RIGOLETTO

About the show

Rigoletto has everything one could wish for in Italian opera: a gripping storyline and unforgettable melodies that stay with you long after the curtain falls—including the famous tenor aria La donna è mobile. The court jester Rigoletto is determined to protect his only daughter, Gilda, from the womanising Duke of Mantua—but in vain. The drama unfolds relentlessly, driving towards its devastating conclusion, brought about by Rigoletto himself. He hires an assassin to kill the Duke, but when he receives the sack containing what he believes to be the Duke’s lifeless body, he suddenly hears his voice in the distance. Who, then, lies inside the sack? Verdi had an exceptional talent for choosing stories that strike at the heart of the audience. He was also a divine craftsman of melody, and in Rigoletto, he pours out this gift generously, filling the opera with some of his most celebrated arias and ensembles. In Rigoletto, Verdi also refines his ability to compose music tailored precisely to the dramatic situation. Bright and radiant in Rigoletto’s joyful reunion with his daughter at the opera’s opening, the music turns dark and ominous when he later encounters an assassin offering his services. This new production is directed by Sofia Jupither, who received critical acclaim in 2024 for her staging of Tristan und Isolde at the Royal Danish Opera. The cast also features the return of rising tenor star Galeano Salas, who captivated audiences last season as Leicester in Maria Stuarda. Rigoletto is performed in Italian with Danish and English surtitles. In collaboration with the Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm.