Is Rigoletto an Opera seria?
Rigoletto Rigoletto (] ) is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play "Le roi s'amuse" by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had control over northern Italian theatres at the time, the opera had a triumphant premiere at La Fenice in Venice on 11 March 1851.
Calliroe The opera follows the usual pattern of "opera seria" of the time: "secco" recitative interlaced with "da capo" arias. Within this format Sacchini introduced strong dramatic music to suit the libretto: "stromentato" recitative is also used for extra dramatic effect, and the arias are sometimes interrupted by bursts of recitative. Stylistically, the work is thought to anticipate Italian opera of the following decade, and in particular Mozart's "Il re pastore".