Opera: Rigoletto
by Giuseppe Verdi
La Scala, Milan
Description
A monumental work by Verdi in 3 acts. With over 10 soloists, elaborate costumes and impressive set design. It is set in Mantua. The first and second acts in Palazzo Ducale and the third and last act on the Mincio River. It’s about love, curse and revenge. Magnificent arias and impressive scenes. Singing is of course in Italian. So reading something beforehand is good.
The opera lasts about 3 hours including a break. During the break, you go to the Toscanini foyer and get something prickly for refreshment.
The first performance was in 1851 at the La Fenice Theatre in Venice. Verdi composed the opera on behalf of the Venice Theatre. The orchestral music, the arias, the plot, the costumes, and the set design – the whole combination is a masterpiece. You can look forward to an evening that is not so commonplace.
Story
The main character of this opera is Rigoletto, the court jester of the Duke of Mantua. An ugly man with a hump, but he does a good job as a fool. The courtiers, however, are not enthusiastic about being insulted again and again in front of the Duke’s eyes. The Duke himself is a womanizer and has fallen in love with Gilda, who unknowingly is the fool’s daughter. Count Monterone appears to complain about the Duke, who also seduced his daughter. After some palaver, he curses the Duke and his fool Rigoletto.
Finally, the courtiers notice that Rigoletto lives “secretly” with the beautiful Gilda, his daughter. Unaware that this is his daughter, they kidnap Gilda and bring her to the Duke’s bed. Rigoletto swears revenge and hires the robber Sparafucile, who happens to have a pretty sister – Maddalena.
With Maddalena as bait, Rigoletto and Sparafucile are planning a plot. To show Gilda that the Duke is unfaithful. On top of that, he is also to be murdered immediately.
The plan goes wrong. Gilda himself is seriously injured, the duke remains cheerful and unscathed, and Rigoletto almost and unsuspectingly sinks his half-dead daughter in the river. She dies singing in his arms and the miserable Rigoletto howls because the curse has now come.
The artists
The soloists of the Teatro alla Scala Academy of Lyric Opera, as well as choir and orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala Academy and students of the Ballet School of the Teatro alla Scala
Conductor: Nello Santi
Staging: Gilbert Deflo
Sets: Ezio Frigerio
Costumes: Franca Squarciapino
Choreographic movements: Gildo Cassani
Lights: Marco Filibeck
Rigoletto: Leo Nucci
Schedule Rigoletto
Choose the performance to visit
The performances of the season
In Milan at La Scala