On 25, 26 (at 12:00 and 19:00) and 27 April (at 12:00 and 19:00) the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia will return to Mariinsky II with a series of guest performances. Every visit by the Moscow company is a highlight for St Petersburg audiences, and this time they will be treated to one of the Bolshoi Theatre’s recent opera premieres – Verdi’s Rigoletto, staged by the renowned Italian director Giancarlo del Monaco, who previously captivated local audiences with his production of Aida. Leading roles will be performed by star singers from both the Bolshoi and Mariinsky companies. The Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra will be conducted by Anton Grishanin.
The libretto for Rigoletto is based on Victor Hugo’s controversial play Le Roi s’amuse, which was banned by French censors. Verdi foresaw the difficulties such a plot might provoke, yet he refused to abandon it. In a letter to librettist Francesco Maria Piave he wrote: “The subject is immense, powerful; the main character is one of the greatest creations that the theatre – of any time or nation – can boast of.” Verdi saw the dramatic potential of the central figure and considered him worthy of comparison with Shakespearean heroes.
Bringing the work to the stage, however, required tremendous effort. Even before it was completed, the opera faced an outright ban. Characters had to be renamed, and the libretto was revised multiple times to satisfy both the composer and the censors.
The world premiere of Rigoletto took place on 11 March 1851 at Venice’s Teatro La Fenice and was an immediate triumph. Critics praised its bold narrative and musical innovation, and the next day audiences were already singing the Duke’s famous canzone in the streets. The work quickly spread to Bergamo, Treviso, Rome, Trieste and Verona, and by 1852 it had begun its victorious journey across the world.
The Russian premiere was held in St Petersburg on 31 January 1853 at the Bolshoi (Kamenny) Theatre – the forerunner of today’s Mariinsky – performed by the Imperial Italian Opera Company. Three years later, in 1856, it was staged in Moscow. By 1859 it had entered the repertoire of the Imperial Russian Opera Companies in both capitals.
Today Verdi’s Rigoletto remains one of the most beloved operatic masterpieces worldwide. Its unforgettable melodies and emotional intensity continue to inspire directors, offering rich possibilities for reinterpretation – from searing psychological drama to philosophical parable or biting social satire.
In 2024 the Bolshoi Theatre presented a new production directed by Giancarlo del Monaco, marking his debut with the theatre. Scenic design was created by Antonio Romero, a Spanish artist known for his inventive and architectural stage visions. Costumes – inspired by high Italian fashion – were designed by Gabriela Salaverri. This creative team is already familiar to St Petersburg audiences: the same trio delivered the Mariinsky Theatre’s lavish new staging of Aida, premiered in February this year.
Del Monaco has set the action in the present day. “This is a story that could happen at any time, in any era,” says the director. “What mattered to me most was to show real, contemporary people on stage – flesh and blood – so that audiences might recognise themselves in them.”
Cast highlights for the St Petersburg performances:
25 April
Elchin Azizov, Guzel Sharipova, Alexey Tatarintsev, Yuri Vlasov, Alina Csertás, Mikhail Kazakov
26 April, 12:00
Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, Yekaterina Savinkova, Roman Shirokikh, Alexander Borodin, Daria Belousova, Denis Makarov
26 April, 19:00
Elchin Azizov, Guzel Sharipova, Sergei Skorokhodov, Yuri Vlasov, Yulia Mazurova, Mikhail Kazakov
27 April, 12:00
Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, Yekaterina Savinkova, Pavel Petrov, Daniil Akimov, Daria Belousova, Denis Makarov
27 April, 19:00
Vladislav Sulimsky, Guzel Sharipova, Alexey Tatarintsev, Yuri Vlasov, Alina Csertás, Vladislav Popov
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