Maryland's Classical Music Station

There’s no character in opera more powerfully dramatic than the court jester Rigoletto, whose acid tongue and all-consuming desire for revenge lead to catastrophe for himself and his sweet, love-struck daughter Gilda. Of all the great Verdi works, none boasts more unforgettable tunes than this one. You’ll thrill to the licentious Duke of Mantua’s “La donna è mobile” and Gilda’s stunning “Caro nome,” not to mention the most celebrated quartet in all opera. Dominating the story, though, is Rigoletto himself, one of Verdi’s greatest characterizations—a complex and tragic figure, both pitiful and ferocious, with stupendous music to match.

“[It’s] not just the size of his voice or the finish of his technique, although both are impressive. It’s his heart. You hear the pain behind the anger…vulnerability is evident in every phrase.”
– Opera News on Quinn Kelsey’s Rigoletto