At the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris Verdi’s Rigoletto comes alive in an evening that blends lyrical drama with an unprecedented artistic setting. The adaptation presented by Opera a Palazzo stages the opera in the museum’s opulent nineteenth-century salons, turning the exhibition spaces into a stage where the story of passion, betrayal, filial love and revenge unfolds with performers just feet from the audience. The event lasts approximately two and a half hours and features a condensed version of the opera with its most famous arias delivered by a cast of featured singers and accompanied by a trio of piano, violin and cello, integrated with a private tour of the permanent art collection. The intimacy of the staging and the proximity between artists and audience foster an immersive, engaging experience, while the movement through different salons creates a fluid and dynamic performance. Mid-evening the programme includes an intermission with Champagne, an element that reinforces the exclusive character of the event within the museum residence, expanding the perception of opera as a total experience. Scheduled on several dates, this format offers an original way to encounter Verdi’s masterpiece in a setting that unites music and cultural heritage.
