Eugene Brancoveanu admits he’s fully immersed in “Rigoletto” right now – “to the point,” he says, “where I live, breathe, think, feel, walk, dream, and sing the part.”
The deep-voiced baritone is about to sing the title role of Verdi’s powerful drama in a new Opera San Jose production, opening Feb. 17 at the California Theatre. Directed by , and conducted by Jorge Parodi, this “Rigoletto” looks to be one of the highlights of the company’s 40th anniversary season.
Brancoveanu, an Opera San Jose resident artist, certainly isn’t new to the role. He sang his first Rigoletto in 1999, in his native Romania, and has returned to it in venues from Salzburg to Livermore. This, he notes, will be his fifth time in the part, and he’s clearly ready.
“The role hits so much harder now than, say, 10 years ago,” said Brancoveanu. “Being a parent for me changed everything, whether I’m singing Mahler’s ‘Kindertotenlieder’ or ‘Rigoletto.’”
The baritone, who has two children, ages 17 and 20, adds that “there’s a maturity that comes with being in my mid-40s that serves the role really well.”
Indeed, the drama of “Rigoletto” largely stems from issues of parenthood. The title character is a jester in the Duke of Mantua’s court; he’s also a father, and his daughter, Gilda, is desired by the powerful Duke; joining Brancoveanu in the production are soprano Melissa Sondhi as Gilda and tenor Edward Graves as the Duke.
Verdi raises the musical stakes as Rigoletto, surrounded by the lecherous Duke and the violent Sparafucile, tries to keep his daughter Gilda safe — creating, says Brancoveanu, a level of intensity that makes this one of Verdi’s most gripping dramatic works.
Director Miller, in his first Opera San Jose assignment, says that rehearsals are yielding surprising results.
“I’m trying to make a fine point, re-focus the conversation and make it very clear that this entire opera is about a power structure,” said the director. Instead of Rigoletto’s usual birthmark deformity, he’s given the character a facial scar — “from a branding that the Duke has etched into him. The Duke, in other words, controls Rigoletto’s destiny.”
For Miller, who’s based in Seattle, this production is one he has eagerly anticipated. With Opera San Jose General Director Shawna Lucey, he served as assistant director in her 2022 production of Verdi’s “La Traviata” for San Francisco Opera; he’s also directed the composer’s “Il Trovatore.” With “Rigoletto,” he says, “I’m closing the loop on the three middle Verdis, so it’s a nice benchmark for me.”
Like many opera lovers, Miller grew up with the form. “My parents were big opera fans; growing up in Seattle, the first opera I saw was a complete ‘Ring’ cycle when I was 4 years old. I was thrown into the deep end then! So when I direct now, it becomes an exercise of having a deep familiarity with these masterpieces of the canon. I also want to make it novel, not just for an inveterate fan like me, but for a complete neophyte — so everybody in the audience can experience something unexpected and new.”
Having a cast like this one, he said, makes that possible. Miller’s been thrilled by what the singers have uncovered in rehearsals.
“They’re fantastic,” he said. “Eugene is phenomenal in this role, and Melissa, as Gilda, is finding new layers. All three principals are incredibly moving. I think it’ll sound fantastic.”
Brancoveanu, for one, is clearly excited. “This is Number Five for me,” he said. “Since the last one, I’ve really felt that vocally I was there — that the Verdi roles were part of my center, my core. Just yesterday, we had our first sing-through of Act 3. It takes me to a very special emotional and artistic place, one that is hard to prep for. I feel like I’m just opening the gates, letting the musical tides roll over me. I have to just hang on for as much as I can.”
Contact Georgia Rowe at [email protected]
‘RIGOLETTO’
By Giuseppe Verdi, presented by Opera San Jose
When: Feb. 17 through March 3
Where: California Theatre, 345 S. 1st St., San Jose
Tickets: $55-$195; operasj.org
