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63I]Z:c_dnbZcid[Bjh^XEVX`V\Z
Verdi and Italian Opera
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Listening Guide
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Verdi: Rigoletto, Act III, excerpts
89"GDB
89"GDB
1851, Venice
FIRST PERFORMANCE:
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Francesco Maria Piave
LIBRETTIST:
Play, Le roi s’amuse, by Victor Hugo
BASIS:
89"GDB
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MAJOR CHARACTERS:
The Duke of Mantua (tenor)
Rigoletto, the Duke’s jester, a hunchback (baritone)
Gilda, Rigoletto’s daughter (soprano)
Sparafucile, an assassin (bass)
Maddalena, Sparafucile’s sister (contralto)
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:
Opening orchestral ritornello that returns in the middle and end to
unify the aria.
Memorable aria in a lilting triple meter, with 2 verses sung strophically.
Quartet reflects the emotions and points of view of each character:
the Duke, Maddalena, Gilda, and Rigoletto.
Aria: ‘‘La donna è mobile’’ (Duke)
Form: Strophic, with refrain
Orchestral introduction previews the Duke’s solo; opening melody of aria:
>.
œ œœ
K ¼
# # # # 3 ∑ œ. œ. œ.
& #8
J J J
La
don - na è
mo - bi - le
œ.
J
œ.
J
>
œ. œ . œ œ
J
qual pium - a al
ven - to,
œ œ œ äåœ . œ œ
J J J
mut - a
d’ac - cen - to
The Duke, in a simple cavalry officer’s uniform, sings in the inn;
Sparafucile, Gilda, and Rigoletto listen outside.
DUKE
La donna è mobile
qual piuma al vento,
muta d’accento,
e di pensiero.
sempre un amabile
leggiadro viso,
in pianto o in riso,
è menzognero.
La donna è mobile, etc.
Woman is fickle
like a feather in the wind,
she changes her words
and her thoughts.
Always lovable,
and a lovely face,
weeping or laughing,
is lying.
Woman is fickle, etc.
È sempre misero
chi a le s’affida,
chi lei confida
mal cauto il core!
pur mai non sentesi
felice appieno
chi su quel seno
The man’s always wretched
who believes in her,
whorecklessly entrusts
his heart to her!
And yet one who never
drinks love on that breast
never feels
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CHORAL AND DRAMATIC MUSIC IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
non liba amore!
La donna è mobile, etc.
entirely happy!
Woman is fickle, etc.
Sparafucile comes back in with a bottle of wine and two glasses, which he sets on the table; then
he strikes the ceiling twice with the hilt of his long sword. At this signal, a laughing young
woman in gypsy dress leaps down the stairs: the Duke runs to embrace her, but she escapes him.
Meanwhile Sparafucile has gone into the street, where he speaks softly to Rigoletto.
S PA R A F U C I L E
È là il vostr’uomo . . .
Viver dee o morire?
Your man is there . . .
Must he live or die?
RIGOLETTO
Più tardi tornerò l’opra a compire.
I’ll return later to complete the deed.
Sparafucile goes off behind the house toward the river. Gilda and Rigoletto remain in the
street, the Duke and Maddalena on the ground floor.
Quartet: ‘‘Un dì’’ (Duke, Maddalena, Gilda, Rigoletto)
DUKE
Un dì, se ben rammentomi,
o bella, t’incontrai . . .
Mi piacque di te chiedere,
e intesi che qui stai.
Or sappi, che d’allora
sol te quest’alma adora!
One day, if I remember right,
I met you, O beauty . . .
I was pleased to ask about you,
and I learned that you live here.
Know then, that since that time
my soul adores only you!
G I L DA
Iniquo!
Villain!
M A D DA L E NA
Ah, ah! . . . e vent’altre appresso
le scorda forse adesso?
Ha un’aria il signorino
da vero libertino . . .
DUKE
Ha, ha! . . . And does it now perhaps
forget twenty others?
The young gentleman looks like
a true libertine . . .
(starting to embrace her)
Sí . . . un mostro son . . .
Yes . . . I’m a monster . . .
G I L DA
Ah padre mio!
Ah, Father!
M A D DA L E NA
Lasciatemi, stordito.
Let me go, foolish man!
DUKE
Ih che fracasso!
Ah, what a fuss!
M A D DA L E NA
Stia saggio.
Be good.
DUKE
E tu sii docile,
non fare tanto chiasso.
Ogni saggezza chiudesi
nel gaudio e nell’amore.
And you, be yielding,
don’t make so much noise.
All wisdom concludes
in pleasure and in love.
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La bella mano candida!
Verdi and Italian Opera
(He takes her hand.)
What a lovely, white hand!
M A D DA L E NA
Scherzate voi, signore.
You’re joking, sir.
DUKE
No, no.
No, no.
M A D DA L E NA
Son brutta.
I’m ugly.
DUKE
Abbracciami.
Embrace me.
G I L DA
Iniquo!
Villain!
M A D DA L E NA
Ebro!
You’re drunk!
DUKE
D’amor ardente.
With ardent love.
M A D DA L E NA
Signor l’indifferente,
vi piace canzonar?
My indifferent sir,
would you like to sing?
DUKE
No, no, ti vo’ sposar.
No, no, I want to marry you.
M A D DA L E NA
Ne voglio la parola.
I want your word.
DUKE
(ironic)
Amabile figliuola!
RIGOLETTO
Lovable maiden!
(to Gilda, who has seen and heard all)
È non ti basta ancor?
Isn’t that enough for you yet?
G I L DA
Iniquo traditor!
Villainous betrayer!
M A D DA L E NA
Ne voglio la parola.
I want your word.
DUKE
Amabile figliuola!
Lovable maiden!
RIGOLETTO
È non ti basta ancor?
Isn’t that enough for you yet?
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CHORAL AND DRAMATIC MUSIC IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
Quartet (2nd part): ‘‘Bella figlia’’ (Duke, Maddalena, Gilda, Rigoletto)
Overall form: A-B-A'-C
Diagram showing how characters interact in the ensemble and how they fit into the musical structure:
Section:
A
B
C
Coda
all
characters
all
characters
Gilda
Soprano:
Maddelena
Alto:
Tenor:
A'
Duke
Duke
Rigoletto
Baritone:
Opening melody of ‘‘Bella figlia,’’ sung by Duke:
b b b c bœj. k j œ. œ. œ. ä ä œ œ
b
œ œ J J J
& b
Bel - la
fi - glia dell’ a
- mo
˙
-
j k j . . .
Œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ ää œ œ
J J J
re,
schia - vo
son de’ vez - zi
tuo
˙
-
i,
DUKE
Bella figlia dell’amore,
schiavo son de’ vezzi tuoi;
con un detto sol tu puoi
le mie pene consolar.
Vieni, e senti del mio core
il frequente palpitar . . .
Con un detto sol tuo puoi
le mie pene consolar.
Beautiful daughter of love,
I am the slave of your charms;
with a single word you can
console my sufferings.
Come, and feel the quick beating
of my heart . . .
With a single word you can
console my sufferings.
(Many text lines repeated)
A
M A D DA L E NA
Ah! ah! rido ben di core,
chè tai baie costan poco.
Ha! Ha! I laugh heartily,
for such tales cost little.
G I L DA
Ah! cosí parlar d’amore . . .
Ah! To speak thus of love . . .
M A D DA L E NA
Quanto valga il vostro gioco,
mel credete, sò apprezzar.
Believe me, I can judge
how much your game is worth.
G I L DA
. . . a me pur l’infame ho udito!
. . . I too have heard the villain so!
RIGOLETTO
(to Gilda)
Taci, il piangere non vale.
Hush, weeping is of no avail.
G I L DA
Infelice cor tradito,
per angoscia non scoppiar. No, no!
Unhappy, betrayed heart,
do not burst with anguish. Ah, no!
M A D DA L E NA
Son avvezza, bel signore,
ad un simile scherzare.
Mio bel signor!
I’m accustomed, handsome sir,
to similar joking.
My handsome sir!
B
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Wagner and the Music Drama
DUKE
Bella figlia dell’amore, etc.
Vieni!
Beautiful daughter of love, etc.
Come!
A'
RIGOLETTO
Ch’ei mentiva sei sicura.
Taci, e mia sarà la cura
la vendetta d’affrettar.
sì, pronta fia, sarà fatale,
io saprollo fulminar.
taci, taci . . .
You are sure that he was lying.
Hush, and I will take care
to hasten vengeance.
Yes, it will be swift and fatal,
I will know how to strike him down.
Hush, hush . . .
A L L C H A R AC T E R S
Repeated text from above.
C
Coda, featuring all characters.
64
Wagner and the Music Drama
‘‘How strange! Only when I compose do I fully understand the
essential meaning of my works. Everywhere I discover secrets
which hitherto had remained hidden to my eyes.’’
KEY POINTS
o
o
The German composer Richard Wagner revolutionized opera with his idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk—a total work of art unifying all elements.
Wagner’s operas—called music dramas—are not
sectional (in arias, ensembles, and the like) but are
continuous; they are unifed by leitmotifs, or
BA
o
o
StudySpace online at www.wwnorton.com/enjoy
recurring themes, that represent a person, place,
or idea.
The emotional quality of Wagner’s music is
heightened by his extensive use of chromatic
dissonance.
Wagner’s most famous work is his four-opera
cycle, The Ring of the Nibelung.
Richard Wagner looms as the single most important phenomenon in the artistic life
of the later nineteenth century. Historians often divide the period into ‘‘before’’ and
‘‘after Wagner.’’ The course of post-Romantic music is unimaginable without the
impact of this complex and fascinating figure.
His Life
Richard Wagner (1813–1883) was born in Leipzig, the son of a minor police official
who died when Richard was still an infant. The future composer was almost entirely
self-taught; he received in all about six months of instruction in music theory. At
twenty, he abandoned his academic studies at the University of Leipzig and obtained
Early years
423