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Notes on the Performance of Rigoletto Martin Chusid New York University Verdi Forum Number 8 Article 1 11-1-1980 Notes on the Performance of Rigoletto Martin Chusid New York University Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.richmond.edu/vf Part of the Musicology Commons, and the Music Performance Commons Recommended Citation Chusid, Martin (1980) "Notes on the Performance of Rigoletto," Verdi Newsletter: No. 8, Article 1. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by UR Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Verdi Forum by an authorized administrator of UR Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Notes on the Performance of Rigoletto Keywords Giuseppe Verdi, Rigoletto This article is available in Verdi Forum: http://scholarship.richmond.edu/vf/vol1/iss8/1 Notes on the Performance of Rigoletto* by Martin Chusid Three points are made in this paper, Some olher pertinent facts: Verdi's each of them bearing on the perfor­ "Tua sorella" is crossed through and mance of Rigoletto. The first concerns another hand has written above "Una the libretto near the beginning of Act stanza". 3 It is significant that Verdi's III. The scene shows a "rustic tavern" sketches for the opera also read "Tua installed in a "half-ruined two-storey sorella ". 4 house." As you recall, Rigoletto and How important these two words Gilda are watching from the outside. were to Verdi may be deduced from Verdi's stage direction reads: "Entra il the letter he wrote to the President of Duca nell'osteria."l An audience that La Fenice-or, rather, the most impor­ has forgotten the alternative methods tant of the three presidents who made spelled out by Sparafucile in Act I for up La Presidenza of the theater-Carlo trapping his intended victirns2 may D. Marzari. 5 The Venetian censors had well ask what the Duke is doing there refused permission for the libretto at this time. Is it sheer and unbelievable entitled La Maledizione which Piave coincidence that he happens to drop in had written first, and on which Verdi at this remote, shady tavern on a dark had been working for some months. and stormy night? But no, Rigoletto is Piave had then rewritten the libretto certainly expecting to see him. Why? to overcome the objections. The On this point, Verdi's autograph is revised text, entitled II Duca di Ven­ illuminating. In the text set by the dome, and carrying the censor's composer, the Duke's first words are seal of approval, was sent to Verdi, not "Una stanza e del vino," which is who wrote back: what we find in the printed scores and librettos, but "Tua sorella e del vino." 14 December 1850 The Duke has come to see Maddalena. ... I have had very little time It is made clear and specific at the to examine the new libretto, but start of the scene. But why, for more I have seen quite enough to than a hundred and twenty-five years, realize that, rendered in this have audiences been left to merely fashion, it lacks character and importance, and, in fine, that infer this-from that earlier conversa­ the scenic points have become tion, later from the Duke's "Un very cold. If it was necessary to . dl ..." and Rigoletto's still later change the names, the setting statement that for more than a month should also have been changed, he has been planning the encounter? to a prince, a duke of some other country, for example a Pier Luigi Farnese or some •Based on a paper read at the Cini Foundation, Venice, September 1979; see "Other Confer­ other, or the action moved back ences," this Newsletter. to the time before Louis XI when France was not a united lsee Folio 209 recto of the Autograph which is kingdom, making him a Duke of preserved in the vaults of the Casa Ricordi, Burgundy or of Normandy, etc. Milan. In any event, an absolute ruler. 2Act I, scene 7. Sparafucile: Usually I kill in the city, Or else under my own roof. 3folio 209 verso. In response to Rigoletto's" And how, in your house?" 4See the facsimile edition L 'A bozzo d..el 'Rigo­ Sparafucile: It's easy . letto' di Giuseppe Verdi, ed. by Carlo Gatti My sister helps me (Milan: Ricordi for the Ministero della Cultura She dances through the Popolare ( 1941) 2 fascicles, 32 and 24 pp. streets. She's pretty ... She attracts the one I want SMarzari's official title was "Presidente Anzidno ... and then . ed agli Spettacoli." 3 In Act I Scene 5, the wrath of My second point concerns "Caro the courtiers against Triboletto nome". If we once more consult the makes no sense. The old man's sketches and Piave's libretto, we find curse, so terrible and sublime that originally Gilda finished her aria, in the original, here becomes and then the courtiers came onstage to ridiculous, because the reason that drives him to curse no kidnap her. How effective was Verdi's longer has the same importance, idea to create an overlap: to show the and because it is no longer a audience, and make them listen to, the subject who so boldly addresses courtiers gathering outside of Rigo­ the king. Without this curse, letto's house. What a fine touch to what range, what significance contrast Gilda's innocence, her virginal does the drama have? The love, and the scoundrels' scheming; to Duke becomes a character of forge a dramatic link between the naught: the Duke simply has to elegaic but somewhat static aria and be a libertine; without that, there the action-packed finale. But Verdi is no justification for Triboletto's fears lest his daughter leave her had another thought to help keep hiding-place; without that, the the motion moving, still another effect drama is impossible. which audiences have been deprived of until now. At the cadence before the coda of "Caro nome", (mm. 63-69) And here we come to the most directly Gilda sings twice "Gualtier Mal de" - relevant portion of the letter: the words, the name, with which the scene had begun. All printed scores ... How on earth does the Duke and MS copies provide a conventional go alone to a remote tavern, melodic progression from dominant to without an invitation, without tonic twice: "Gualtier Mal-" on B, an amorous appointment? ... rising to "-de" on E. And, in fact, Verdi had originally written it that Verdi closes this letter with a flat way. But he had an afterthought and refusal to set fl Duca di Vendome. entered it into the autograph. 8 He altered the cadence both times, and . my artistic conscience does the melodic line stays on the dominant. not allow me to set this libretto As a result, there is no melodic resolu­ to music.6 tion at this point. Although many members of the audience may fail to This letter and its relationship with understand why, they will surely sense the heavily censored version of the libretto provides, I think, an important clue to the reason audiences have been deprived of an important bit of plot of the drama posed by the words "Una stanza" clarification. In all probability, Verdi's took matters into their own hands and substi­ text was altered to appease police tuted Verdi's actual text for the censored version. It is all the more remarkable in that censors. Basta con la Censura and back they did so independenfly of each other and to Verdi's "Tua sorella". 7 without having seen the autograph. Thirteen years ago , Andrew Porter translated Rigoletto for performance in English by the 60riginal in the archives of the Teatro la Sadler's Wells (now English National) Opera. He Fenice. It has been published in Verdi e la wrote an article about that translation which Fenice, (Venice: Ente Autonome del Teatro was published in the Sadler's Wells Magazine la Fenice, 1951) 42-3, and in Franco Abbiati's no. I 0 (Spring/Summer 1968) and is reprinted Giuseppe Verdi (Milan : Ricordi, 1959) 11, 86-7, in this Newsletter. See his last paragraph. The without the letter's date. Piave's MS of II Duca answer to his question is: Yes, it certainly was di Vendome, containing many corrections, justified. More recently, in Spring 1979, David together with a clean copy are also at la Fenice. Lawton conducted Rigoletto for Opera on the Films of the letter and the librettos are in the Sound, a Long Island company, and advised the Archive of the American Institute for Verdi tenor to sing "Tua sore Ila" because he knew Studies. that version of the text from the facsimile edition of the sketch. 71 am delighted to report that two Verdi scholars. who were unhappy with the illogicality 8see folios 1 18 verso and I I 9 recto. 4 more strongly than in the gast the link music for the small string orchestra between these two scenes. following the Perigordino. In fact they My final point has to do with the play until the entrance of Monterone. lntroduzione to Act I. Let us first This is the passage following Rigoletto's compare the stage directions for the remarks to the Duke about Ceprano's opening scene to be found in the head, "A cosa ella vale?", mm. 36Q-44 l libretto-which I take to be Piave's of Act. 1. l I It should be noted that conception-with Verdi's autograph. this music resembles closely, but is not The libretto reads: "Sala magnifica nel identical to, the music for the string palazzo ducale con porte nel fondo section of the pit orchestra.
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