Rigoletto [VHS]

Rigoletto, Giuseppe Verdi's first opera of the trilogy that includes Il Trovatore and La Traviata, is without a doubt one of the most popular operas of all time. It contains some of the world's best-known music, including the aria "La donna e mobile," and the major-key theme from the Quartet, which Kobbe describes "…the finest piece of concerted music in Italian Opera."

A perennial favorite, this drama of intrigue, tragedy and revenge has been a spectacular success from its first performance. The lavish costumes and settings for this romantic and melodramatic feature film version perfectly captures the period and style. The film retains the famous arias and duets in the original Italian, with the dialogue painstakingly dubbed into English. The unforgettable vocal performances of the legendary Tito Gobbi and Mario Del Monaco highlight this Verdi masterpiece.

"Gobbi's Rigoletto…is for me the epitome of all that the opera is" "(Del Monaco)…his ringing tones provide a thrill…vocal plenitude and splendour" -OPERA

Giuseppe Verdi, the Patriarch of Italian opera, wrote 26 operas during his career. Verdi's own dramatic life story, his early struggles for success, the tragic loss of his young first wife and two children, his glorious music and his rise to fame have been captured in the V.I.E.W. VIDEO release of the feature film, "VERDI: THE KING OF MELODY.