David McVicar’s engrossing and perceptive production of Rigoletto last year at Covent Garden caused something of a stir because of the frank licentiousness of the opening scene‚ including sex of all varieties. It is a bold and sensational beginning to the staging‚ depicting the Duke of Mantua as a libidinous and strident ruler of his ill­disciplined domain. Given that picture of the court‚ the contrast of Rigoletto’s almost obsessive love for his daughter is all the more poignant. Michael Vale’s single set‚ cleverly deployed and discerningly lit‚ manages to contain both worlds‚ and that of the nefarious Sparafucile‚ whose den in the final act looks convincingly dank and squalid. That is the background to a performance of thrilling commitment on all sides‚ bespeaking long and productive rehearsals‚ and conviction among the singers that this is the way to do the piece. That happens all too seldom today in opera houses so Covent Garden is to be congratulated on achieving it and the BBC for preserving it on film. At its centre is the arresting portrayal of Rigoletto from Paolo Gavanelli‚ probably the best acted and most sensitively sung‚ in terms of variety and colouring of tone‚ since Tito Gobbi essayed the role in the same house 35 years ago (even if he has an occasional tendency to lose pitch). Gavanelli reminded me even more of my first Rigoletto‚ the Yugoslav­born baritone Marko Rothmüller‚ in terms of plangent timbre and ability to peer into the Jester’s soul. Using the two sticks given him by McVicar as expressive props‚ often psychologically potent in enclosing Gilda and bringing her close to him‚ he creates a rounded portrait of a lonely outcast. By comparison‚ Christine Schäfer’s Gilda is a trifle cool to start with but once ravished she comes to emotional life and is particularly moving in the final act. Throughout‚ her singing‚ though not Italianate in colour‚ is musically shaped and technically flawless. Marcelo Álvarez is the very epitome of a selfish‚ macho ruler‚ and his brilliant‚ confident singing seconds his acting‚ yet he is rightly aware of the need for del­ icacy as well as attack in his part‚ his Act 3 aria finely shaped. Eric Halfvarson is a suitably sinister Sparafucile‚ Graciela Araya a properly sensual Maddalena. Downes‚ with all his long experience of‚ and love for Verdi conducts a well­nigh faultless account of a familiar score in terms of tempo and balance‚ bringing out‚ more than I can ever re­ member‚ the significance of the string figures that underpin several numbers. The orchestra plays splendidly for him. Sue Judd has the cameras in the right places at all times. My only res­ ervation concerns the sound. Too frequently the voices are too backwardly placed in relation to the orchestra. Turning up the volume to bring them into focus means that the band blows one out of the room at climaxes‚ but that should not deter you from being part of a very special occasion. Extra features include an interesting inter­ view with McVicar and a BBC documentary‚ ‘Verdi through the looking glass’.