Giuseppe Verdi described Victor Hugo’s Le roi s’amuse—the play that inspired the libretto of Rigoletto—as “the greatest drama of modern times,” praising its tragic jester as “a creation worthy of Shakespeare.” And it’s easy to see why.

In this dark and gripping story, power crushes the powerless: Rigoletto, a court jester marked by his deformity and his wit, oscillates between hatred toward a corrupt ruling class and an overwhelming love for his daughter—who ultimately becomes the victim of a scheme he himself set in motion.

Verdi’s 1851 premiere at La Fenice was a bold gamble, but Rigoletto became the opera that cemented his dramatic voice: raw emotion, moral conflict, and a score that still strikes with astonishing force.