Fine voices, staid production: Rigoletto at Hungarian State Opera

Zita Szemere (Gilda) and Attila Mókus (Rigoletto)

Rigoletto, opening scene

Zita Szemere (Gilda) and Barna Bartos (Duke of Mantua)

Attila Mókus (Rigoletto) and ensemble

By George Jahn, 13 July 2024

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“vocal signposts in Rigoletto’s descent into the hell of his own making”

Reviewed at Hungarian State Opera: Auditorium, Budapest on 12 July 2024

Verdi, Rigoletto

Hungarian State Opera

István Dénes, Conductor

Ádám Cser, Conductor

Mária Harangi, Director

Attila Csikós, Set Designer

Rita Velich, Costume Designer

Hungarian State Opera Orchestra

Hungarian State Opera Chorus

Miklós Szinetár, Director

Alexandru Agache, Rigoletto

Attila Mókus, Rigoletto

Mihály Kálmándy, Rigoletto

Rita Rácz, Gilda

Zita Szemere, Gilda

Laura Topolánszky, Gilda

Andrei Danilov, The Duke of Mantua

Barna Bartos, The Duke of Mantua

Istvan Horvath, The Duke of Mantua

István Rácz, Sparafucile

László Szvétek, Sparafucile

Andrea Szántó, Maddalena

Viktória Mester, Maddalena

Lúcia Megyesi Schwartz, Maddalena

Bernadett Wiedemann, Giovanna

Klára Vincze, Giovanna

Mária Farkasréti, Giovanna

Lajos Geiger, Count Ceprano

Zsuzsanna Kapi, Countess Ceprano

Balázs Papp, Borsa

Botond Pál, Borsa

Tivadar Kiss, Borsa

Géza Gábor, Monterone

Antal Cseh, Marullo

Zoltán Bátki Fazekas, Court Usher

Diána Ivett Kiss, Page

Gábor Csiki, Choirmaster / chorus director

Jenő Lőcsei, Choreography

Hungarian National Ballet

All that glitters is not gold in Budapest's new Lohengrin

Orsolya Gyárfás, 16th November

Klára Kolonits's radiant Elsa proves the main attraction in the Hungarian State Opera's visually appealing but conceptually lacking new Lohengrin.

**111

A thrilling, opulent La Bayadère at Hungarian National Ballet

Gianmarco Segato, 14th June

Hungarian National Ballet's La Bayadère revitalizes tradition with a new reconstruction of its forgotten final act.

*****

Visually splendid, dramatically parched La Gioconda in Budapest

Gianmarco Segato, 11th June

Hungarian State Opera's cut-down, dramatically inert Gioconda fails to ignite the stage in Budapest, despite a solid musical foundation.

***11

Stumbling towards the chopping block: Maria Stuarda in Budapest

Orsolya Gyárfás, 14th May

Martin Rajna's energetic conducting and Gabriella Balga's glorious Elisabetta are the bright spots in this flashy but empty house premiere of Donizetti's classic.

**111

Hungarian National Ballet: a tremendously witty Merry Widow

Deborah Weiss, 12th February

Hungarian National Ballet strike a delightful balance between lighthearted comedy and technical assurance in Ronald Hynd's The Merry Widow.

****1

A promising class: 6th Éva Marton Competition grand final

Orsolya Gyárfás, 7th September

In its tenth year and going strong, the biennial Éva Marton International Singing Competition fields an even level of talent in an entertaining finale.

More reviews...

George Jahn

George Jahn is the former Vienna bureau chief of The Associated Press. During his 35-year career at the global news organization, he covered wars, politics... and opera, reviewing productions at the Vienna State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, Bayreuth Festival and other houses in Austria and Germany. He has also written for Opera Now and International Piano magazines in London. Those he has interviewed include Matthias Goerne, Vesselina Kasarova, Thomas Hampson and Mariss Jansons. George holds or shares awards for his reporting on U.N. affairs and for his coverage of the Bosnian war. A Canadian/Hungarian citizen, he splits his time between residences in Vienna and Budapest.

Fine voices, staid production: Rigoletto revived at Hungarian State Opera