“Rigoletto” by Giuseppe Verdi ♡

Paperback libretto with side-by-side translation

Read Rigoletto with the original libretto and a clear English translation printed on facing pages.

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Premiere / date of written: 11 March 1851

Libretti

Italian–English side-by-side translation

#	Language	Authors
1	Italian	Francesco Maria Piave
2	German
3	English
4	French	B. Vierne

original libretto
line-by-line of the original libretto

History

• 1851 March 11 — Giuseppe Verdi’s "Rigoletto" received its world premiere at Teatro La Fenice in Venice.
• 1853 May 14 — "Rigoletto" received its Royal Opera House premiere at the Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden.
• 1951 November 15 — Norman Scott makes his Metropolitan Opera debut as Monterone in Verdi’s 'Rigoletto'.

Images

Printed Editions

Year	Edition	Publisher	Buy
2025	Rigoletto: Opera Libretto with Italian–English Translation	DM’s Opera Series

Audio recordings

Year	Cast	Conductor, Opera chorus and orchestra	Label, Comment	Buy
1954	Rigoletto — Aldo Protti, Duke of Mantua — Mario Del Monaco, Gilda — Hilde Gueden, Sparafucile — Cesare Siepi, Maddalena — Giulietta Simionato	Alberto Erede Orchestra and Chorus of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome	CD: Decca Cat: 440242	$40.82
1955	Rigoletto — Tito Gobbi, Duke of Mantua — Giuseppe Di Stefano, Gilda — Maria Callas, Sparafucile — Nicola Zaccaria, Maddalena — Adriana Lazzarini	Tullio Serafin La Scala Orchestra and Chorus	CD: EMI Classics Cat: 747469	$25.00
1963	Rigoletto — Robert Merrill, Duke of Mantua — Alfredo Kraus, Gilda — Anna Moffo, Sparafucile — Ezio Flagello, Maddalena — Rosalind Elias	Sir Georg Solti RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra and Chorus	CD: RCA Victor Cat: 70785	$10.99
1967	Rigoletto — Cornell MacNeil, Duke of Mantua — Nicolai Gedda, Gilda — Reri Grist, Sparafucile — Agostino Ferrin, Maddalena — Anna di Stasio	Francesco Molinari-Pradelli Rome Opera House Orchestra and Chorus	CD: EMI Classics Cat: 3932822	$29.19
1971	Rigoletto — Sherrill Milnes, Duke of Mantua — Luciano Pavarotti, Gilda — Joan Sutherland, Sparafucile — Martti Talvela, Maddalena — Huguette Tourangeau Count Monterone — Clifford Grant, Giovanna — Gillian Knight, Matteo Borsa — Riccardo Cassinelli, Marullo — Christian Du Plessis, Countess Ceprano — John Gibbs	Richard Bonynge London Symphony Orchestra and the Ambrosian Opera Chorus	CD: Decca Cat: 414-269-2	$40.99
1979	Rigoletto — Piero Cappuccilli, Duke of Mantua — Plácido Domingo, Gilda — Ileana CotrubaÈ™, Sparafucile — Nicolai Ghiaurov, Maddalena — Elena Obraztsova	Carlo Maria Giulini Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna State Opera Chorus	CD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 457 753-2	$16.69
1994	Rigoletto — Renato Bruson Duke of Mantua — Roberto Alagna Gilda — Andrea Rost Sparafucile — Dimitri Kavrakos Maddalena — Mariana Pentcheva Count Monterone — Giorgio Giuseppini Giovanna — Antonella Trevisan Matteo Borsa — Ernesto Gavazzi Marullo — Silvestro Sammaritano Countess Ceprano — Nicoletta Zanini Count Ceprano — Antonio de Gobbi A Page — Marilena Laurenza	La Scala Orchestra and Chorus	Sony Classical S2K 66314	$27.22

Video recordings

Year	Cast	Conductor, Opera chorus and orchestra, Director	Label, Comment	Buy
1977	Rigoletto — Cornell MacNeil, Duke of Mantua — Plácido Domingo, Gilda — Ileana CotrubaÈ™, Sparafucile — Justino Díaz, Maddalena — Isola Jones	James Levine Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus Kirk Browning	DVD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 00440 073 0930
1982	Rigoletto — Ingvar Wixell, Duke of Mantua — Luciano Pavarotti, Gilda — Edita Gruberova, Sparafucile — Ferruccio Furlanetto, Maddalena — Victoria Vergara	Riccardo Chailly Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna State Opera Chorus Jean-Pierre Ponnelle	Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 00440 073 4166; Decca Cat: 071401	$24.00

External links

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Recordings on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk