Rigoletto Some Observations

Rigoletto – Some Observations Rigoletto is one of the most popular of Verdi’s operas. Its hero is viewed as being tragic. He is a single parent who struggles to raise his teenage daughter under daunting circumstances. Rigoletto is a concerned parent, perhaps even overprotective. He is a warm, loving father who would shelter his only child from all evil. What a pity that he is ugly and deformed and can obtain employment only as a court jester in the employ of a bon vivant Duke, who is wantonly depraved and egocentric, thinking only of himself and of his needs. So have we been taught to regard him; our heart goes out to him and the terrible tragedy that befalls him and his unfortunate daughter. Poor thing; she was betrayed by a knave of a Duke and committed suicide in order to spare his life. Several issues are raised by Verdi himself throughout the opera that call into question our initial impression. How would you feel if you ask someone: What is your name”? And he responded: “What does it matter”? Would you feel comfortable or feel put off by the response? Most of us would not feel warmth toward such a person. Yet this is the response Rigoletto gives Gilda in Scene 2 of Act I. And when Gilda asks her father to tell her about her mother, Rigoletto launches into a sentimental account of how his wife (Gilda’s mother) was kind to him and took care of him. [ https://youtu.be/F6DkgfMcXdw] (27:40 – 29:04) How is that for consideration? In Act III, after Rigoletto reveals the Duke’s duplicity to Gilda, Rigoletto instructs Gilda to return home, change into men’s clothing, and ride to Verona on horseback to await his arrival the next day. It is nearly midnight, in mid-sixteenth century Italy, and the distance from Mantua to Verona is twenty-nine kilometers. Gilda has not stepped out of her walled house/fortress for months and has no knowledge of her surroundings. Would you send your teen-aged daughter to get a container of milk at the local all-night supermarket under these circumstances - alone? One wonders about Rigoletto’s concern for the safety of his beloved daughter. More such observations will be made in the future.

Two Birds, One Stone

The complexity of the human condition is such that one experience may elicit a number of responses, perhaps even involving contradictions. A case in point appears in Gilda’s aria “Tutte le feste al tempio” (On festive [days] at the church) in Act II of Verdi’s opera Rigoletto. The Duke’s courtiers have abducted Gilda (end of Act I) and have brought her to the Duke’s bedchambers. After much pleading Rigoletto succeeds to enlist the courtiers’ sympathies; Gilda emerges from the Duke’s apartment and is reunited with Rigoletto. At this point in the story, Verdi introduces Gilda’s narrative. [https://youtu.be/3E6Bj78oaNI]. The aria is a synopsis of Gilda’s account of her experiences beginning with her initial contacts with the Duke through and including her abduction. In the portion of the aria (2:30 – 3:14), Gilda describes the abduction. However, by paying close attention to the pace and the tempo of the background, we may also be able to conjure up the vision of a marching band being led down Main Street by a young, proud, high-stepping majorette twirling her baton. If this sounds odd and discordant consider the situation. True. Gilda underwent a harrowing and frightful ordeal, but she had a positive experience as well. Gilda entered the Duke’s bedchamber a virgin and emerged a woman and proud as any of the change in status. She wasn’t raped; she was made love to by an expert. The entire experience was both frightful and prideful. Verdi’s music describes the total experience in his usually masterful way that attests to his deep understanding of the human soul and the composer’s sensitivity to people. This interpretation will also account for and explain Gilda’s comment “Ciel! Dammi corragio” (Heaven! give me courage.) that immediately precedes the aria. The courage is twofold – to tell of the abduction and of her first sexual experience.

Beware When Tampering with a Man’s Pride

People take their pride very seriously; it is probably the most sensitive component of a person’s being. So we must be consciously sensitive to the feelings of others or suffer the consequences of their response. These may sometimes be dire as in the case of the Rigoletto-Sparafucile duet in the second scene of Act I of Verdi’s opera Rigoletto. On his way home from the Duke’s palace where he had publically ridiculed a nobleman, Rigoletto, the court jester, is preoccupied with the curse hurled at him by the offended nobleman. Rigoletto is suddenly accosted by the assassin Sparafucile. An animated discussion between the two follows during which Sparafucile offers his services to Rigoletto should the need arise. Sparafucile prides himself as a thorough and proficient professional whose word is his bond. The impression he makes is considerable and believable. However, in Act III, Sparafucile reneges on his word and betrays Rigoletto’s trust when he accedes to his sister Maddalena’s entreaties to murder someone other than the Duke, the intended victim. The erstwhile trustworthy assassin betrays his employer. The question is, why? A response that he acquiesced to his sister’s pleas to spare the handsome man or that he would be presenting a corpse in any case and thus fulfill his end of the bargain, just doesn’t ring true. The impression of integrity and honor in Act I is too strong and defies credulity to Sparafucile’s betrayal. Also, Verdi’s marvelous music in Act III wonderfully describes his tremendous struggle to keep his word to Rigoletto. [https://youtu.be/kST-64cjdRY 0:53 – 4:35] Why then, did Sparafucile’s resolve fail him? The duet in Scene II provides the answer [https://youtu.be/A9CIr6vhsq0 3:25-4:08]. Pay attention to the exchange between Sparafucile and Rigoletto; hear the immense pride in the former’s declaration “Sparafucile mi nomino” (Sparafucile is my name). Rigoletto responds with “Straniero” (a foreigner). Sparafucile replies “Borgognione” (Burgundian). And here Verdi makes a subtle musical observation. He gives to Rigoletto’s rejoinder “E dove all’ occasione?” (And where [do I find you] should the need arise?), the very same melody that he used when Sparafucile declaimed his name! This is not coincidental. Rigoletto utters the same melody and thereby mimics/ mocks Sparafucile’s seeming self-importance. That and more. Strangers, particularly in 16th century Italy, were looked upon with suspicion and derision – even disdain. Rigoletto haughtily dismisses Sparafucile “Va, va “ (Begone).No one pays attention to this trivial observation yet it is the only viable and psychologically sound explanation to Sparafucile’s flagrant violation of his contract with Rigoletto.