Synopsis
Rigoletto - English National Opera Guide 15
Published by John Calder Publications
"The subject cannot fail!" exulted Verdi, when recommending Victor Hugo's play Le Roi s'amuse to his librettist
But the censors made every effort to stop it, and the baritone was not easily convinced that a hunchback role would suit him
Jonathan Keates gives a vivid insight into the composition of Rigoletto - a masterpiece
Verdi long afterwards thought it his best work, and Roger Parker explains why
Peter Nichols, author of several bestselling books in Italy, picks out some of the peculiarly Italian attitudes and characters in the opera which make it timeless and incredibly modern
REVIEWS
'Brilliantly produced and superb value' ~ Sunday Times
'All these will provide the new opera-goer with food for thought' ~ Daily Telegraph
'Wholehearted recommendation of this valuable new series' ~ TLS