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Musica a Palazzo: Rigoletto style= Musica a Palazzo: Rigoletto

Musica a Palazzo: Rigoletto

Venice, Palazzo Barbarigo‐Minotto — Tiepolo/Alcova

Free seating  2 h  Instant e-Ticket Give as a gift card

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Total Price
$ 121

About the Event

Immerse yourself in Verdi's masterpiece Rigoletto and add another unforgettable experience to your stay in Venice. In the impressive atmosphere of the Palazzo Barbarigo‐Minotto, the dramatic power of the opera, interpreted by great singers and musicians, unfolds in candlelight. The Opera is a travelling show and each act is set in a different salon of one of the most fascinating Venetian palaces. The Singers and instrumentalists are performing as they move together with the audience through the halls of the Palazzo Barbarigo Minotto.

Palazzo Barbarigo‐Minotto was built around the fifteenth century as a noble palace overlooking the Grand Canal in Venice. Embellished with beautiful works by famous artists of the eighteenth century, perfectly preserved works by Francesco Fontebasso, Giambattista Tiepolo, Girolamo Mingozzi and the stucco artist Tencalla can still be viewed by admirers and connoisseurs. Originally two separate palaces, the building is now composed of three staterooms facing the Grand Canal and another three facing the Rio Zaguri. The interior includes a 17th century chapel with a Louis XIV‐style floor made of elm wood, with inlays of olive root marquetry. Doors in the same style are banded with walnut and have bronze handles in a vine leaf shape, and floors in the staterooms combine terrazzo and Ventian pastellone techniques.
This noble Venetian building hosts exciting opera performances during the year — Verdi's 'La Traviata' for example — often setting each scene in a different stateroom.

Rigoletto is an intense drama of passion, betrayal, filial love and revenge. The core theme of this tragedy is the curse that triggers off the unstoppable and tragic fall of Rigoletto: “The whole subject is in that curse, that becomes even moral” (G. Verdi).

The first act of the opera is set in Tiepolo’s Room, where Anthony Knight’s wonderful costumes, inspired by 18th century styles, perfectly espouse the sumptuous baroque furniture of the Palace.

Rigoletto’s story develops through the halls of the Palace where candle lights create the backlighting effects of a Caravaggio painting, exalting the drama of the Opera.

During the interval of the performance and surrounded by the magical setting facing the Grand Canal, Musica a Palazzo offers you a glass of Prosecco, soft drinks, and fine liqueurs.

Sung in Italian, no surtitles

Practical Information

Duration: Approximately 2 hours, including the interval.

Please note: Guests are not allowed inside the premises before the official opening time (8 pm).

Dress code: Casual elegant

Please note the Venue Information, Directions, and Map to this concert location.

Please note: Musica a Palazzo is an officially registered Cultural Association. Audience members purchase a Membership Card (price as indicated), including personal identification data. This card covers admission to the event. No further charges or tickets are required.

Please note that the shows are not suitable for children under the age of 5.

Program

  • Giuseppe Verdi – Rigoletto
Program is subject to change

Customer Reviews

4.7 of 5

  • Mark L, United Kingdom

    May 2025

    Sadly the description over‐promises and under‐delivers enormously. The description of the performance "set in one of the most fascinating Venetian palaces" allows one to think that the setting will be opulent, beautiful, palatial even; that could not be further from the truth! The "palace", if indeed that's what it is, is far from palatial. It's a run‐down house with little glamour or even comfort to offer the paying public. Instead, dressed befitting to the splendour one is expecting, one finds oneself in a cold, unwelcoming foyer, waiting in line for the doors to open (well, a cord to be unhooked by a shambolically dressed lad actually). When we reach the top of the stairs and into the main room of the house we are requested to take our seats in the room "down the end on the right" where we were met with about 70 wooden chairs to choose our seat from, as if in a school hall, in rows of 10 or less, a couple of small sofas, a piano and two chairs for the orchestra. Almost all of the audience sat down, looking around the room in bewilderment, each wondering if they'd been part of a live audience joke. To be honest, once we'd all realised that this was it, the shock turned to nervous laughter, hoping that the next couple to walk in dressed to the nines would also make the same contorted ignominious faces and quickly shuffling themselves along to an empty seat so as not to bring further attention to themselves. Come the performance, well, I can say that this was far from operatic. The cast and performance was nothing more than amateur dramatics; one of the characters even shouting rather than signing his lines. Upon the conclusion of the first act, and each thereafter, the audience is requested to move rooms too, which is somewhat bizarre, but hey, by that time nothing was going to surprise us. So, as you can probably determine, we'll not be rushing back any time soon. Save your money, dress up at home and watch The Snowman for the 27th time and marvel at the splendour of a teenage Aled Jones singing Walking in the Air; you'll be grateful you did, I promise ;-)

  • Martin L, Österreich

    Aug 2024

    bravissimo, perfetto! spezial bravo to the pianist

  • Robert C, Netherlands

    Jan 2024

    We thoroughly the intimacy of this performance.

  • Sergio Andres Q, Colombia

    Oct 2019

    The starring is amazing, all the performance was excelent.

  • ILYA B, Israel

    Feb 2019

    Excellent unforgettable performance ! Beautiful voices in beautiful music, magic atmosphere of miracle.

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Address

Palazzo Barbarigo‐Minotto, Fondamenta Duodo O Barbarigo, Venice, Italy — Google Maps

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