About this episode
Rigoletto is a three-act opera by Guiseppe Verdi, first performed in 1851 in Venice. In this episode we follow the story of Duke of Mantua's jester, Rigoletto. He gleefully mocks members of the court for the amusement of the Duke, earning the enmity of the courtiers, and the powerful curse of a father whose daughter the Duke has dishonored. However, the seemingly heartless Rigoletto hides a tender secret-- his lovely and innocent daughter Gilda. Her sweetness is no match for the crafty, carousing Duke and his courtiers. This opera has complex drama, and one of the all-time great opera tunes, La Donna è Mobile.