Book reviews from Busseto

"This book explores in-depth the development of the title role of Rigoletto. Verdi�s first documented interest in Victor Hugo�s banned play, Le roi s�amuse, his battles with the censors and the critical reaction of the first performance are clearly presented. Walters� approach is unique, in that the main body of his research focuses on musical examples that demonstrate Verdi�s compositional technique and how he delineated the separate worlds of Rigoletto�s character: the deformed, bitter, court jester and the impassioned, loving father. This book will be beneficial to anyone seeking an example of clear writing about music analysis and operatic characterization."