Rigoletto - What's with that Plot? SPOILERS (as if anyone cares)

Cafe Society
1

I’ve been driving around with Acts 3 and 4 of Rigoletto in the car’s tape machine, and loving it. Not a famous production, just a cheap tape, but still enthralling. I’ve gotten away from just liking the “highlights” to appreciating all the music - that storm sequence as Gilda is killed is amazing - could well be overwhelming in production I imagine.

And I must admit that quartet is a masterpiece - a mystery of taste and harmony and timing. I can listen to it over and over and hear a different detail each time. Must be wonderful to sing it!

I bought a copy of the libretto and it has certainly helped my appreciation of the performances. It made sense of those final duets, for one thing. And explained that little snatch of *“La Donna e mobile” *. He wasn’t dead after all!

However - that plot!

Can any of you cultured opera lovers explain it to me? I mean does the Duke have sex with Gilda off-stage in Act 3? She doesn’t mention it specifically, and he doesn’t appear out of (the bedroom?) with her. But if he hadn’t then why was R so angry with him?

Also, the Duke had just been singing about how much he loved this woman . Did his love turn to indifference once he’d seduced her?

And if so, then why did she want to protect him? To the point of sacrificing her own life?

I know it’s a different time and a different culture, but do opera lovers just agree the plot is full of holes and ignore it, or does it make good sense in a way I just haven’t understood?

Another thing.

In Act 3 Rigoletto appears singing the *“la ra la ra la ra” * bit - so painful, and so believable. The courtiers torment him and then finally Gilda is delivered to him. Then the chorus say to each other “ let’s go into the next room where we can over hear him” and they go off.

Now to me that would be laying the grounds for them to go to the Duke and tell him that Rigoletto is planning revenge, and another plot twist. Nope. No more from the chorus. Presumably they all get changed, take off their make-up, hum a bit in scene four and go home early. So why not just say “we’re all going away now” rather than this overhearing business.

And then in the last act, what does Maddalena see in the Duke? One quick roll in the hay and she’s willing to go to bat for him too! Um, how attractive can a good tenor be?

Any operaphile who can enlighten me on how to approach the story of this wonderful opera will have my gratitude. I might even be willing to get stabbed and stuffed into a sack for you.

Not.

Redboss

2

Oh dear - first time this Board has let me down on a factual question. No takers at all?

R

3

Redboss, I don’t know if this will help, but check out: http://www.metopera.org/synopses/rigoletto.html

And I’ll risk a bump here for ya, in case an opera fan is lurking about.

4

Sorry, I’ve gotta be brief.
1- The Duke never cared. Never! He is a seducer.
2- Original play: Le Roi S’Amuse, by Victor Hugo .The role of the seducer/villian was changed to a “puny” little Duke by Verdi. It was considered seditious to portray a King in that manner at the time. c.f. Un ballo in Maschera
3- The contralto is the murder’s sister. She seduces guys, who he later sends to their ancestors. She plays with 'em sexually, likely getting them drunk, then, he whacks 'em.
Goodnight Sally! :frowning:
4- Rigoletto means: He laughs. There’s a bit of a plot point there. The guy can’t cry, never has.
Suddenly, in Act 2, he does. Major dramatic event there, lets sing a song about it. :wink:
5- Rigoletto was likely based on (hmmnn, lemme think). Sorry, can’t remember the dude’s name. A real life person though. He offended many of the King’s ministers and such. One time, they nailed him to a post by his ear. He had to stand on his toes, or rip his ear off. (edit- French King, don’t remember which one)
6- Spoilers? The big tenor song was a hit, and Verdi knew it would be. It wasn’t rehearsed until real close to the first performance. Why? You guessed it, spoilers. Verdi wanted the opening night to be a big deal.
That’s all for now.
Sorry, gotta go.

5

But I still don’t know if they had sex during Act 2. Probably, I suppose.

Red