Rigoletto
opera · melodramma in tre atti
Composer Giuseppe Verdi
Librettist Francesco Maria Piave
Synopsis
The Duke of Mantua seduces the women of his court without scruple, and his jester Rigoletto mocks the husbands and fathers he wrongs, until Count Monterone, whose daughter the Duke has dishonoured, curses them both. Rigoletto keeps his own daughter Gilda hidden from the court, which believes her to be his mistress.
Key facts
- Premiere
- 11 March 1851, Teatro La Fenice, Venice
- Acts
- 3
- Language
- Italian (it)
- Setting
- Mantua and its surroundings, in the sixteenth century.
Dramatis personae
| Role | Voice | Created by |
|---|---|---|
| Il Duca di Mantova The Duke of Mantua. | tenor | Raffaele Mirate |
| Rigoletto The Duke's court jester. | baritone | Felice Varesi |
| Sparafucile A hired assassin. | bass | Paolo Damini |
| Il Conte di Monterone A count. | baritone | Feliciano Ponz |
| Marullo A courtier. | baritone | Francesco De Kunnerth |
| Matteo Borsa A courtier. | tenor | Angelo Zuliani |
| Il Conte di Ceprano A courtier. | bass | Andrea Bellini |
| Un usciere di corte A court usher. | bass | Giovanni Rizzi |
| Gilda Rigoletto's daughter. | soprano | Teresa Brambilla |
| Giovanna Gilda's duenna. | mezzo-soprano | Laura Saini |
| Maddalena Sparafucile's sister. | contralto | Annetta Casaloni |
| La Contessa di Ceprano Ceprano's wife. | mezzo-soprano | Luigia Morselli |
| Un paggio A page. | mezzo-soprano | — |
Source
- Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo (1832)
Written from
- Budden, J. (1978) The operas of Verdi. Volume 1: From Oberto to Rigoletto. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 475-510.
- Wikipedia (2026) Rigoletto. (Accessed: 28 September 2026). The English article.
- Libretti d'opera (n.d.) Rigoletto. (Accessed: 28 September 2026).
- Wikipedia (2026) Rigoletto. (Accessed: 28 September 2026). The Italian article.