Rigoletto

This film was actually shot at the Rome opera house. It was originally made in black and white but may have been coloured later on. The only singer not acting her own part is Lina Pagliughi, at that time dealing with quite severe weight problems. The cast is very good, Tito Gobbi's interpretation of Rigoletto being quite convincing, although the voice is too light and lacking in darkness for my taste. Mario Filipesci is a tailor-made duke and Giulio Neri, the only true basso profondo ever to emerge from Italy, is simply the greatest Sparafucile of all time. The smaller roles are fairly well cast. The beauty of this production is that here you can see opera as it should be produced. Period, sincere, with commitment, and well sung. Some might complain about the acting, but then again, opera is mainly about the quality of singing. If you want acting, go to the theatre. Rarely you can have both. Trust me as a professional opera singer (basso profondo, this is really a production to enjoy.