22nd July

Concert will begin at 19:15 hours GMT

Verdi's 'Rigoletto' with Tézier, Costello, Sierra and Hawlata from Hannover

Verdi's 'Rigoletto' is an opera in three acts. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. Its tragic story revolves around the licentious Duke of Mantua, his hunch-backed court jester Rigoletto and Rigoletto's beautiful daughter Gilda. The opera's original title, La maledizione (The Curse), refers to the curse placed on both the Duke and Rigoletto by a courtier whose daughter had been seduced by the Duke with Rigoletto's encouragement. The curse comes to fruition when Gilda likewise falls in love with the Duke and eventually sacrifices her life to save him from the assassins hired by her father. Performers:

Duke of Matua: Stephen Costello.
Rigoletto: Ludovic Tézier.
Gilda: Nadine Sierra.
Sparafucile: Franz Hawlata.
Maddalena: Varduhi Abrahamyan.
Giovanna: Yajie Zhang.
Count Monterone: Martin-Jan Nijhof.
Count Ceprano: Daniel Eggert.
Countess von Ceprano: Anja Vegry.
Marullo: Matthias Winckhler.

Festivalchor Hannover. NDR Radiophilharmonie. Conductor: Keri-Lynn Wilson.

Live.