Events

"Rigoletto" was written more than 165 years ago but, it is still very popular among art lovers all over the world. And on June 7, 9 and 10 it will be performed live in Portugal, at the Coliseu Porto Ageas, Casino Estoril and Coliseu dos Recreios, respectively.
With libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and based on the play "Le Roi s'amuse" by the French writer Victor Hugo written in 1832, this work, composed of 3 acts, became one of the most popular works of all Verdi's repertoire, with a masterly score for baritone, soprano and tenor. The piece was subject to French censorship and could not be performed for dozens of years, but it aroused the interest of Verdi who was looking for a striking story with strong character characters for his new opera. His choice also came up against Austrian censorship, at the time the dominant power in northern Italy. The latter considered the text to be of "repugnant morality and obscene triviality". After several alterations, the opera initially entitled "La Maledizione" was renamed "Rigoletto" and its action was moved to the kingdom of Mantua, which belonged to the now extinct Gonzaga family, so as not to offend any susceptibility. Its reception was apotheotic and since then "Rigoletto" has been one of Verdi's iconographic operas and one of the most performed all over the world. It is a tragic story of jealousy, revenge and sacrifice, which mainly revolves around the triangle of Rigoletto (hunchback and court jester), the Duke of Mantua (a gallant aristocrat) and Gilda (Rigoletto's daughter, in love with the Duke), always with the tragic backdrop of the curse that Monterone had put on Rigoletto and which would come true. Written by the Italian Giuseppe Verdi, with musical direction by Francisco Antonio Moya and artistic direction by Maria José Molina, this is a classic, showy staging, accompanied by the Philharmonic Orchestra of La Mancha and where the main components of the opera are present and represented in a very perceptible way.