ACT I
Scene 1:
As the Duke boasts of his conquests, his jester, Rigoletto,
irritates the courtiers with his insults. One courtier, Marullo,
tells the others that Rigoletto has a secret mistress, and they
decide to avenge themselves by kidnapping her. They are
interrupted by Count Monterone, who accuses the Duke of
violating his daughter. Rigoletto makes fun of Monterone,
leading the man to place a curse on the jester, horrifying him.
The Duke orders Monterone’s arrest.
Scene 2:
outside the walls later that night
services as an assassin. Rigoletto declines, but Sparafucile
assures him that if Rigoletto changes his mind, he is available.
Rigoletto muses on his similarity to Sparafucile, who kills with
a knife while he wounds with words.
Rigoletto greets his daughter Gilda and warns her never to
leave the house except for church. When he is distracted,
the Duke sneaks in by bribing Giovanna, the servant. After
Rigoletto leaves, Gilda tells Giovanna that she has noticed a
young man at church.
The Duke emerges from hiding, declaring that is a poor student
named Gualtier Maldé, and he loves her. Meanwhile, outside,
the courtiers gather. The Duke leaves, promising to return.
Rigoletto’s return surprises the courtiers, but they tell him that
they are abducting the Countess Ceprano, who lives nearby.
They have him hold the ladder, blindfolding him under the
Rigoletto discovers he has been duped, he calls Gilda’s name,
ACT II
The Duke is upset by Gilda’s disappearance. The courtiers
gleefully describe their abduction of Rigoletto’s mistress.
Realizing that it is Gilda and that she is now locked inside his
54 | FLORIDA GRAND OPERA
Rigoletto arrives
looking for clues
to his daughter’s
fate. When the
Duchess’s page
asks for the Duke
and the couriers
are evasive,
Rigoletto realizes
that Gilda is with
the Duke. He
lashes out at the
courtiers for their
cruelty and then
begs them for
mercy as a father.
The courtiers are
stunned to realize that Gilda is Rigoletto’s daughter, but they
remain adamant. Suddenly, Gilda rushes to her father and
begs him to hide her shame. Rigoletto orders the courtiers
away. After hearing her story, Rigoletto comforts her.
Monterone, on his way to prison, laments that the Duke
has escaped his wrath. Rigoletto swears that he will ensure
vengeance. Gilda begs him to reconsider.
ACT III
Sparafucile and his sister Maddalena await the Duke. After
he arrives, he seduces Maddalena. Rigoletto brings Gilda
to the outside of the lodging so that she can see the Duke’s
true character. Heartbroken, Gilda agrees to leave Mantua later
that night. He sends her home to prepare. Rigoletto meets with
on returning to collect the body.
Maddalena tries to persuade her brother to kill Rigoletto
instead of the Duke. An honest businessman, Sparafucile
declines. A storm breaks out as Gilda returns. She overhears
the argument. Maddalena persuades Sparafucile to spare the
Duke by killing the next person who comes to the inn. At the
height of the storm, Gilda enters and is stabbed. At midnight,
Rigoletto returns and receives a body sewn into a sack. He
is dragging the sack to the river when he hears the Duke in
the distance. Suddenly frightened, he tears open the sack,
recognizing his daughter. She begs his forgiveness as she
dies. Rigoletto cries out, “The curse!”
–KARL W. HESSER
Rigoletto Synopsis
season
Giuseppe Verdi