Opera-Rigoletto Quartet

Quartet from last act of Rigoletto: This quartet is one of the most exquisite representations of human emotion in opera. Love crashes against the revelation of lust and murder, while at the same time mayhem is forecasted.

Rigoletto, the obnoxious jester of the womanizing Duke of Mantua has a beautiful daughter Gilda whom he has kept hidden at home for years to protect her from men. She is only allowed to go to mass with an older lady. The Duke runs into her there and pursues her and swears his love for her and she falls for him. Rigoletto finds out and plots to have the Duke killed by a hired assassin.

The Scene for the Quartet

The assassin will lure the Duke to a dilapidated tavern where the assasin's sister Maddalena will entice him upstairs to be murdered. Rigoletto, wanting his daughter to be free of his love, takes Gilda outside the tavern while the sister of the assassin flirts with the Duke. The daughter Gilda and her father Rigoletto are watching the scene inside the tavern through a crack in the wall. Verdi wrote a most famous quartet where the Duke in lustily wooing Maddalena (the sister of the assassin), breaks Gilda's heart, while her father Rigoletto tries to console Gilda with his clouded words of revenge (the singing of the four parts plays their emotions against each other).

To heighten the experience it is recommended that you view it using the following steps:

1. Read the lyrics in the table below to become familiar with the dialogue

2. Play the sheet music animation to familiarize yourself with the incredible art of Verdi's music and dialogue

3. Play the link of the singers to see the opera being played by the real singers

Duke of Mantua (Luciano Pavarotti)	Unsuspecting Duke flirting with Maddalena
Bella figlia dell'amore Schiavo son de'vezzi tuoi; Con un detto detto sol tu puoi, Le mie pene consolar. Vieni e senti, del mio core Il frequente palpitar.	Lovely daughter of Venus love I'm a slave of your round charms With only a word, a word you can All my sorrows ever console. Come and feel my lonely heart as it beats and beats for you...
Maddalena (Isola Jones)	The assassin's sister being used as bait for duke
Ah! Ah! rido ben di core Chet tal baie costan poco; Quanto valga il vostro giuoco, Mei credete, so apprezzar, sono avvezza, bel signore, Ad un simile scherzar.	Ha! Ha! I crack a hearty laugh cause such words cost very little; the price of your little game, believe me I sure can tell quite well. I'm experienced, fancy lord, at such flaky flirty jokes.
Gilda (Joan Sutherland)	Rigoletto's daughter whose heart is broken here
Ah, cosi parlar d'amore! A me pur l'infame ho udito Infelice cor tradito, Per angoscia non scoppiar, Perche, o credulo mio core, Un tal uom dovevi amar!	Ah, such words of love I have heard this monster tell me Oh betrayed broken heart hold your anguish, don't explode Why oh why my trusting heart Had to love such lowly man.
Rigoletto (Leo Nucci)	Consoling daughter Gilda w/upcoming vendetta
Taci, il piangere non vale Ch'ei mentiva or sei sicura Taci, e mia sara la cura, La vendetta d'affrettar, Pronta fia, sara fatale; Io saprolla fulminar. M'odi, ritorna a casa - Oro prendi, un destiero, Una veste viril che t'apprestai, E per Verona parti - Sarovvi io pur domani -	Quiet, it does no good to cry Now you are sure of how he lied Quiet, I will worry all about speeding our vendetta. Soon, trust me, it will be fatal I will know how to unchain it Hear me return to home - There take a fast horse Borrow a manly vest And take off to Verona Where I will join you tomorrow -

Quartet sung: Duke-Luciano Pavarotti; Gilda-Joan Sutherland; Rigoletto-Leo Nucci; Maddalena-Isola Jones

Sheet music animation: Virtuosity of Verdi's arrangement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOpT9nTtGzc

The same singers in performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6S_kx0gDzc

(Presented in St Barts Movie Group - May 23, 2014)