At
a glance
Cast
list
Programme
notes
Pictures
Programme notes
Music
Giuseppe Verdi (Italy, 1813–1901)
Libretto Francesco Maria
Piave
(Italy, 1810–76)
Based on Le roi s'amuse, a
play
by Victor Hugo (France, 1802–1885)
Premiere
La Fenice, Venice, Italy, 11 March 1851
Setting
Renessaince Mantua, Italy, around 1500
Plot
in brief Rigoletto, a
hunch-backed jester, works at Duke of Mantua's palace its amusing
visitors at a masquerade. The Duke is a ladies man who is not afraid to
try his luck with every woman who passes his way. The Duke's latest
hearthrob is a young girl, whom he has seen going to the church every
Sunday. No one yet knows, that this young girl is Gilda, Rigoletto's
daughter, who keeps her well guarded. All of a sudden Count Monterone
appears to the scene, and begins threatening the Duke for having
seduced Monterone's daughter. Rigoletto makes fun of the Count and
furious Monterone ends up cursing both Rigoletto and the Duke. The
masquarade continues with courtiers ridiculing Rigoletto for having a
mistress. They do not know she is his daughter. To humiliate Rigoletto,
the courtiers abduct Gilda and take her to the Duke's palace. Rigoletto
finds out about the trick the courtiers played on him and finds Gilda
at the Duke's bedchamber. The following night wrathful Rigoletto pays
the assassin Sparafucile to murder the Duke. However, Maddalena,
Sparafucile's sister has fallen in love with the Duke and begs his
brother not
to save his life. The siblings then come up with a plan to kill a
beggar, who has just
arrived at their house, instead. Rigoletto comes back to retrieve the
body and becomes suspicious as he hears his supposed victim singing in
the distance. Horrified, he opens the sack only to find Gilda,
disguised as a beggar, who dies
asking for forgiveness, and Rigoletto wails Monterone's fulfilled
curse.
Other
characters Giovanna, Gilda's
duenna; Cavaliere Marullo, a
courtier; Matteo Borsa,
a courtier; Count Ceprano, a
noble; Countess Ceprano, one
of the Duke's crushes;
Court Usher and the
Duchess's Page.
