111276-77 bk Rigoletto EU 4/15/08 3:11 PM Page 12 Also available: VERDI Rigoletto G · ROB IN ER RL T Ö M J E B R I R S I S L U L J 8.110258 1 g 956 Recordin Robert Merrill • Jussi Björling • Roberta Peters Anna Maria Rota • Giorgio Tozzi Rome Opera Orchestra and Chorus Jonel Perlea 8.111030-31 8.111276-77 12 111276-77 bk Rigoletto EU 4/15/08 3:11 PM Page 2 Great Opera Recordings $ Rigoletto returns, ready to receive the body of his ^ As she dies, she promises to pray for her father, victim, and as the storm passes, takes the murdered leaving him to realise that Monterone’s curse has now body in a sack, prepared to throw it into the nearby fallen on Rigoletto. Giuseppe river. Keith Anderson VERDI % At this moment he hears the voice of the Duke from (1813-1901) within the house, and realises he has been tricked. He opens the sack and in a flash of lightning sees the face Rigoletto of his daughter Gilda. She tells him of the sacrifice that Opera in Three Acts she has made and seeks his forgiveness. Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave after Victor Hugo’s Le Roi s’amuse Rigoletto ………...…………………………………..………….. Robert Merrill (baritone) Gilda …………………………………………………….……… Roberta Peters (soprano) Duke of Mantua ……...…..…………………………………...……. Jussi Björling (tenor) Maddalena …………………………………………….……. Anna Maria Rota (contralto) Sparafucile ………………………………………………..…...……. Giorgio Tozzi (bass) Count Monterone …………………………………………….…… Vittorio Tatozzi (bass) Cavaliere Marullo ……………………………….....…………. Arturo La Porta (baritone) Matteo Borsa ………………………………………………….. Tommaso Frascati (tenor) Count Ceprano ………..……………………………...……….. Leonardo Monreale (bass) Countess Ceprano …………………………………………….….. Lidia Grandi (soprano) Giovanna ……..……………………………...…………… Silvana Celli (mezzo-soprano) Page of the Duchess ….……………………………….………… Santa Chissari (soprano) A Herald ……………………………………………………..…. Andrea Mineo (baritone) Rome Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Luigi Ricci, assistant to the conductor) (Giuseppe Conca, chorus master) Jonel Perlea Recorded 14th, 16th, 18th, 20th-22nd, 25th-26th and 28th June, 1956 in the Opera House, Rome First issued on RCA Victor LM-6051 Reissue Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn Special thanks to Maynard F. Bertolet for providing source material 8.111276-77 211 8.111276-77 111276-77 bk Rigoletto EU 4/15/08 3:11 PM Page 10 $ As Gilda is carried off by the courtiers, she drops her Act III CD 1 54:07 CD 2 80:38 scarf. When they have gone, Rigoletto tears off the 1 Act II 28:11 blindfold and realises what has happened. This is the 8 The third act opens by the banks of the River Mincio, Prelude 2:45 1 (Orchestra) Ella mi fu rapita! … Parmi veder 5:38 curse of Monterone. outside a two-storey house. There is a tavern below and (Duke) rough stairs leading to the grain-store above. In the wall Act I 51:22 2 Scene 1 Duca, Duca! 2:11 CD 2 is a door, facing the street, and there are cracks in the (Borsa, Marullo, Ceprano, Courtiers, Duke) wall through which it is possible to see what is 2 Della mia bella incognita borghese 1:44 Act II happening in the house. The district is deserted. It is (Duke, Borsa) 3 Povero Rigoletto! 3:38 night. In the tavern Sparafucile sits by the table, 3 Questa o quella 4:26 (Marullo, Rigoletto, Borsa, Ceprano, Courtiers, 1 The second act opens in the palace once more. The cleaning his sword-belt, while Rigoletto and Gilda wait (Duke, Countess Ceprano, Rigoletto, Borsa, Page) Duke is upset, thinking that Gilda has been wrested outside. She assures him that she loves the Duke, but Courtiers) 4 Cortigiani, vil razza dannata 4:24 from him and imagining her distress. Rigoletto seeks revenge. The Duke appears, disguised 4 Gran nuova! gran nuova! 2:31 (Rigoletto) as an ordinary officer. He enters the house, asking (Marullo, Borsa, Courtiers, Duke, Rigoletto, 5 Mio padre! 1:58 2 His jubilant courtiers burst in, eager to reassure him, Sparafucile for wine and for a room. Ceprano) (Gilda, Rigoletto, Borsa, Marullo, Ceprano, telling him they have taken Rigoletto’s mistress. The 5 Courtiers) Duke is delighted and hurries out, realising that Gilda is 9 As he drinks, he is heard singing his most famous Ch’io gli parli 4:42 (Monterone, Duke, Rigoletto, Borsa, Marullo, now his. song on the fickleness of women. 6 Tutte le feste 8:10 Ceprano, Courtiers) (Gilda, Rigoletto, Usher, Monterone) 3 When Rigoletto appears, the courtiers mock him, 0 The Duke is joined by Sparafucile’s sister Scene 2 7 No, vecchio t’inganni … Sì, vendetta 2:10 while he feigns indifference, trying to guess where Maddalena, while Sparafucile leaves them together, 6 Quel vecchio maledivami! 4:41 (Rigoletto, Gilda) (Rigoletto, Sparafucile) Gilda has been taken. Eventually he understands that going out into the street to ask Rigoletto if this is the Act III 32:42 the girl who has been abducted and is now with the man. 7 Pari siamo! 3:48 8 E l’ami? 2:09 Duke is his own daughter. (Rigoletto) (Rigoletto, Gilda, Duke, Sparafucile) ! The Duke declares his love for Maddalena, while 8 Figlia! … Mio padre! 6:14 9 4 He curses this vile race of courtiers. Gilda, observing the scene from outside, is heart-broken La donna è mobile 2:54 (Rigoletto, Gilda, Giovanna, Duke) (Duke) at her lover’s faithlessness. Rigoletto plots revenge and 5 Suddenly Gilda emerges in agitation from the tells his daughter to go home and disguise herself in 9 Ah! veglia, o donna 3:08 0 Un dì, se ben rammentomi 1:29 Duke’s inner room, falling into her father’s arms. man’s clothes, ready to leave the city. (Rigoletto, Gilda) (Duke, Gilda, Maddalena, Rigoletto) 0 Giovanna, ho dei rimorsi 3:04 ! Bella figlia dell’amore 4:48 6 Left alone with her father, she explains how she met @ Sparafucile comes out and is paid half his fee for the (Gilda, Giovanna, Duke) (Duke, Maddalena, Gilda, Rigoletto) the supposed student. Rigoletto accepts the dishonour as planned murder of the man in the house, whose identity ! È il sol dell’anima 4:59 @ Venti scudi 4:04 his own and tries to comfort his daughter. Monterone is is not known to him. Rigoletto is to return at midnight (Duke, Gilda, Ceprano, Borsa) brought in, being escorted to prison, and thinks that his for his victim. A storm draws near. (Rigoletto, Sparafucile, Gilda) curse has had no effect on the Duke. @ Gualtier Maldè … Caro nome 7:00 # È amabile in vero 6:10 # Maddalena, seeing the Duke sleeping, begs her (Gilda, Borsa, Ceprano, Marullo, Courtiers) (Maddalena, Sparafucile, Gilda) 7 He is escorted out by the guards but Rigoletto, aside, brother not to harm him and he agrees to kill any other # Riedo! perchè? 2:08 $ Della vendetta 4:49 allows that Monterone’s curse shall have its effect and man who may come there before midnight. Gilda has (Rigoletto, Borsa, Ceprano, Marullo) (Rigoletto, Sparafucile, Duke) swears bitter vengeance. now returned, dressed as a man, and overhears the plan. $ She enters the house, resolved to sacrifice herself for Zitti, zitti 2:55 % Chi è mai? 3:10 (Borsa, Marullo, Ceprano, Courtiers, Gilda, (Rigoletto, Gilda) her lover. Rigoletto) 8.111276-77 10 3 8.111276-77 111276-77 bk Rigoletto EU 4/15/08 3:11 PM Page 4 ^ Lassù in cielo 3:08 ( VERDI: La Traviata (Act II) Synopsis in the first floor of the house gives onto a balcony above (Gilda, Rigoletto) Di Provenza il mar 4:09 the wall, to which steps lead from below. On the right of CD 1 Appendix: ) ROSSINI: Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Act I) the street is a very high garden wall and the side of Robert Merrill sings Verdi and Rossini arias Largo al factotum Count Ceprano’s house. It is night. As he approaches 5:02 Act I, Scene 1 his house, thinking of Monterone’s curse, Rigoletto is & VERDI: Otello (Act II) Rome Opera Orchestra · Vincenzo Bellezza accosted by the ruffian Sparafucile, who offers his Credo in un dio crudel (Act 2) 5:09 Recorded 30th June and 2nd and 4th July, 1956 1 Verdi’s Rigoletto has, as its central theme, the curse services as an assassin, if required. in the Opera House, Rome of a father on the father of the title. The theme * VERDI: Il Trovatore (Act II) First issued on RCA Victor LM-2086 associated with the curse is heard in the opening 7 As he goes, Rigoletto reflects on the meeting, since Tutto è deserto … Il balen del suo sorriso 5:26 Prelude. they are alike: Sparafucile’s weapon is a dagger and (with Franco Calabrese, bass) Rigoletto’s his tongue. 2 The first act opens with a ball at the court of the Duke of Mantua. A band is heard from the inner rooms 8 In his garden, Rigoletto talks to his daughter Gilda, of the palace. The Duke confides in Borsa, one of his recently returned from her convent school, and courtiers, his plan to bring to a head his affair with an remembers her dead mother. unknown girl, although he now has his eye on the Countess Ceprano. 9 He tells Giovanna, Gilda’s nurse, to guard her charge well. He opens the courtyard door and looks into the 3 He sees all pretty women as equally desirable. He street, while the Duke, disguised as a student, is seen to draws aside the Countess, who was about to follow her offer Giovanna a bribe for her silence, as he steals in husband. As they leave together, Rigoletto, the court and hides in the garden. jester, who has joined the company, mocks Count Ceprano, with the approval of the other courtiers.