Opera and Liberty

A side-by-side Italian and English edition of the libretto. Famously first performed in Egypt in 1871, Aida, an Ethiopian princess, has been enslaved in Egypt. Her father has invaded Egypt in order to free her but he is defeated. A… more

Beethoven was one of the great European classical composers of the first part of the 19th century. He was influenced by the Enlightenment and in his only opera, Fidelio, he addressed the problem of individual liberty in a very moving… more

Based on a play by Friedrich Schiller. Don Carlos, the Crown Prince of Spain, is in conflict with his father, Philip II and King of Spain over his love for Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry II, King of France. Don Carlos is arrested… more

One of Mozart’s most popular operas, with a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, based upon the notorious play by Beaumarchais. The play had been banned in 1786 because it questioned the legitimacy and rationality of the aristocracy by… more

Jealous courtiers decide to play a trick on the court jester, Rigoletto, who has been mocking them for being the victims of the Duke’s seductions. However, Rigoletto’s own daughter Gilda has also been wooed by the Duke. When the… more