Verdi: Rigoletto
Rigoletto
Synopsis
Rigoletto is a jester in the court of the Duke of Mantua. He has a hunch-back and he's rather unattractive, but he's good at his job of humiliating the courtiers for the amusement of the Duke. The courtiers, of course, are not amused. The Duke is a ladies man who feels his life would be meaningless if he couldn't chase every skirt he sees. In fact, we learn as the opera begins that he's recently been noticing a young lady every Sunday on her way to church, and he's vowed to have his way with her. What nobody realizes is that the girl is the jester's beloved daughter, Gilda, and that Gilda has seen the Duke every Sunday and is smitten with him. Suddenly Count Monterone appears at court, furious that the Duke has seduced his daughter. Rigoletto ridicules Monterone, the Duke laughs, and Monterone casts an awful curse on both of them. Later, the courtiers discover that Rigoletto is secretly living with Gilda...
Top Cast
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Ingvar Wixell
Rigoletto / Monterone
Edita Gruberova
Gilda
Luciano Pavarotti
Il Duca di Mantova
Ferruccio Furlanetto
Sparafucile
Victoria Vergara
Maddalena
Fedora Barbieri
Giovanna
Bernd Weikl
Marullo (singing voice)
Roland Bracht
Ceprano
Louis Otey
Marullo
Rémy Corazza
Borsa
Kathleen Kuhlmann
Contessa di Ceprano
Maren Shipman
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Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
- Screenplay & Story
- Victor Hugo, Francesco Maria Piave
- Original Score
- Giuseppe Verdi
- Original Title
- Rigoletto
- Country of Origin
- Germany
- Spoken Languages
- Italian
- Runtime
- 2h 8m
- Production Studios
- Unitel, Deutsche Grammophon
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Victor Hugo, Francesco Maria Piave
Giuseppe Verdi
Pasqualino De Santis
Horant H. Hohlfeld
Department Leadership Roster
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Director
Gianni Quaranta
Production Design
Francesco Maria Piave
Writer
Giuseppe Verdi
Original Music Composer
Pasqualino De Santis
Director of Photography
Martin Schlumpf
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Verdi: Rigoletto.
Featured In Curated Collections
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Frequently Asked Questions About Verdi: Rigoletto
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Verdi: Rigoletto about?
Rigoletto is a jester in the court of the Duke of Mantua. He has a hunch-back and he's rather unattractive, but he's good at his job of humiliating the courtiers for the amusement of the Duke. The courtiers, of course, are not amused. The Duke is a ladies man who feels his life would be meaningless if he couldn't chase every skirt he sees. In fact, we learn as the opera begins that he's recently been noticing a young lady every Sunday on her way to church, and he's vowed to have his way with her. What nobody realizes is that the girl is the jester's beloved daughter, Gilda, and that Gilda has seen the Duke every Sunday and is smitten with him. Suddenly Count Monterone appears at court, furious that the Duke has seduced his daughter. Rigoletto ridicules Monterone, the Duke laughs, and Monterone casts an awful curse on both of them. Later, the courtiers discover that Rigoletto is secretly living with Gilda...
Who directed Verdi: Rigoletto?
Verdi: Rigoletto was directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle.
Who stars in Verdi: Rigoletto?
The principal cast of Verdi: Rigoletto includes Ingvar Wixell, Edita Gruberova, Luciano Pavarotti, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Victoria Vergara.
When was Verdi: Rigoletto released and how long is it?
Verdi: Rigoletto was released in 1982 with a total runtime of 2h 8m.
Who composed the musical score for Verdi: Rigoletto?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Verdi: Rigoletto was composed by Giuseppe Verdi.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Verdi: Rigoletto?
Verdi: Rigoletto holds official age classifications: GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.).