In March 1850, the Venetian La Fenice commissioned Verdi to compose an opera seria that would be performed during the Carnival, in 1851. The composer gladly accepted the commission, since the two of his operas - Ernani and Atilla - were already successfully premiered at this renowned theatre. He occupied himself with the choice of topic for quite some time and finally opted for Hugo's Le roi s'amuse, as he found it one of the greatest plays of its time and the creation, worthy of Shakespeare himself.

With its heartbreaking and uniform drama Rigoletto certainly outperforms the other pieces from Verdi's middle creative period. In his collection of works this opera announced a period, in which the composer's works were marked by greater musical consistency and stronger individual character in comparison to any of the operas, composed by his Italian predecessors. Verdi's melodics became even warmer and more distinctive, and although dominated by melodious element, the orchestra that convincingly created the mood and deepened the psychological background, was increasingly obtaining a more important role as well. Detlef Soelter, who has successfully revived on our stage Verdi's Nabucco and also took part in the staging of the Monteverdi's L’Orfeo, produced by the Ljubljana's three artistic academies, is coming back to direct yet another staging of the Verdi's famous operas.

Text from www.opera.si