xxii INTRODUCTION

gio di cronologia delle prime rappresentazioni di ",68 Mar­ I. The draft for the cabaIetta "Addio ... speranza ed anima" in the cello Conati lists more than 250 houses throughout the world at Duetto N. 5 is entirely different: it is in common time and in the key which Rigoletto was performed during its first ten years. of Ab major. 2. The Sources: General Observations 2. Several smaller sections of music were drastically revised after Surviving sources for Rigoletto can be divided into four principal the sketch: categories: autograph sources, manuscript copies, printed musical a. The opening of the Rigoletto-Sparafucile Duetto N. 3; sources, and librettos. Each source used for this edition is described in b. All four passages associated with "Quel vecchio male­ detail in part one of the Critical Commentary. Here we shall give only divami," which were revised so that they resemble one another and all an overview of these sources. stress the pitch c '; c. The Allegro vivo / Allegro brillante section of the Duetto N. Autograph Sources 4 (mm. 69-112); For at different stages in Verdi's career, we can identify various d. The opening orchestral passage in act III. compositional layers. Since very few musical documents from 3. Important sections of the opera were transposed down a half-step: Sant' Agata are currently available, it is impossible to judge whether much of the Duetto for Gilda and the Duca(N. 5); all of "Caro nome" known documents in fact adequately reflect Verdi's compositional (N. 6); part of the Duetto for Gilda and Rigoletto (N. 10).74 process. In the case of , for example, two pages published in facsimile from the original manuscript at the represent Finally, in act I of the Abbozzo Verdi used italianized versions of a sketch of important textless melodies with connecting verbal nar­ Victor Hugo's names for the principal characters. This fact, together rative, written by Verdi even before the composer had in hand Piave's with the relevant correspondence, allows us to date with relative pre­ Iibretto. 69 Did such a stage also exist for Rigoletto, representing work cision sections of the continuity draft. As demonstrated in section I of accomplished on the opera during the summer and fall of 1850? At the this introduction act I was largely prepared between Verdi's return present moment we are unable to say. Of the musical prehistory of from Trieste on 20 November 1850 and the day on which he was Rigoletto, we know only the manuscript published in facsimile by informed that the libretto had been banned, 3 or 4 December. The Carlo Gatti asL'Abbozzo del Rigoletto di , a document continuity draft for act II was written out between the beginning of containing twenty-eight folios grouped in two fascicles. It comprises January 1851 and 20 January; act III followed immediately and was a small group of sketch fragments and a complete continuity draft of completed on 5 February. the opera, lacking only the Preludio and ninety bars of the final Duetto The Abbozzo itself is not a primary source for this edition of Rig­ (corresponding to N. 14, mm. 97-186).'0 oletto, yet on numerous occasions its readings have proved useful for There are eleven sketch fragments, ranging from two to twenty-five interpreting problematic passages in the autograph full score. Many measures. Most of them probably preceded the continuity draft, references to it are found in the Critical Commentary, though except several were done while Verdi was working on that draft, and one was for the sketch fragments there has been no attempt to provide a com­ prepared even later. All of them appear on folios that also contain plete collation. material from the continuity draft, and all but two are on the outer The principal source for this edition of Rigoletto is Verdi's complete folios of the two fascicles comprising the Abbozzo. There is a distinct autograph full score of the opera. It is housed in the archives of the possibility that these particular fragments were preserved or published in , bound in three volumes: act I, act II and N. I I precisely because they are found together with the continuity draft. and 12 of act III; and N. 13 and 14 of act III. The third volume There may well be, or may have been, other, separate pages of sketch concludes with two additional folios containing a reorchestration of N. fragments. Only one of these fragments, located on f. 7, directly after 3 by Emanuele Muzio." It is essential to remember that Verdi prepared the continuity draft for N. 3, cannot be explicitly related to the final the autograph of Rigo/etto, as presumably those of most of his operas, version of the opera. 71 in two stages. First he entered the vocal parts with text, orchestral The bulk of the Abbozzo is devoted to a continuity draft of the entire solos when there were no voices, and an occasional orchestral bass opera. For Verdi this was the basic compositional stage. When he had part. David Lawton has aptly called this stage of the autograph a completed it he told Piave that "oggi appunto ho terminata I'opera." "skeleton" score.'6 It was the skeleton score of act I and the first three The continuity draft comprises most of the vocal lines of Rigoletto, numbers of act III that Verdi sent to Venice on 5 February 1851, so that with significant instrumental solos, accompanimental patterns, and the vocal parts could be extracted by copyists and the singers be ready bass lines frequently provided. Unlike the completed autograph full to begin rehearsals when Verdi arrived on 19 February with the remain­ score, which was a public document, written neatly for the benefit of derofthe opera. The second stage, instrumentation, was accomplished copyists, engravers, and so on, Verdi penned the sketch essentially for during the "prove al cembalo," that is, the rehearsals with vocalists himself, to help fix the succession of musical ideas throughout the and piano alone. Verdi told Marzari that this work would take him less opera in preparation for writing out the full score. As a result, countless than a week and commented to Piave that "intanto che faremo Ie prove details such as clefs, key signatures, tempo markings, and other per­ io istrumentero." His estimate must have been reasonably accurate, formance indications (e.g., dynamic signs, slurs, staccati) are for the since not only did Verdi have to do the instrumentation but parts for the most part absent. There are remarkably few explicit suggestions for players also had to be extracted in time for orchestral rehearsals to scoring, though Verdi probably entrusted to memory more then he begin on either 3 or 4 March. actually wrote down. He avoided notating the second strophes of songs Because the autograph score is not merely the fair copy of a pre­ such as "Questa 0 quella" or "La donna e mobile," and omitted the viously completed work, there are hundreds of alterations visible in its text of other passages as well when he knew precisely how words and pages. They range from corrections of momentary lapses, to changes music would fit. In two cases, at least, he omitted the text because he in the orchestration, to minor improvements in prosody, to the trans­ was dissatisfied with the verses Piave had sent. 72 Yet enough is clearly position or reworking of entire passages. In many cases, it is not specified to make Verdi's further compositional tasks seem largely possible to reconstruct these layers accurately. The Critical Commen­ mechanical. tary mentions them only when they are of unusual interest or where Though this is not the place for a wide-ranging discussion of the there are problems establishing the definitive text, problems whose sketch as a compositional document, several details are worth noting:" solution depends upon an understanding of the compositional history 68. Conati's study is to appear in Verdi 3, no. 9 (Parma, 1982). of the passage. Despite these corrections, the autograph is a document 69. These pages are published in Carlo Gatti, Verdi nelle immagine (Milan, 1941), pp. of remarkable clarity. Though signs of articulation, slurs, and dynam­ 64-65. Not only is there no text underlaid beneath the melodies, but the protagonists are ics, frequently incomplete and occasionally contradictory, do bear referred to as "Margharita" and "II tenore." 70. Carlo Gatti, L'Abbozzo del Rigolelto di Giuseppe Verdi (Milan, 1941). Full bibli­ ographical details and a description of the contents of this publication are gi ven in part one 74. Of particular significance for the question of tonal design is David Lawton's of the Critical Commentary. treatment of these transpositions in his doctoral dissertation, which includes an extended 71. The fragments are identified in part one of the Critical Commentary. discussion of the Rigoletto sketch. He makes a persuasive case that the transpositions were 72. This happened with both caba1ettas in act II, "Possente amor" and "Si, vendetta, not merely effected to accommodate the vocalists. See also Martin Chusid. uRigoletto and tremenda vendetta. I, See Verdi's letters to Piave of 14 January and 20 January 1851. cited Monterone: A Study in Musical Dramaturgy," Report of the Eleventh Congress o/the in section I of this introduction. International Musicological Society (Copenhagen, 1974), pp. 325-36, to be reprinted in 73. For further details, see part one of the Critical Commentary. A definitive study of Verdi 3. no. 9· the Abbozzo remains to be written. See Gino Roncaglia, "L'abbozzo del Rigoletto di 75. The autograph is more completely described. in part one of the Critical Commen­

Verdi," Rivisla musicale italiana 48 (1946): I 12-29, reprinted in his Galleria verdiana, tary and the introductions to the critical notes for each number. For a discussion of MuzioI s studi efigure (Milan, 1959), which remains the most extended published treatment of it. transcription, see particularly the introductory note to N. 3. More interesting is the article of Pierluigi Petrobelli. "Osservazioni suI processo com­ 76. See his "Observations on the Autograph of I," in Verdi's Macbeth: A positivo di Verdi," Acta Musicoiogica 43 (1971):125-42. Sourcebook (New York, 1982). INTRODUCTION xxiii witness to the haste with which the manuscript was prepared, editorial goletto in libraries and opera houses around the world. Sixteen were emendations are almost always supported directly by Verdi's own examined for their possible value to this edition: 77 markings. The reader can reconstruct the precise state of Verdi's no­ Bologna, Civico Museo Bibilografico Musicale: RR 188 (2 tation from the edition itself, with occasional assistance from the Crit­ vols.) ical Commentary. Boston University, Mugar Library, Boston Symphony Orchestra This is particularly important for Rigoletto because Verdi never Collection, as Viscardello: 310" directed the work again after its Venetian premiere, nor did he make , Biblioteca del Conservatorio di Musica "Luigi Cheru­ revisions in the score or compose any new numbers. Indeed, Verdi bini": B IX 248-251 unquestionably felt that Rigoletto should not be tampered with. When London, British Library, Add. MSS 34233, 34234-LO the husband of Teresa De Giuli-Borsi requested a new aria for his wife Milan, Biblioteca del Conservatorio di Musica "Giuseppe to sing in the opera, the composer replied: Verdi": Noseda, Part. Teatr. MS 445 (olim 4467)-MI' Se tu fossi persuaso che iI mio talento si Iimiti a non saper far di : 1. 96 meglio di quanto ho fatto nel Rigoletto, tu non mi avresti chiesto , Biblioteca del Conservatorio di Musica "S. Pietro a un'aria per quell'opera. Miserabile talento! dirai. .. D'accordo: rna Majella": as Clara di Perth, Verdi 128 (olim 32.5.26) e cosi. POI, se iI Rigoletto puo stare com'e, un pezzo nuovo ci sa­ : as Lionello, Verdi 491 (olim Oa.8.33) rebbe di pitl. Difatti dove trovare una posizione? Dei versi e delle : as Lionello, Verdi 492-493 (O/im 3.2.31-32) note se ne possono fare, rna sarebbero sempre senza effetto dal mo­ : as Viscardello, Verdi 699 (olim LV.3) mento che non vi e la posizione. Una ve ne sarebbe, rna Dio ci : as Viscardello, Verdi 700 (olim 1. V.3) Iiberi! Saremmo flagellati. Bisognerebbe far vedere Gilda col Duca Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale, Departement de la Musique, nella sua stanza da letto!! Mi capisci? In tutti i casi sarebbe un du­ Fonds du Conservatoire: D. 14215 (1-2) (olim I q87A­ etto. Magnifico duetto!! Ma i preti, i frati e gli ipocriti griderebbero B)-PA allo scandalo. Oh, felici i tempi quando Diogene poteva dire in pubblica piazza, a chi 10 interrogava su cosa facesse: "Hominem , Biblioteca Musicale del Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia: quaero!!" ecc. ecc. G. Mss. 55- 56 In quanto alia cavatina del primo atto non capisco dove vi sia agi­ Venice, Archivio del Teatro -VE Iita. Forse non si e indovinato iI tempo, che deve essere un alle­ Washington, Library of Congress, Music Division, Tams­ gretto molto lento. Con un tempo moderato e I'esecuzione tutta sot­ Widmark Collection: 3 vols., "Proprieta Esclusiva di Tito di tovoce, non ci puo essere difficolt1t.-Ma tornando al primo pro­ Gio. Ricordi"-WA' posito, aggiungo che ho ideato iI Rigoletto senz'arie, senza finali, : 4 vols., "ProprietaEsclusivadel R. Sta­ con una filza interminabile di duetti, percbe cosi ero convinto. Se bilimento Ricordi in Milano"-WA' quaIcuno soggiunge: "Ma qui si poteva far questo, III quello" ecc., ecc., io rispondo: Sara benissimo, rna io non ho saputo far meglio. Four of these were selected for special attention: [Copialettere, p. 497) VE: This is the copy made from the autograph shortly after the premiere and deposited by special agreement in the archives of "10 non ho saputo far meglio." Written the year after the premiere of the theater. the opera, on 8 September 1852, this letter expresses eloquently LO and MI': Both of these copies appear to have circulated to Verdi's feeling about Rigoletto. No other surviving sources of the opera companies during the nineteenth century. They almost opera can be linked to the composer. Though we must, of course, be certainly originated at the copisteria of Casa Ricordi, as did aware of the secondary sources, there is every reason to believe that the two Washington copies. 79 Verdi's autograph score was his definitive word on Rigoletto. PA: This is characteristic of copies that appear to have been made Several recent performances of Rigoletto have inserted an aria for (perhaps surreptitiously) for deposit in libraries or for study by Maddalena into the third act between the Quartetto and the Terzetto, private individuals. It is far poorer in slurs, staccati, dynamic following a tradition that may date from the first performance in French indications, etc. (Brussels, 22 November 1858). The composition was printed as no. I I in a piano-vocal score of the major pieces from the opera (Paris, Leon All four of these manuscripts are described more fully in part one of the Escudier, pI. no. LEq64), and the text has appeared in all French Critical Commentary. language librettos to the present. The composition is borrowed without Notice that fully six of these scores preserve the censored versions change from a song by Verdi, II poveretto (see Hopkinson 1:26, pp. of the opera with alternate titles: Viscardello, Lionello, and Clara di 62- 64, and Patric Schmid, "Maddalena's Aria," Verdi Newsletter 5 Perth. They testify to the popUlarity of these adaptations during the [June 1978). Since there is no evidence that Verdi played any part in opera's first decade, but they have little value for this edition. Indeed, introducing an aria for Maddalena into Rigoletto, this edition takes no more generally, the contemporary copies are of greater significance for further notice of the interpolation. what they reveal about performance practices of the time, the history of musical taste, and the sociology of music than as sources for a Manuscript Copies of Rigoletto. The letters from Verdi to Ricordi and Piave bear witness to the com­ poser's concern that the copying of Rigoletto be strictly supervised. Printed Musical Sources Ricordi even sent a trusted employee, Grolli, to take charge of the During the nineteenth century the full score of Rigoletto circulated to work. They knew that the sale of illegal manuscript copies of new and opera houses in manuscript copies. Not until the end of the century did popular operas was widespread. These copies could be used by un­ Ricordi print a full score for rental; no printed score existed for sale scrupulous opera houses without paying rental fees, of which the com­ until 1914. These very late sources have no textual significance for this poser received a percentage. The absence of effective copyright legis­ edition. Soon after the premiere, however, Ricordi began to prepare lation and the geographical realities of pre-Unification Italy printed orchestral parts for rent and a piano-vocal reduction for sale. contributed to the problem. Recall that Verdi made what he felt was a Though there is no evidence that Verdi directly participated in their significant concession in allowing the Teatro La Fenice to have a copy preparation or indeed that he was even consulted about them, their of the score prepared and kept in their archives for future productions. early date gives them a certain importance as indicators of contem­ Despite the efforts of Ricordi, however, illegal copies did indeed porary practice. circulate. It was almost impossible to prevent them. Even when an The original parts (pRI) appear to have been prepared in two groups: opera house properly rented a score from Ricordi, there was little way the strings (pI. nos. 21240-43) and the winds, brass, and percussion to guarantee that a copyist would not extract a new manuscript copy for 77. Films or photocopies of each of these sources are available for consultation at the his own purposes, despite contractual agreements strictly prohibiting Verdi Archive at New York University. this activity. Very little is known about these copies or the copisterie 78. According to James Freeman, the Boston Symphony Orchestra Collection origi M at which they were made. For the purpose of this edition, however, nally "belonged at least in part to Giuseppe Pignatel1i (1797- 1856), Duke of Monteleone none of these manuscript copies is of primary concern, for none of and Terranova ... at various times the President of PaJenno' s Accademia Filannonica and them, not even the copy made for La Fenice, shows any sign of Verdi's an acting superintendent of the Teatro Carolino." See his "Donizetti and Alahor in presence. Nor do those legal copies, prepared and distributed by Casa Granata," The Journal a/the American Musicological Society 25 (1972):240-50 (see esp. p. 244). Ricordi, offer significant new information, with the exception of those 79. These four copies are particularly important for the almost identical metronome containing metronome markings (see section 3 of this introduction). markings they share. There are no metronomic indications in the other twelve scores. See There are many manuscript copies of the orchestral score of Ri- section 3 below. xxiv INTRODUCTION (pI. nos. 21310-20).'0 They carry the imprint of , lems in its primary sources, the autograph score and the original founder of the firm, and therefore their preparation must have begun printed libretto, and hence have been examined carefully and fre­ before his death on IS March 1853. We do not know whether the quently cited in the Critical Commentary. The principal source for the engravers worked from the autograph, a manuscript copy, or the manu­ verbal text of the opera Rigoletto remains Verdi's autograph. In the script parts prepared for Venice. For the purposes of this edition, the absence of Piave's manuscript, the principal source for the libretto parts are most important for the evidence they contain concerning the itself is the original printed edition, prepared by the Tipografia Gaspari wind and brass choirs. Verdi is not always explicit as to when a single in Venice for the first production. Reconciling these two sources is a instrument of a pair (oboes, clarinets, etc.) should playa single me­ difficult editorial problem. lodic line, or when both instruments should participate. When the Each of the differences between the autograph and the original autograph is equivocal, the critical edition has depended heavily on libretto (YES!) is logged in the Critical Commentary, but it may prove the printed parts. For the three trombones, the problem also extends to useful to discuss here some of the reasons for these differences. Verdi's the distribution of the instruments when there are only two explicit previous experience and his awareness of Piave's pliability led him to parts. Here too the critical edition has normally followed the sug­ make numerous suggestions to the poet as well as outright demands for gestions of the printed parts. In the score, all indications of (I), (a 2), alterations. Many smaller cbanges were probably never directly com­ etc., in parentheses reflect the reading of the parts. municated to the librettist. Wherever Verdi cannot be shown to have From the manuscript ledgers of Casa Ricordi (the so-called libroni), made a simple error, the critical edition follows his autograph for the which normally recorded the schedule of work on each item with a verbal text. But he does not include all necessary stage directions, nor separate plate number, we know that several numbers of the piano­ does he provide adequate punctuation for the text. There are essentially vocal score were sent to the engravers as early as 6 March 185 I , only four categories of problems. a few days after the orchestral rehearsals had begun. This suggests that Ricordi's employee, Grolli, lost no time in transmitting material to I. Stage Directions Milan and that the arranger of the score for piano, Luigi Truzzi, was The printed libretto, VES!, has an extensive number of stage directions. alerted to begin work at once.8I According to the libroni, almost half Working presumably from Piave's manuscript, Verdi wrote many of the numbers in the opera were for sale individually by April and May these directly into his autograph without change. On some important of 1851. The complete piano-vocal score was ready a year later, with occasions, however, he modified these directions. On other occasions, 231 pages, bearing the plate numbers 23071-90. It has proved useful he omitted Piave' s stage directions altogether. In the critical edition, on occasion when Verdi's notation in the vocal lines is confusing or all stage directions appearing in Verdi's autograph score are printed in incorrect. Though its readings do not have compositional authority, regular type without parentheses. Parentheses are added for any they do at least reflect the views of musicians close to the composer. phrases or words derived from VEs•. When there are significant differ­ Both the parts and the piano-vocal score have also furnished occa­ ences between the two sources, the edition has followed Verdi's auto­ sional dynamic levels where the autograph lacks them completely, graph and noted Piave's text, either as a footnote if the difference is models for essential slurs, and so on. All emendations derived from substantive or within the Critical Commentary if the difference is these printed sources are in parentheses, and the Critical Commentary minor. When Verdi simply omitted some words from Piave's stage explicitly states their source. 82 direction, the edition integrates them into the printed stage direction, Also of interest are two early piano-vocal scores, the first to contain using parentheses for the added words or phrases to specify their origin metronomic indications. The earliest Ricordi piano-vocal score with in the libretto. When Verdi left out entire stage directions, they have such indications has the same plate numbers as the first edition been added in parentheses. (23071- 90), but it is in upright format, has 244 pages, and is identified There are striking examples of Verdi's emendation of Piave's stage as "Nuova edizione riveduta" (pvRIn'). Since there are no new plate directions for dramatic reasons. Near the conclusion of the Duetto numbers, the libroni do not help establish a printing date, but one of between Rigoletto and Sparafucile, N. 3, for example, the Bravo says two copies at the Istituto di Studi Verdi ani in Parma carries the blind "E questo il mio stromento" (see mm. 52- 53), and according to YEs. stamp "Il/65."" To the same general period can be assigned Leon "mostra la spada." Verdi changed this to "tirando fuori 10 spadone." Escudier's "Nouvelle Edition" of the piano-vocal score, printed in After their dialogue: Paris with a French text (pI. no. L.E. 1761), a reissue of his edition of SP. Vi serve? 1859. This new edition is distinguished from the earlier one by its RI. No .. al momento .. inclusion of metronomic indications as well as by a list of the singers SP. Peggio per voi. .. for the run of performances at the Theatre Lyrique Imperial, which began in December 1863 (see the further discussion of these met­ Verdi added the direction •• nasconde 10 spadone. " This visual vignette ronome markings in section 3 below). by the composer parallels and thereby adds dramatically to the verbal and musical text. An even more impressive example occurs at the Librettos conclusion of Gilda's aria, N. 6, where Piave provided text and direc­ The complex history of Rigoletto must have generated a series of tions divided in the following manner: manuscript librettos. Of these, however, only Piave's autograph manu­ G!. E pur l'ultimo sospir, script of II Duca di Vendome and a copy of it survive, both in the Caro nome tuo sara. (entra in casa e comparisce archives of the Teatro La Fenice. 84 In addition, the text underlaid in act sui terrazzo con una lucerna per vedere anco una volta I of Verdi's sketch must essentially be the first act of La maledizione. it creduto Gualtiero, che si suppone partito dall' altra While not of fundamental importance for establishing the libretto of parte. ) Rigoletto, both these documents do occasionally shed light on prob- SCENAXIV. 80. The printed parts are described in part one of the Critical Commentary. MARULLO, CEPRANO, BORSA, Cortigiani armati e mas­ 81. The material transmitted must have been copied from Verdi's autograph before cherati dalla via. GILDA sui terrazzo che tosto rientra. rehearsals were far advanced, for in at least one highly significant case, the setting of the BO. E la. (indicano Gilda al Coro.) name <