The Astana Opera theatre captivated audiences with its grand production of Rigoletto. Giuseppe Verdi’s drama about love, betrayal, and retribution was presented for the first time on the stage of the country’s main theatre. The team, led by maestro Alan Buribayev and French stage director Arnaud Bernard, succeeded in conveying the full range of the characters’ emotions and experiences in a new interpretation. In this version, the focus shifts from Rigoletto, a sharp-tongued jester and a man with broken destiny, to the Duke, portrayed as a cultured and inquisitive figure constantly striving for new experiences. The performers skillfully brought this vision to life, while the orchestra masterfully conveyed every nuance of Verdi’s score - from tender lyricism to tragic intensity.
«Giuseppe Verdi’s opera is, in a sense, like a film created in medieval Italy. I asked our performers to deliver their parts as realistically as possible, with particular artistry. Regarding the costumes, I asked our designer, Anna Verde, to draw inspiration from the famous Moroni, who often used dark tones in his works. Thus, the costumes were stylized to reflect the era and emphasize the characters’ personalities,» Bernard said.
«The production was created with great taste and a
deep understanding of history. One could imagine that if Verdi had been
familiar with Caravaggio, they might have created something similar to what we
achieved. This is, at least, the result we hoped to approach,» Buribayev said.
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