Rustioni conducts Rigoletto at the MET
«The chorus and orchestra excelled under the conducting of Daniele Rustioni, who led a lean, transparent performance that balanced urgency and lyricism. (...) Rustioni’s conducting was consistently lucid, colorful and dramatic. There is no need for me to urge the Met to bring him back, since the company has already tapped him to take over from Yannick Nézet-Séguin a run of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, opening this week, alongside his Rigoletto duties.
During the enthusiastic ovation after Friday’s performance, golden glitter rained down from the Met’s ceiling. The cast and creative team onstage directed their applause to the audience — a fitting tribute to the opera lovers who put their worries about the virus aside in order to be there for this memorable evening.»
The New York Times, Anthony Tommasini
«With conductor Daniele Rustioni ably managing the balances, this was the clearest vocal and instrumental sound one has heard at the Met all season. Every articulation came through, and one felt the weight and substance of the voices and the music. Much of this was due to a nuanced dynamic palette, with everyone, including the chorus, holding back their maximum volume save for a few key moments.»
New York Classical Review, George Grella
«Conductor Daniele Rustioni leads an accomplished performance.»
Financial Times, George Loomis
«Conductor Daniele Rustioni’s debut five years ago leading a revival of Aïda passed without much notice but his magnificent Rigoletto gave notice that he is one of today’s best Verdi conductors. He drew glorious, incisive playing from the Met’s fine orchestra and the men’s chorus performed with tremendous vigor and bite. One heard incredible orchestral detail throughout but never at the expense of a propulsive forward motion. I hope that he will return to work this magic on more Verdi, but this weekend he’ll tackle Mozart in a revival of Le Nozze di Figaro.»
Observer, Christopher Corwin
«The singing was well supported by conductor Daniele Rustioni, whose fresh, energetic take on Verdi’s score afforded such strong, creative performances from the cast.
The Met Orchestra seemed to respond enthusiastically to Rustioni’s conducting: it sounded particularly full-flavored on this evening—particularly the brass, which gleefully sneered through the caustic dissonances of the overture. The strings had a particularly raspy flavor at times—perhaps a certain hint of sul ponticello—that perfectly underscored the darkness of the dramatic material.
But it was the more soloistic work that truly stood out for me: the anguished horn calls which interpolate the first duet between Gilda and Rigoletto; the flurrying woodwind arpeggios which represent the storm in the third act; and the offstage band (partially onstage in this production), which played with a shimmering, glistening quality.»
Parterre Box, Callum John Blackmore
«In the pit, Daniele Rustioni led the Met orchestra in what I can confidently call the best conducting of an Italian opera at the Met in 2021-22. And it’s not even close unfortunately.
Rustioni led the music with agency and added an extra level of drama with his attention to detail. The prelude began with harrowing tremolos and extended chords that foreshadowed the impending tragedy. Then in the first concertante, Rustioni gave the orchestra a driving tempo that also allowed the soloists to shine. The cello soloist in the first exchange between Rigoletto and Sparafucile was commendable for his portamenti and lush tone. The «Addio» was filled with tension and drive while in the «Caro Nome» the winds accompanied Feola beautifully.
In the «Cortigianni vil raza danata» Rustioni emphasized the violin runs with sforzandos without ever exaggerating the attacks. The cello solo during the aria was also a great accompaniment, emphasizing the lament in Verdi’s music. The tempo was also measured and controlled but also dramatic and there was also a sense of moving the music and drama forward.
In the «Si vendetta” duet, Rustioni was always present with the singer but added an extra level of excitement with the resonant violin ostinatos. In the final duet «Lassù in cielo, vicino alla madre...», he pulled out the violin line to create a balance between the dark string colors and the heavenly flute line. In all, it was conducting at its finest without any mannerisms or exaggerations. (...) Ultimately, this Rigoletto was defined by a fantastic cast cast brought together by vibrant musicality of Rustioni.»
Operawire, Francisco Salazar