Leo Nucci -- don't call him maestro! -- talked to Corriere della Sera about his work, and his evolution in approaching the character of Rigoletto (on Friday night, Rigoletto opens at la Scala, conducted by our dear James Conlon, with Leo Nucci as the giullare):
«In the past I seconded an interpretive tradition that was then very popular, and I made the mistake of approaching this opera in a Romantic manner: but theater is life lived in every moment, and the actors must always look for that truth, careful not to overact... Over the years, over 400 performances, my understanding of the character has evolved, I tried to understand his spirit more, probing deeply: it takes patience, it takes work in rehearsal».
Nucci, who still studies on his facsimile of Verdi's autograph score, add, surprisingly, that for all his Rigoletto love, Nucci thinks that the perfect Verdi opera is... Macbeth:
«L'opera perfetta. On stage I'm always relaxed, because I know Verdi never wrote one note that wasn't just right. Not even his fortissimo drowns out your voice».