Den 10 oktober
1813 föddes, i en liten by nära staden Busseto, beläget i Parmaprovinsen i norra Italien, en gigant inom operavärlden, tillsammans med Wagner den störste (de var födda samma år): Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (bilden), han med mästerverken Rigoletto (texten, librettot, baseras på Victor Hugos "Kungen roar sig" [Le Roi s'amuse] , Trubaduren (librettot baseras på "Trubaduren" [El trovador] av den spanske författaren Antonio García Gutiérrez, vilket f.ö. inte blev den spanske författarens enda textunderlag till en opera va Verdi) och La Traviata ( librettot baseras på Kameliadamen [La Dame aux Camélias], det berömda dramat av Alexandre Dumas d.y.).Mäktig Verdi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD4gWvTXj44&feature=related
Verdi avled i Milano 1901.
Läser man Bonniers musiklexikon - som i väldigt mycket verkar ha haft The International Cyclopedia of Music and Musicains som sin huvudkälla - övertygas man dock om att Aida skrevs speciellt till invigningen, och alltså spelades på invigningsdagen på plats (kanalens in- eller utgång).
En petitess? Nej säger jag! Suezkanalen är det viktigaste av allt på vår kära jord, efter Panamakanalen.
Som nummer tre kommer Kielkanalen med sin rofyllda invigning, åtminstone en gång rofyllda omgivning ;)
Kungliga Operan i Stockholm.
Rigoletto.
Musik: Giuseppe Verdi Text: Francesco Maria Piave efter Victor Hugos skådespel Scenografi: Jan Lundberg Kostym: Ann-Margret Fyregård Ljus: Torkel Blomkvist Koreografi: Petter Jacobsson Dramaturg: Stefan Johansson Regi: Hilda Hellwig
Framförs på italienska med svensk översättning på textmaskin.
Senaste föreställning var i fredags (8 oktober), en ny kommer lördagen den 16 oktober.
Något annat av Verdi som kommer upp på operan i Stockholm eller Göteborgsoperan det närmaste halvåret kan jag inte se. Däremot såg jag något annat som jag gärna vill rekommendera: Tosca på Stockholmsoperan med första föreställning den 5 mars. Musik: Giacomo Puccini. Text: Giuseppe Giacosa och Luigi Illica (baserat på ett drama av fransmannen Victorien Sardous). Scenografi: Björn Brusewitz (jag undrar om han är släkt med "djurmålaren" Gunnar Brusewitz? Man kan iaf lätt gissa på detta) . Kostym: Ann-Mari Anttila Ljus: Hans-Åke Sjöquist Regi: Knut Hendriksen.
RIGOLETTO:
First Performed:
March - 1851, Teatro La Fenice in Venice
Background: Verdi derived Rigoletto from the play Le Roi s’amuse by Victor Hugo.
Characters of Rigoletto:
Rigoletto, the Duke's jester - Baritone
Gilda, Rigoletto's daughter - Soprano
The Duke - Tenor
Sparafucile, an assassin - Bass
Maddalena, assassin's sister - Mezzo-Soprano
Count Ceprano - Bass
Countess Ceprano, his wife - Mezzo-Soprano
Count Monterone - Baritone
Rigoletto's Famous Arias:
"La donna è mobile" - The Duke
" Caro nome" - Gilda
"Cortigiani" - Rigoletto
Rigoletto Plot Summary:
Act 1
In the palace, the Duke shows off his latest prize, Countess Ceprano. The jester, Rigoletto, mocks the Countess and all the courtiers of the palace. Rigoletto is accused of keeping a mistress. Ceprano's father, Monterone, arrives and pleads to the Duke to release his daughter, but finds Rigoletto mocking him. Monterone puts a curse on him.
On his way home, Rigoletto encounters an assassin, Sparafucile, and dismisses him. Once home, he greets his daughter, Gilda, and advises her to stay hidden. She doesn't tell him of her secret lover, the Duke. After Rigoletto leaves, the Duke arrives telling her he is poor and his name is Gualtier Maldè, but rushes away. Outside of his home, Rigoletto is met by the courtiers. They trick him into helping them abduct the Countess in the next house. They blindfold Rigoletto and he puts a ladder up to his own house. The courtiers abduct Gilda. Once he realizes what has happened, he remembers the curse.
Act 2
The Duke is delighted to hear that Gilda was taken to his bedroom. Rigoletto arrives pleading for his daughter, but to no avail. Soon, Gilda appears telling him of the courtship. He swears vengeance on both the Duke and Monterone.
Act 3
Rigoletto pays Sparafucile to murder the Duke. Sparafucile's sister, Maddalena, lures the Duke to an inn. Rigoletto brings Gilda along to spy and to show her that the Duke is no good. They spy the Duke flirting with Maddalena, but she is not convinced. Rigoletto sends her home to dress as a boy before they depart. Maddalena falls for the Duke and tries to get her brother to kill Rigoletto instead, but he refuses. He makes a deal that the next person to walk in will be killed. Gilda returns hearing this, and decides to walk in to save her lover. She is stabbed immediately. Rigoletto is handed the bag with the body, thinking it's the Duke. As he's about to throw the bag into the river, he hears the Duke singing. He looks in the bag and finds his daughter and remembers the curse.
RIGOLETTO:
First Performed:
March - 1851, Teatro La Fenice in Venice
Background: Verdi derived Rigoletto from the play Le Roi s’amuse by Victor Hugo.
Characters of Rigoletto:
Rigoletto, the Duke's jester - Baritone
Gilda, Rigoletto's daughter - Soprano
The Duke - Tenor
Sparafucile, an assassin - Bass
Maddalena, assassin's sister - Mezzo-Soprano
Count Ceprano - Bass
Countess Ceprano, his wife - Mezzo-Soprano
Count Monterone - Baritone
Rigoletto's Famous Arias:
"La donna è mobile" - The Duke
" Caro nome" - Gilda
"Cortigiani" - Rigoletto
Rigoletto Plot Summary:
Act 1
In the palace, the Duke shows off his latest prize, Countess Ceprano. The jester, Rigoletto, mocks the Countess and all the courtiers of the palace. Rigoletto is accused of keeping a mistress. Ceprano's father, Monterone, arrives and pleads to the Duke to release his daughter, but finds Rigoletto mocking him. Monterone puts a curse on him.
On his way home, Rigoletto encounters an assassin, Sparafucile, and dismisses him. Once home, he greets his daughter, Gilda, and advises her to stay hidden. She doesn't tell him of her secret lover, the Duke. After Rigoletto leaves, the Duke arrives telling her he is poor and his name is Gualtier Maldè, but rushes away. Outside of his home, Rigoletto is met by the courtiers. They trick him into helping them abduct the Countess in the next house. They blindfold Rigoletto and he puts a ladder up to his own house. The courtiers abduct Gilda. Once he realizes what has happened, he remembers the curse.
Act 2
The Duke is delighted to hear that Gilda was taken to his bedroom. Rigoletto arrives pleading for his daughter, but to no avail. Soon, Gilda appears telling him of the courtship. He swears vengeance on both the Duke and Monterone.
Act 3
Rigoletto pays Sparafucile to murder the Duke. Sparafucile's sister, Maddalena, lures the Duke to an inn. Rigoletto brings Gilda along to spy and to show her that the Duke is no good. They spy the Duke flirting with Maddalena, but she is not convinced. Rigoletto sends her home to dress as a boy before they depart. Maddalena falls for the Duke and tries to get her brother to kill Rigoletto instead, but he refuses. He makes a deal that the next person to walk in will be killed. Gilda returns hearing this, and decides to walk in to save her lover. She is stabbed immediately. Rigoletto is handed the bag with the body, thinking it's the Duke. As he's about to throw the bag into the river, he hears the Duke singing. He looks in the bag and finds his daughter and remembers the curse.
