This is one of my favorite baritones singing the big bit from Verdi's Rigoletto, "Cortigiani, vil razza, dannata!..." (Courtiers, you vile, damned race!...") In this solo, Rigoletto, the court jester, whose daughter has just been kidnapped by the duke's courtiers for his immoral pleasure, hurls abuses at the kidnappers. When he realizes he is powerless before them, he then begs them for pity. He pleads with them to return his daughter to him, as, he says, his daughter is his whole world.
Louis Quilico was a famous Verdi baritone who also sang much French opera as he was Canadian-born of an Italian father and a French-Canadian mother. He died in 2000. He has a son, Gino Quilico, who is also today quite successful as an operatic baritone, but his son has a lighter voice and does not have the fatness of sound, and general largeness of voice like his father had, which makes for a more successful Verdi baritone. Rigoletto was probably Louis Quilico's most famous role. This clip is from a Metropolitan Opera broadcast from 1981 with Luciano Pavarotti singing the role of the Duke. The entire opera is currently available for streaming rental at the Met Opera website.
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