Rigoletto: Giuseppe Verdi's tragic opera at Opéra Bastille

Giuseppe Verdi 's smash hit Rigoletto arrives atOpéra Bastille from December 1 to June 12, 2025. Premiered in 1851 at La Fenice in Venice, this opera, based on a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave inspired by a drama by Victor Hugo, made Giuseppe Verdi famous. Today, Clause Guth takes over the staging of this tragic opera.

To create his opera, Giuseppe Verdi asked Francesco Maria Piave to compose a libretto inspired by Victor Hugo 's drama Le Roi s'amuse, in his words, "It's a magnificent, grandiose subject, featuring one of the most extraordinary characters ever created in the theater and in the whole world." Rigoletto, a complex character developed in this tragic opera, is both a deformed buffoon and faithful servant to the Duke of Mantua in his amorous conquests, but also a deeply loving father to his daughter Gilda.

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The deformed, cynical character of Rigoletto watches his master's antics without remorse, until his own daughter, Gilda, falls victim to the Duke's seductions. Caught between his paternal love and his thirst for revenge, Rigoletto finds himself in a tragic spiral that leads to a terrible denouement. With famous arias such as La donna è mobile, Rigoletto is one of the most influential operas in the repertoire, and returns to Paris at the Opéra Bastille .

Giuseppe Verdi is one of Italy's greatest opera composers, known for his tragic works. A native of Busseto, Italy, he left his mark on the XIXᵉ century with operas with universal themes such as La Traviata, Aida, Rigoletto and Il Trovatore. The composer was also politically committed, and his work has often been associated with the Italian unification movement. His melodic style, sense of theatricality and memorable characters made him a major figure in world opera. His tragic opera, Rigoletto, can be seen from December 1 to June 12, 2025 at theOpéra Bastille.