Telling Rigoletto's story

Lester Lynch (left) and Giuseppe Altomare (right) alternate as the title character in Rigoletto. Sunny Martini photo

Seattle Opera sat down with our two star baritones who alternate as the title character in Rigoletto. Lester Lynch, an American, has recently sung Crown in Porgy and Bess ('18), and Di Luna in Il trovatore ('19), and Giuseppe Altomare, an Italian, makes his company debut. The two artists shared why this character means so much to them, the differences in contemporary versus traditionally productions of Rigoletto, and the political implications of this masterpiece in 2019.  

Is Rigoletto the ultimate baritone role—why?
“He’s top five, for sure. I would also include Iago, Wotan and Dutchman in that list. And of course, we can’t forget our dear friend, Scarpia…”
—Lester Lynch 

Why do you love this character? 

“I love that this character is challenging. In order to perform well, I must fully inhabit Rigoletto’s psychology. Your voice has to serve the music while showing the character’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions. To play Rigoletto, I must change the colors of my voice, depending on what’s happening in the story.

I think in the past, I would sometimes allow myself to feel a little too much. At one point, I took a break from singing Rigoletto for a while. Now when I perform this opera, I keep more of a distance from his pain. This distance allows me to take care of myself, and bring my best to the role.”
—Giuseppe Altomare