Royalty, devotion, lust and revenge: this opera has everything

At the Duke’s infamous parties, one man’s words light the darkness with a sinister glitter. Among the glamorous girls and greasy gangsters, Rigoletto serves his master with sharp wits and averted eyes.

From the moment he wrote it, Verdi knew he had a hit on his hands. The story has everything: royalty, loyalty, devotion, lust and revenge.

And the music? The music is sensational, so full of hummable tunes that Verdi demanded complete secrecy from his premiere cast. The tenor was forbidden from even whistling the catchy ‘La donna è mobile’ outside of rehearsals.

The morning after Rigoletto’s triumphant premiere, that melody rang out in the streets: a hit for ever after. The title character Verdi called the “greatest creation” in the history of theatre had found a home in a masterpiece of music.

Elijah Moshinsky’s much-loved production of Rigoletto returns to the Sydney Opera House stage, complete with its glamorous La Dolce Vita-inspired sets and costumes and scene-stealing Fiat 500. The revolving dolls-house style set gives a cinematic detail to each scene.

Opera Australia have assembled a brilliant cast led by Verdi master Renato Palumbo. Ernesto Petti is the tortured jester at the heart of Verdi’s masterpiece.