Verdi S Rigoletto

Rigoletto was first produced at the Teatro La Fenice, Venice, in 1851, and is generally seen as marking the beginning of Giuseppe Verdi's extraordinary middle period. It was followed in quick succession by Il trovatore and La traviata, and even after the great success of these two works Verdi regarded it as his 'best opera' up to that time. Based on Victor Hugo's play Le Roi s'amuse, which was banned after its premiere in Paris in 1832, the opera faced considerable difficulties with local censors before performance was permitted. In the story of the hunchbacked court jester and his beloved daughter, Verdi believed he had found "e;the greatest subject and perhaps the greatest drama of modern times"e;.The guide contains articles on the place of Rigoletto in Verdi's oeuvre and the background to its composition, a detailed examination of its musical structure and a survey of its performance history including discussions of some of its most distinguished interpreters. A further article highlights aspects of the opera's particularly Italian character. The guide also includes the full Italian libretto with English translation, sixteen pages of illustrations, a musical thematic guide, a bibliography and discography, and DVD and website guides.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1888 Edition.

From the première of Rigoletto at Venice's La Fenice in 1851, the Duke's La donna è mobile caught on with the public and has done much to ensure the ongoing popularity of Verdi's opera about the body in the sack. Rigoletto, the sarcastic court jester, is cursed by a nobleman who he has mocked. Subsequent events see the curse realised, as Rigoletto's daughter Gilda is kidnapped, raped, and later killed. The story, originally about King François, contemporary of the English King Henry VIII, came from a novel by Victor Hugo, author of Les Misérables and the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Concerned by its combination of debauchery, seduction, rape by a king, regicide, kidnap and murder, the censors required the librettist Francesco Piave to relocate it from the Louvre in Paris to the court in Mantua. The wonderful music also includes the Duke's Questa o quella, Gilda's Caro nome, Rigoletto's Piangi! piangi fanciulla and the glorious ensemble Bella figlia dell'amore. Enrico Caruso made his début at the Metropolitan Opera House as Rigoletto. Others who have starred include Patti, Melba, Callas, Domingo and Pavarotti. Written by Michael Steen, author of the acclaimed The Lives and Times of the Great Composers, 'Short Guides to Great Operas' are concise, entertaining and easy to read. They are packed with useful information and informed opinion, helping to make you a truly knowledgeable opera-goer, and so maximising your enjoyment of a great musical experience. Other 'Short Guides to Great Operas' that you may enjoy include La Traviata, Tosca and Lucia di Lammermoor.

A comprehensive guide to Verdi's RIGOLETTO, featuring Principal Characters in the opera, Brief Story Synopsis, Story Narrative with over 35 Music Highlight Examples, a complete, newly translated LIBRETTO with English/Italian side-by-side, selected Discography and Videography, Dictionary of Opera and Musical Terms, and an insightful and in depth Commentary and Analysis by Burton D. Fisher, noted opera author and lecturer.

Based upon a play by Victor Hugo, author of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE-DAME and LES MISERABLES, Giuseppe Verdi's 1851 opera RIGOLETTO is a tragedy of Shakespearean caliber set to music. The time is the Renaissance, the place the Italian city of Mantua. The bitter court jester of a libertine Duke fails tragically to shield his innocent daughter from the Duke's advances. Verdi's great score, composed at the start of his prime, includes three of the most famous numbers in Italian opera: "La donna e mobile," "Caro nome," and the Quartet. Audio and video recordings of RIGOLETTO have involved some of the most celebrated operatic conductors, singers, and stage directors of all time: Solti, Sutherland, Pavarotti, Domingo, Gobbi, Callas, Siepi, Ponnelle, and a great many more. Through detailed reviews of the best of these recordings, VERDI'S "RIGOLETTO" A SELECT DISCOGRAPHY WITH COMMENTARY traces the performance history of this riveting and tuneful opera since the 1940s. Illustrated with photographs and Renaissance-themed paintings.