Rigoletto in need of a shot of espresso

By Mark Pullinger, 13 September 2014

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“Verdi as aural Ovaltine, tucked up in cosy dressing gown and slippers”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 12 September 2014

Verdi, Rigoletto

The Royal Opera

Maurizio Benini, Conductor

Sir David McVicar, Director

Michael Vale, Set Designer

Tanya McCallin, Costume Designer

Saimir Pirgu, The Duke of Mantua

Sir Simon Keenlyside, Rigoletto

Aleksandra Kurzak, Gilda

Brindley Sherratt, Sparafucile

Justina Gringytė, Maddalena

Royal Opera Chorus

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

A Royal Opera Rigoletto desperately in need of a shot of espresso