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Both opera enthusiasts and those who aren’t have probably heard of a few key composers in their lifetime, and Giuseppe Verdi is one of them.

His Rigoletto, proclaimed by many to be one of his finest masterpieces, was produced and staged at the Astra Theatre in Gozo, throughout October, and was attended by many – belonging to both groups mentioned above.

Taking advantage of the Rigoletto hype on our sister island, members of the University’s Department of Music Studies gave a lively discussion on the history, politics, music and psychology of Verdi’s Rigoletto in conjunction with Teatru Astra.

Dr Max Erwin, Dr Abraham Borg and Mro John Galea, who also conducted the opera, are pictured here with a Rigoletto sculpture situated within the Gozitan theatre.

“Teatru Astra put on a brilliant production of Rigoletto, combining the historical setting of the opera with timely contemporary effects. It was a stunning effort by all involved – the singers, the chorus, the stage and costume designers, the conductor and orchestra — prosit lil kulħadd! Our discussion was focussed on both the music of this opera and how it has come to mean radically different things in different places and times, and the continued relevance of this opera in today's world,” Dr Erwin told Newspoint.

The production was supported by the Gozo Cultural Programme and managed by the Malta Arts Council with the Ministry for Gozo.