8:31PM You know, that's why Opera Chic moved to Italy and is still here after all these years: the Italian President introduced to RAI's audience the live Rigoletto from Mantua, praising Verdi's genius. Imagine the same thing happening in the US.
8:36PM Grigolo! Questa o quella!
8:38PM Placidone in a funny red hat!!!
8:40PM The cinematography's really yellow, warm warm warm palette!
8:41PM Director Bellocchio loves his close ups.
8:45PM Palazzo Ducale is, simply, stunning.
8:46PM Sii maledetto! Ten minutes in and they're already sweating like crazy -- in close up!!!
8:50PM Maestro Storaro lit up that alley like a Caravaggio, he's the Michael Jordan of cinematography
8:51PM Raimondi is just class. No small parts, etc.
8:56PM Quel vecchio maledivami! Go Placidone, show then how it's done.
8:58PM Deh, non parlare al misero... Placidone's eyes welling up...Gilda lacks that sweetness. Storaro going for the realistic candle-lit effect, insanely warm colors. Plasma's loving the deep deep blacks
9:04PM Quanto affetto! Quali cure! Gilda's getting shrill...Not that seriously reviewing opera on TV, not broadcast from an actual opera house but from a building not designed for the performance, with the orchestra and conducto rmakes much sense anyway...
9:09PM Still trying to recover from the sight of Placidone in a funny jester hat thirty minutes ago... singing Rigoletto... really
9:15PM E' il sol dell'anima...That's one handsome, sweet puppy of a Duke... poor Gilda (and that courtyard is really, really cool)
9:17PM OMG the Kiss!
9:18PM Caro nome!!!!!
9:20PM Not the best Caro Nome ever
9:20PM Zubin you're losing her....
9:21PM Big big challenge to sing under this conditions, in a courtyard, no conductor, crazy miking, earbuds, wild marking, lights everywhere, ALL live on TV
9:24PM She0's walking inside... tracking shot...
9:25PM Da quel vecchio fui maledetto... in near darkness... Placidone loving that cloak
9:29PM Son bendato! Always scary, creepy. Bellocchio pulls back, fast. It's a good idea...
9:30PM La maledizione, aaaaaaaaaaand-- we fade to black.