Rigoletto

The Duke of Mantua sings "La donna è mobile" ("Woman is fickle"), which is one of the most famous and catchy melodies in all of opera. Verdi famously had the tenor rehearse it secretly so it wouldn't be leaked to the public before the premiere.

It premiered on March 11, 1851, at the historic La Fenice opera house in Venice. It was an immediate smash hit, largely due to the overwhelming catchiness of the Duke's arias.

Verdi adapted the opera from Victor Hugo's 1832 play "Le roi s'amuse" (The King Amuses Himself). Censors initially forced Verdi to move the setting from France to Italy and downgrade the main character from a king to a duke to avoid offending royalty.

The "Bella figlia dell'amore" (Fair daughter of love) is a complex musical ensemble where four characters sing different, conflicting emotions simultaneously. It is widely considered one of the greatest feats of dramatic writing in Italian opera.