismo (“realism”) composer Umberto Giordano (Aug. 28, 1867-Nov. 12, 1948).

Rigoletto numbers as the second of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Quinn Kelsey. He sang Marcello in the Jan. 22 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Puccini's La Bohème.

Rosa Feola sings December and January's Gilda, Rigoletto's daughter, who sacrifices herself for love of her father's womanizing employer, the Duke of Mantua. The Italian operatic soprano reprises the role in which she made her Met Opera debut Friday, April 26, 2019, in the opera company's 895th performance of Rigoletto.

According to Met Opera's announcement via Twitter Jan. 15, 2022, Andriana Chuchman replaces Rosa Feola in the evening's performance. The Canadian/Ukrainian soprano had made her Met Opera debut Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, as Adina in the opera company's 278th performance of L'Elisir d'Amore by 19th-century Italian bel canto opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848).

Rosa Feola also shares the Verdian tragic heroine with Kristina Mkhitaryan, May and June's Gilda. The Russian soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, Nov. 23, 2018, as Lauretta in the opera company's 139th performance of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.

Varduhi Abrahamyan sings December and January's Maddalena, who convinces her assassin brother, Sparafucile, not to murder the Duke of Mantua. The Franco-Armenian mezzo-soprano's appearance in the production's debut, her Met Opera debut New Year's Eve, Friday, Dec. 31, marked her Met Opera debut.

Rigoletto numbers as the first of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Varduhi Abrahamyan. She sings Olga in the April 2 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Eugene Onegin by Russian late Romantic era composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840-Nov. 6, 1893).

Varduhi Abrahamyan shares the role with Yulia Matochkina, May and June's Maddalena. The Russian mezzo-soprano will make her Met Opera debut in the new production's first spring performance, Saturday, May 28.

Stephen Costello appears in all performances as the womanizing Duke of Mantua, unrequitedly loved by two women, Maddalena and Gilda, whose actions save his life. He makes his third reprisal of the role that he had added to his Met Opera portfolio Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015, in Met Opera's second revival of the production debuted in the 2012-2013 season by Michael Mayer. The American operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Sept. 24, 2007, as Arturo in the opera company’s 558th performance of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.

Andrea Mastroni is December and January's cold-hearted assassin Sparafucile. He makes his first reprisal of the role in which he had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in the opera company's third revival of Michael Mayer's production.

Andrea Mastroni shares the role with Ante Jerkunica, May and June's Sparafucile. The Croatian bass makes his Met Opera debut in the new production's first spring performance, Saturday, May 28.

November 2022 will mark the 139th anniversary of Met Opera's first performance of Rigoletto. The opera's Metropolitan Opera premiere occurred Friday, Nov. 16, 1883, during the opera house's first season. Rigoletto numbered as the ninth of 20 opera premieres in the 1883-1884 season. Rigoletto received three performances in its first Met Opera season.

The takeaways for Rigoletto as Met Opera's Jan. 29, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast are that Verdi's jester-punished opera airs as the 2021-2022 season's eighth Saturday matinee opera broadcast; that the 2021-2022 season's staging debuts a new production, set in 1920's Art Deco Europe, by Bartlett Sher; that the 2021-2022 season's presentation marks Stephen Costello's third role reprisal as the Duke of Mantua, Rosa Feola's first reprisal as Gilda and Andrea Mastroni's first reprisal as Sparafucile; and that Rigoletto numbers as the second of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Quinn Kelsey and as the first of two for newcomer Varduhi Abrahamyan.

Andrea Mastroni made his Met Opera debut, as deadly Sparafucile, in the first four performances (Friday, Jan. 20, 2017; Thursday, Jan. 26; Monday, Jan. 30; Saturday, Feb. 4) of the third revival of Michael Mayer's 1960s Las Vegas casino setting of Verdi's Rigoletto; he makes his first Met Opera reprisal as Sparafucile in the 2021-2022 season's new Rigoletto production, set in 1920s Art Deco Europe by Bartlett Sher: Andrea Mastroni @MastroniAndrea, via Twitter March 1, 2017

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Rosa Feola made her Met Opera debut, as naive Gilda, in the last four performances (Friday, April 26, 2019; Wednesday, May 1; Saturday, May 4; Friday, May 10) of Michael Mayer's 1960s Las Vegas casino setting of Verdi's Rigoletto; she makes her first Met Opera reprisal of Gilda in the 2021-2022 season's new Rigoletto production, set in 1920s Art Deco Europe by Bartlett Sher; photo of Rosa Feola, after her third Met Opera performance, Saturday, May 4, 2019, as Gilda, by Yige Li: Yige Li, CC BY 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rosa_Feola_MET_Gilda_2019.jpg

Andrea Mastroni made his Met Opera debut, as deadly Sparafucile, in the first four performances (Friday, Jan. 20, 2017; Thursday, Jan. 26; Monday, Jan. 30; Saturday, Feb. 4) of the third revival of Michael Mayer's 1960s Las Vegas casino setting of Verdi's Rigoletto; he makes his first Met Opera reprisal as Sparafucile in the 2021-2022 season's new Rigoletto production, set in 1920s Art Deco Europe by Bartlett Sher: Andrea Mastroni @MastroniAndrea, via Twitter March 1, 2017, @ https://twitter.com/MastroniAndrea/status/836872286061879296

For further information:

Andrea Mastroni @MastroniAndrea. "Andrea Mastroni as Sparafucile in Verdi's "Rigoletto" at Metropolitan Opera (Photo by Karen Almond)." Twitter. March 1, 2017.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MastroniAndrea/status/836872286061879296

"Debut: Andriana Chuchman." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355238 L'Elisir d'Amore {278} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/09/2014.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355238

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Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352451

"Debut: Rosa Feola." MetOpera Database > Met Performance] CID: 357221 Rigoletto {895} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/26/2019.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357221

"Debut: Stephen Costello, Mary Zimmerman, Daniel Ostling, Mara Blumenfeld, T. J. Gerckens, Daniel Pelzig." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352065 New Production Lucia di Lammermoor {558} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/24/2007.
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“Debuts: Karel Mark Chichon, Artur Rucinski.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356328 Madama Butterfly {857} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/19/2016.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356328

"Debuts: L'ubica Vargicová, Volker Vogel, Kwangchul Youn, Anna Christy, Aiden Bowman, Jason Goldberg, Lev Pakman, Julia Welsh, Julie Taymor, Donald Holder, Michael Curry, Mark Dendy.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351036 New Production Die Zauberflöte {343} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/08/2004.
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Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=323860

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Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/02/rigoletto-is-feb-23-2019-met-opera.html

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "For the upcoming performances of Verdi’s Rigoletto on Jan 7 and 11, the role of Rigoletto will be sung by Michael Chioldi. #CastChange." Twitter. Jan. 6, 2022.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1479127145901346821

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "For this evening’s performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto, the role of Gilda will be sung by Andriana Chuchman. #CastChange." Twitter. Jan. 15, 2022.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1482526001687154689

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "For this evening’s performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto, the role of Rigoletto will be sung by Michael Chioldi. #CastChange." Twitter. Jan. 4, 2022.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1478440306274099203

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Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1150

"New Production: Rigoletto." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354827 New Production Rigoletto {842} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/28/2013.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354827