About this edition
Premiered at La Fenice in March 1851, Rigoletto marks the dramatic turning point of Verdi's career — the first work of his great middle-period trilogy and the opera in which he fused vivid characterization, propulsive theatrical pacing, and unforgettable melody into a unified whole. Drawn from Victor Hugo's controversial Le roi s'amuse, the score conjures everything from the cynical glitter of the Duke's court and the swaggering "La donna è mobile" to the searing father-daughter duets and the famous Act III quartet "Bella figlia dell'amore," widely regarded as one of the finest ensembles in all of opera.
This printing reproduces the historic full orchestral score issued by G. Ricordi & C. of Milan, plate number 113960, dating from 1914. Ricordi was Verdi's lifelong publisher and the steward of his autograph manuscripts, and the firm's engraved full scores remain the standard reference texts for the Verdi repertoire. The clear engraving, generous spacing, and idiomatic Italian performance markings make this edition a trusted source for conductors, répétiteurs, and scholars working with the opera in both study and rehearsal contexts.
About this edition:
- Format: Full orchestral score (conductor's score), complete in three acts
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches, suitable for desk study and library shelving
- Source: Reproduced from a public domain copy of the Ricordi 1914 printing (plate 113960)
- Language: Italian libretto throughout, with Ricordi's original Italian performance indications
- Publisher: Purple 4R Publishing — careful reprints of historic orchestral scores
We're pleased to make this venerable Ricordi edition available again in an affordable, well-produced reprint. As a work firmly in the public domain, Rigoletto belongs to all of us, and we hope this volume finds a happy home on the stands and shelves of conductors, students, singers, and lovers of Italian opera everywhere.
