Verdi: Rigoletto

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Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano

Tullio Serafin

Callas only sang Gilda in Rigoletto in one run of performances, in Mexico City in 1952, and she recorded the role three years later. She moves beyond the girlish tone and sparkling coloratura of the character’s first scenes to create a figure of tragic stature as events unfold. ‘Once heard, this rendering is never likely to be forgotten,’ was Gramophone’s judgement on her interpretation, and the same could apply to Tito Gobbi’s, embodying every aspect of the accursed court jester.

Gilda: Maria Callas

Rigoletto: Tito Gobbi

Duca di Mantova: Giuseppe Di Stefano

Sparafucile: Nicola Zaccaria

Maddalena: Adriana Lazzarini

Giovanna: Giuse Gerbino

Il conte di Monterone: Plinio Clabassi

Marullo: William Dockie

Borsa: Renato Ercolani

Conte di Ceprano: Carlo Forti

Contessa di Ceprano: Elvira Galassi

Un usciere: Vittorio Tatozzi

Un paggio: Luisa Mandelli