Character Development in Opera

The key ingredient in defining the worth or value of an object is to assess its functionality over a relative period of time or usage. The period of assessment must be reasonable; longevity, therefore, is an accepted reference factor to evaluate the object of scrutiny. If this measure of quality applies to inanimate objects, it is even more relevant to human beings. For the opera composer, this feature is crucial to the molding of his characters so that they become believable persona in the drama that he has put to music. Human beings grow and mature along a continuum, usually a lifetime. Every aspect of their personality contributes to the compilation of the final evaluation. In opera, the entire spectrum of behavior, from the beginning to the end of the work, is weighed and accounted for. Opera is a dynamic medium of artistic expression; when people are involved, as they are in opera, the medium takes on psychodynamic implications. The motivation and actions of a Rigoletto, for example, must be understood on the merits of the entire spectrum of his inter-relation with other characters in the opera. There is no such designation as the real Rigoletto- the warm and loving father - unless verified over the long haul of the entire opera. Sadly, this is not the case, though it has been publically stated. A close inspection of the libretto will challenge the notion of the warm and loving father as the real Rigoletto. The reason for this anomaly is that the assessor only considered Rigoletto’s statement in Pari Siamo ‘Ma in altr’uomo qui mi cangio!’ (But, here I become another person!). But, when we reflect on the sum of Rigoletto’s relationships with the Duke, Monterone, the courtiers, Sparafucile, and even Gilda, the picture takes on an entirely different hue. It is the conglomerate impression left by these associations that will ultimately define the real Rigoletto, very much as the aggregation of pixels on a monitor. The greater the number of pixels, the clearer the picture. Believable character development, therefore, is dependent on the evaluation of the sum of the traits provided by the composer for each protagonist in his opera.