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Rigoletto
Giuseppe Verdi 1813 1901
Act I
The lecherous duke of Mantua caught sight of a beautiful girl in church and is now set upon seducing her, cost what it may. This does not, however, prevent him from waylaying the countess of Ceprano, an act in which he is encouraged by his court jester, Rigoletto. Although Rigoletto is deformed, there are rumours that he has a wondrously beautiful mistress concealed at home. The duke proceeds to molest the countess, whilst Rigoletto mocks her husband; the count summons several courtiers to help him plan revenge on the hated jester. Count Monterone arrives to protest against the duke’s dishonouring of his daughter; Rigoletto mocks his fatherly anguish, causing Monterone to lay his curse on him.
On his way home Rigoletto meets the hired murderer Sparafucile, who offers Rigoletto his services. Rigoletto says he has no use for him at the moment. On arriving home, he is greeted by his daughter Gilda, whom he is attempting to protect from the world outside. Gilda’s mother is dead; she is cared for by the housekeeper Giovanna. Rigoletto stresses that Giovanna must allow nobody to enter the house. The duke, however, knows Gilda as the girl he has seen in church; he slips inside when Rigoletto hears a noise and goes outside. The duke declares his love to Gilda, although giving himself a false name. Gilda had noticed him in church as well and has fallen in love with the handsome young man. Ceprano and the other courtiers can be heard outside, so the duke quickly takes his leave. The courtiers intend to kidnap Rigoletto’s supposed mistress; they deceive him by saying that they have come to kidnap the countess Ceprano from a nearby house. Rigoletto is then blindfolded and therefore cannot see that he has helped in the kidnapping of his own daughter.
Act II
The courtiers tell the duke that they have brought him Rigoletto’s mistress. Rigoletto initially behaves as if nothing untoward has happened, but eventually can restrain himself no longer and pleads as a father for the courtiers to have pity on him. Gilda burst in and falls weeping into his arms. Monterone has been found guilty of conspiracy by the duke and is led past Rigoletto and Gilda on his way to prison. Rigoletto swears he will revenge both himself and Monterone on the duke.
Act III
Gilda is still in love with the duke. To bring her to her senses, Rigoletto shows her the duke’s rendezvous with Maddalena, Sparafucile’s sister. Rigoletto advises Gilda to disguise herself in man’s clothing and to ride to a safe place. Rigoletto hires Sparafucile to kill his ‘guest’; he himself will arrive shortly after midnight to collect the body and throw it into the river. Maddalena pleads with her brother to spare the charming young man’s life; the murderer agrees that he will kill the next person who arrives at the in and substitute that body instead of the young man’s. Gilda has returned secretly and overhears this exchange; she resolves to sacrifice her life for the duke’s. Rigoletto is given the sack that now contains a body; to his horror, he hears the duke’s voice in the distance. He opens the sack and sees his own daughter as she breathes her last.
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