The Joker's Drama Information

This story happened in mantua in the16th century.

First act

Verdi wrote a short prelude to this opera, and the cold brass timbre and discordant harmony were full of ominous signs-thus laying a tragic atmosphere.

However, when the curtain opened, what we saw and heard was a carnival scene. A grand banquet is being held in the luxurious aristocratic living room. The newcomers are all knights and ladies of the upper class. They were dressed in gorgeous costumes, and some people wore masks and danced the court minuet to light music. The master of the court, Duke mantua, came out of a door. He has a glass in one hand and a lovely girl he saw the other day. He said that the girl was beautiful and quiet, and went to church every day. It is said that she lives in a street far away, and a man goes there every night. The Duke of mantua is determined to get her. He said with a smile, I won't stop until I reach my goal.

Just then, the coquettish Countess Sipura passed by, and the Duke of mantua courted her. Although Count Sipura is here, he doesn't care. He took the lady's arm and sang happily:

"This young lady, or that beautiful young lady, in my opinion, has the same style. I have never been partial to them, and I will not treat them sincerely. God has given me so much beauty that my life blooms like a flower. If I fall in love with this today, maybe tomorrow, I will have another love. I can't stand being told to be infinitely loyal to love. Let fools remain loyal! Without freedom, there is no love. No matter how angry my husbands are, no matter how tortured my lovers are, even if everyone looks askance, I will not refuse the temptation of love! "

This aria written by Verdi for the Duke is full of cynicism, which suddenly highlights his arrogant and frivolous personality. I saw him holding the hand of the countess who had been deeply attracted by him, dancing gracefully, while the earl on the side stared and was so angry.

An ugly hunchbacked man approached the count. He is the jester of Ligoletto, Duke of mantua. He gloated at the count and laughed at his jealousy. But in fact, he was a little dissatisfied with his master's behavior He whispered to balsa in private: The Duke has gone too far.

The clown is a sad character. He has to constantly have fun for his master and help him carry out all the fun-seeking plans, so he is hated and despised by others. He knows all this very well, but he can't help it. He has no money, power and status, and he has to make a living! Look at him, wearing strange clothes, wearing a pointed hat on his head, and his face is painted colorful and ugly. The most striking thing is his hunchback. His serious disability made him born with tragedy, and his special status made him more grotesque and unsympathetic.

Rico Leto walked away, and the angry Count Plano consulted with several nobles around him, saying, please act with him tonight, and he will make this damn jester unlucky (they only dare to vent on Rico Leto, but dare not touch the culprit, they are also a group of despicable people! )。

Suddenly, a voice broke the joyful atmosphere in the banquet hall. It was the Earl of Montone who broke in. The old man pointedly accused the Duke of mantua of playing with his daughter. He trembled with anger, and when he talked about his beloved daughter, his eyes filled with tears. The cheeky duke didn't care, and Ligoletto was even more irritating. He glibly helped his master and laughed at his sad father. Count Montreux denounced to him:

"As a father, I am angry with those who defile my daughter. You don't understand. All right, I curse you! You will be punished by God! "

Somehow, this sentence hit Ligletto's heart, and he froze at once. He stared straight for a while and couldn't say a word. This is the first time he has lost his temper in public. The duke was angry. He asked his entourage to pull the crazy old man out and then ordered the band to play music. Everyone continued to dance, and the carnival atmosphere in the living room resumed just now.

In the cheerful dance music, the jester Ligoletto quietly left the crowd. His face was sad, as if he were a different person, and the original evil spirits were completely gone. With his head down, he walked out along the courtyard wall and disappeared into the thick night.

The scene changed to the street at night.

The street was quiet, and only Ligoletto was in a hurry. He muttered repeatedly, "Some guy cursed me." It seems that he is really stimulated. Suddenly, a man came out of the shadow and blocked his way. I saw the man with a mask and a sword in his hand. Rigoletto was frightened and thought it was a robbery, so he quickly reached for his pocket to send him money. But the man introduced himself, saying that he was an assassin, specifically to get rid of the enemy for others. He asked Diego Leto if he had any enemies, and he could help. The price was reasonable and the charge was low. Ligoletto shook his head, bypassed him and continued to walk home. He thought:

"We are all the same! I use my tongue, while he uses a knife and a gun. I taught people to laugh, and he created death! Oh, man and nature, you make me evil. How annoying, crippled and ugly it is to be a clown. I smile every day, and tears can't relieve my worries and troubles. My host, young and beautiful, gives me an order before going to bed every night:' Tell me a joke!' I must obey at once. Ah, how painful! Always insulting and despising my courtiers, I really want to kill you! You caused my sin! ..... The old man's curse always bothers me. Am I going to suffer? Don't! Don't! I don't have to be afraid! "

He thought as he walked. The music gradually changed, from dark and ominous to bright and gentle. It turned out that he had reached the door. Ligoletto took the key out of his pocket and opened the door of the yard.

A young girl came out from the door to meet her. She threw herself into Ligoletto's arms and cried happily:

"My good father, you are back!"

This is Gilda, the apple of Ligoletto's eye. Her lovely appearance that day suddenly dispelled the shadow in her father's heart. Brother Leto hugged his daughter tightly and sighed.

"Being with you is my greatest happiness, daughter, you are everything to me!"

He remembered the old count's curse just now, and hurriedly asked Gilda:

"Where have you been recently?"

"I didn't go anywhere except the church."

Ligoletto breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he told his daughter to stay at home and not to leave home except to go to church. Gilda asked his father about his mother, and Ligotto shook his head. He didn't want to mention the sad past:

"She died when you were a baby. Now you are my greatest comfort. "

He put his arms around his daughter's shoulder tenderly. Gilda asked his father's name and why he never told her. Rico Leto said:

"You don't need to know my name, just remember that I am your dearest father."

The composer designed a very touching duet for this warm scene, which showed the deep affection between father and daughter. At this time, Ligoletto was a loving father, which was completely different from his cynical and vicious appearance in court. It seems that everyone has a good side, which is true.

Daughter Gilda seems to have something to say to her father, but it's hard to say. My father is a little absent-minded today. He called Giovanni, the nanny, to ask her if anyone had been here, and then repeatedly told her to close the door to prevent anyone from sneaking in. But while they were talking, a man slipped into the yard and hid in the bushes. Nobody found him. The man looked through the trees, but he was surprised: "Why? Is it Ligoletto? "

Ligoletto said goodbye to Gilda and hurried out of the house. People hiding in the bushes came out when they saw that there was no danger. It turned out that he was the lecherous Duke of mantua, and now he is dressed as a college student. He came to look for the beautiful girl he saw in front of the church. Unexpectedly, she is the daughter of a jester. However, this does not hinder his pursuit. Nanny Giovanni found him first, the duke gave her a bulging wallet, and the nanny walked away at once. Then, he walked quickly to Gilda and knelt down to express his love for her. Gilda was startled and called out to Giovanni, but he couldn't get away. She tried to run back to the house, but the duke grabbed her hand. She looked down and froze: Isn't this the man who often meets at the church gate? Gilda's heart was beating violently-it was him she wanted to talk to her father, a gentle and handsome young man.

The Duke of mantua began his usual trick. He sang softly and enthusiastically:

"Love is the sun of the soul, it is above everything else. Lovely girl, love me as much as I love you. "

Naive Gilda was moved by his singing and couldn't help but sigh:

"Gentle words fill my girl's heart, it is like a sacred voice in the sky."

Their songs are harmoniously intertwined to form a beautiful duet.

The duke told Gilda that he was a poor college student named Guardi? Mulder. Just want to talk about a few words, there was footsteps outside the door. Gilda thought it was his father's return, so he urged Mott to leave quickly. In the oath of love, they parted reluctantly.

The people outside the door were not Ligoletto, but several sneaky people wearing masks: Count Ceprano, balsa and his entourage. They're here to get revenge on the Duke with Goleto. They climbed up the wall and looked in. Wow, what a beautiful girl! She stood on the balcony as if thinking about something. -It must be Ligoletto's lover! I didn't expect him to have such good luck. These people are whispering to each other.

Gilda is really thinking, she excitedly toward the night sky calling:

"Gualdi? Mulder, my dearest name, will be engraved in my heart forever. Oh, how I love him! "

She sang a beautiful and moving aria, and the composer Verdi successfully expressed the girl's yearning for love and the mentality of first love:

"What a lovely name, you make my heart excited, and the happiness and happiness of love will always be remembered in my heart! All my thoughts and wishes fly with you. Even if I die, I will never forget that you have been engraved in my heart. Gualti Mulder, Gualti Mulder, you will always be engraved in my heart! "

Gilda was intoxicated with her feelings, and those outside the wall were almost intoxicated with her beauty and elegance. But they have not forgotten the purpose of this trip. Just as they were about to start an operation-kidnapping "Ligoletto's lover", Ligoletto walked home by himself. Balsa had a brainwave and told him that they had come to him to do something interesting: wasn't the Duke interested in the Countess Ceprano? Now they are going to kidnap this lady and send her to the duke's house. For this kind of thing, Ligoletto did a lot, and he readily agreed. Balsa also said that he had to wear a mask like them to avoid being recognized. Therefore, Ligoletto's face was covered so tightly that he couldn't see anything and could only be led by others.

They "set out"-Ligoletto was led around the same place several times and then said it was here. They leaned the ladder against the courtyard wall and let Leto hold it. One by one, they became walls. Ligoletto held the ladder faithfully, and a group of people came back. After a long time, nothing happened. Finally, he couldn't help it and pulled off the blindfold. Oh, my God! He suddenly froze: isn't this the back wall of his home? The ominous omen made his heart jump, so he climbed the ladder, climbed over the courtyard wall, shouted his daughter's name and rushed into the house.

There's no one in the house-the daughter is gone! The door is open. Ligoletto found a headscarf on the ground, which belonged to Gilda. He picked it up and buried his face in his turban. Suddenly, he looked up: it's a curse! It's realized!

The curtain fell in front of Ligoletto's twisted face.

Act ii

The duke paced up and down in the living room. His face was unhappy, because he went to find the lovely Gilda again just now, but unexpectedly, she was gone. Affectionate duke was lost, he sings:

"Where did you go, my beloved beauty? ..... as if I saw the tears in your eyes, at that critical moment, you felt scared and worried, remembered our love, and called my name. If it can make you happy, I am willing to give my life. Let the angels in heaven envy your luck. "

Probably anyone, including the most fickle lecherous, will be somewhat sincere when falling in love. This aria of the count still sounds quite touching.

A group of people crowded into the living room with smiles. They kidnapped balsa of Gilda, Count Ceprano and several courtiers. They shouted happily:

"We have robbed Ligoletto's lover for you! How beautiful she is! "

Hearing this, the duke to the interest:

"Leto brother's lover? What's wrong? "

This group of people told what they did: with the help of a fool named Ligoletto, they climbed over the wall and kidnapped a beautiful young girl. Now, the hapless Jester must be gnashing his teeth and cursing.

The Duke understood: They robbed it, and it must be Gilda! He earnestly asked:

"Poor girl, where is she?"

"Right here!"

The duke was overjoyed. He left those people and strode out of the living room.

The courtiers smiled at the duke's hurried back.

Just then, Ligoletto came. He looked nervous and haggard, as if he were seriously ill, but he still hummed as usual. Some people are a little uneasy, while others gloat. One of them asked, "Is there any news today? Our dear clown? "

Rico Leto around, while pretending to be indifferent:

"Yes, I found you particularly hateful today!"

He turned his back and muttered in a low voice:

"Where did they hide her?"

He checked the handkerchief on the table and suddenly asked one of them:

"Did you sleep well last night?"

"Very well, thank you!"

A footman came to the duke at the order of the duchess. He was told that the duke was sleeping and didn't want to be disturbed by anyone. The other said he went hunting early in the morning. The boy servant who doesn't know the inside story is very strange: why don't you bring your followers and hunting knives?

Jester standing by suddenly realized that his daughter must be with the duke! He suddenly lost control and shouted angrily, "here she comes!" The girl you took from my house last night! "

"Who did you say? What girl? "

"My daughter! My daughter! "

The courtiers were all surprised. Angry brother Leto trembling almost can't stand it, he was in tears:

"You dog robbers, how many treasures will you sell to my daughter? You think money is very important, but you know, my daughter is my priceless treasure! If you don't give her back to me, I'll fight you to the death! In order to protect my daughter's reputation, I will never show weakness in the face of rape. Let me in, executioners, open the door! "

Poor father is almost crazy. Desperately, he ran into the door leading to the duke's inner room, and the crowd pulled him hard. After a battle, his whole body collapsed;

"God, you are all against me, hurting me and insulting me!"

Rico Leto's tone became pleading:

"Gentlemen, please have pity on me and return my beloved daughter to me. You don't have to pay any price, but to me, she is the world! Oh, give her back to me, please have pity on me, gentlemen, have pity on me! "

This long aria written by Verdi for Ligoletto is really touching, showing the heart of a painful father to the fullest.

The door of the Duke's inner room suddenly opened, and it was none other than Gilda who rushed out. Her hair is unkempt, her clothes are messy and her face is full of tears. Father and daughter hugged each other tightly. The poor father comforted his daughter:

"My angel, don't be afraid. This is just a joke. I cried just now, but you see, now I am laughing again. "

But the daughter replied:

"Dad, I'm humiliated!"

This made my brother Leto's heart tremble:

"Why, what are you talking about?"

"Let me talk to you alone."

Brother Leto in reprimanding people:

"Get out!"

Everyone's gone. Leave the sad father and daughter in the living room. Gilda sobbed and told his father the whole story:

"Every Sunday morning, I go to church, and a beautiful young man looks at me enthusiastically. They don't talk to each other, but they express their wishes with their eyes. It was last night that he came to visit alone and excitedly showed me that he was a poor student. He expressed his warm love affectionately. Shortly after he left, just when my heart was full of hope and joy, a group of people suddenly broke into and dragged me out of the house and into the court. Oh, I am in great pain! "

Rico Leto said to his daughter:

"My angel, everything is clear. I prayed to God that I must avenge this injustice. Cry, daughter, your bitter tears flow in my heart. "

He decided to leave this hateful place as soon as possible, but before that, he must do a few things well. The daughter nodded in agreement.

An old man, escorted by the duke's attendants, walked through the living room. He is the Count Montoret who cursed Ligoletto. The old man glared at the portrait of the duke hanging on the wall, and Ligoletto's eyes were more ferocious than his. Gilda was afraid. She said to her father:

"Forgive him, Dad, just as God forgives us."

She said to herself:

"Great God, I love him so sincerely, but he is so fickle to me. I beg you to pity this ungrateful lover! "

This is the end of the second act.

Act iii

The scene in the third act was changed to the suburbs. The scenery at night is desolate, autumn grass is swaying in the wind, and the water in the river looks black. It flows quietly and gives off an ominous smell.

Nearby is a shabby little house, which can be regarded as a country inn with windows open. In the dim candlelight, it was Spalla Fletcher, the assassin we saw in the first act. He is sharpening a long sword.

Outside, Ligoletto and Gilda are talking. The daughter admitted to her father that she still loved the duke. Father reluctantly shook his head.

"Poor world woman heart! If I let you believe that he has been ungrateful, are you still so infatuated? "

"I don't know, but he will be loyal to me."

"What? Then you will wait and see! "

Someone is coming this way. Father and daughter are hiding by the wall.

"Ah, Dad, that's him!"

Yes, this is the duke, but this time, he dressed up as a cavalry, not a college student. I saw him swaggering into the inn and ordering Spalla's column in it with a clear voice:

"A bedroom, a bottle of good wine!"

It seems that he looks very happy. Ligoletto knows him too well-needless to say, this is another matter. He hinted that his daughter should be quiet, and then they quietly went to another window and looked inside. The duke is taking off his coat. Just listen to his triumphant singing:

"Women love to change their minds, like feathers floating in the wind, constantly changing their minds and tone sandhi. It looks cute and has a set of kung fu skills, one with tears and the other with laughter. If you believe her, you are a fool. You can't tell her the truth. But this love is so intoxicating. If you don't love them, you will live up to your youth. "

This song is really nice and lively, but Gilda outside the window feels like a knife. Ligoletto asked her to look down: Spalla Fletcher came in, put a bottle of wine and two glasses on the table, and then a beautiful young girl came in. The duke smiled and took her into his arms. The girl broke free, but didn't go away. Spalla, the duke of column trey deed took her and began to sing a sweet song:

"Beauty, according to my memory, I met you one day, and then I looked for you everywhere. I'm finally with you today. In the future, my heart can only belong to you. "

Gilda outside the window is very painful. If her father didn't want her to listen more, she would have run away.

The girl in the window is not as naive as Gilda;

"Ha ha, you are so easy to forget. Since then, you have chased more than twenty women. "

She didn't believe the duke's sweet words at all, which made the duke more eager:

"Be gentle with me, ok? Joy and love have come, don't foolishly let them develop. "

Then, he sang in a more enthusiastic tone:

"Praise you, beautiful lover, I am your faithful servant; You can eliminate my pain with one word, and only you can bring me joy. Come on, come near my heart and listen to how my heart beats. "

At this moment, the girl-her name is Madeleine-also sang together:

"Ha ha, you joke like this, I think it's funny, it's somewhat credible, and my heart is completely clear. Beautiful master, I have heard many similar lies. "

The composer Verdi skillfully joined the father and daughter outside the window to form a quartet with different lyrics and emotions, but the music was very harmonious. Gilda sings:

"How ugly, the same lie, I have heard, I once believed. How unfortunate and sad it is for my heart to be cheated! How can I fall in love with such a person! "

Father, brother Leto comfort way:

"Quiet, quiet, why are you crying. It has been proved that he lied to you. "

This quartet is beautifully written: the Duke talks about love in a high-pitched and sweet tone, Madeleine smiles indifferently, Gilda sighs sadly, and Ligoletto comforts and vows to avenge her daughter.

Now, Gilda has made clear the identity of the duke, and Ligoletto has achieved the purpose of bringing her here. He told his daughter to go home at once, put on men's clothes, get the horse ready, and leave this hateful city together when he was "finished".

Gilda is gone. Rico Leto went to the other side of the wall and discussed with Spalla, the assassin who was waiting for him.

The assassin told Ligoletto his plan of action: at midnight, he would throw the person entrusted to kill into the river. Ligoletto objected:

"I want to handle it myself."

"All right. What's the man's name? " It turned out that he didn't know who the duke was.

"Do you still want to know who I am? Tell you, his surname is sin, and my surname is punishment! "

Ligoletto replied savagely, then turned and left.

It's getting dark, and a storm is coming. The assassin is missing. Madeleine's voice came from the room:

"You go. My brother is here. "

But the duke refuses to go now. He saw Madeleine in a panic and thought she was attracted to him and couldn't control herself. He is very happy.

The assassin came in and said to the duke, if you don't mind, you can stay in his room for twenty gold coins. The duke happily followed him upstairs, but before he left, he whispered to Madeleine that she would go up in a minute.

Madeleine is alone downstairs. She looks very upset.

The duke is really tired. He fell asleep as soon as he lay down.

Downstairs, Spalla's husband and sister Madeleine sat opposite each other in the dim candlelight, drinking the bottle of wine left by the Duke. Madeleine whispered:

"This man is very handsome and really charming."

"Yes, he gave me twenty gold coins. However, there will be more. "

Madeleine knew exactly what her brother would do next-that's what they did for a living. One was seduced by beauty and the other was killed to make money. But this time Madeleine was a little sympathetic. Although she doesn't believe in any sweet words, she still appreciates this guest.

The storm is coming. The shabby house is full of chattering voices, which is frightening. A man appeared outside the door, dressed as a knight, and covered his face with a big cloak. Listen to this man said to himself:

"Ah, I no longer have a reason, let love drive! Forgive me, dear father! "

It turns out that this is Gilda's disguise. What is she doing here? The brother and sister inside are still saying:

"Brother, you leave him alone. He is as lovely as the sun god. "

"Go and mend my sack."

"Do what?"

"Kill your sun god and put it in a sack and throw it into the river."

"You devil! Listen to me: didn't that camel give you half the reward? When he comes back, kill him, and the other ten gold coins are yours. "

Spalla's husband was furious: They have rules in this business, how can they kill their employers?

This conversation was clearly heard by Gilda outside. She was startled.

Spalla column at the door ready to action, Madeleine stopped him:

"I'm going to tell him to run away!"

"Don't want gold coins?"

"I'd rather not!"

"Forget it, get out of the way!"

"no!"

When my brother thought about it:

"How about finding a whipping boy? If someone knocks at the door before midnight, I will kill him. "

"Who will come here in this weather?"

Gilda heart movement:

"An idea tempts my heart and gives my life for the ungrateful people! And you, my dear father! Oh, God, have pity on me! "

I heard Spalla Fletcher say: Half an hour. If nobody comes, I'll go upstairs.

Madeleine cried and said, "Wait!"

The door was knocked. Both brother and sister were taken aback.

"who?"

"I am a poor beggar, please let me in!"

The voice is trembling, just like a dying person.

Madeleine and her brother looked at each other. Spalla qi column carrying a sword to the door, at this point, Gilda sighed at the door:

"I am so young, I want to end my life. God, please forgive these sinners! Dear father, forgive your daughter's misfortune! I want to save the people I love with the life you gave me! "

The door opened, and Gilda stood up desperately and rushed in, bumping into the sword in Spalla's husband's hand. Without saying a word, she fell down.

Rico Leto came from the wind and rain, and he happily sang:

"The moment of revenge has finally arrived! I have been waiting for 30 days! Helpless, I put on a smiling face and secretly Lacrimosa. There is a storm in the sky and a murder plot on the ground! Ha, I am great, not a mediocre person! "

In the distance came the midnight bell, which was the time he agreed with the assassin: one hand to pay the money, the other hand to pay the "goods." The door opened and Spalla's husband came out. Seeing that it was Ligoletto, he told him to wait for a while, then went into the house and took out a heavy sack.

"This is your enemy, and he is finished."

"That's great! Give me the lamp. "

He really wants to see the duke's face at the moment. But the assassin didn't agree. He took the money and went home.

Rico Leto dragged a heavy sack to the other side of the river and said to himself:

"Dead? Ha, yes, it's dead. Is it necessary to have a look? ..... it must be him. Look, how powerful the clown is! My master is at my feet now. My pain has been replaced by the joy of revenge. The waves are his graveyard, and this bag is his shroud. Hurry up and throw it into the river! "

Just as he was about to throw the sack into the river, suddenly, a song came. This song is very light, but it is enough to make Leto really tremble:

"What's that noise? Is it a ghost? No, no, it's him, it's his voice! "

Yes, it's the duke's voice. He is singing that happy song again: "Women don't like to change their minds ..."

Leto brothers shook his hand and untied the sack:

"Who doubled his body?"

The bag was opened. Ligoletto shouted, "My God, my daughter!" " "

He rubbed his eyes:

"It's impossible, she has listened to me and went to the city of Verona. It's an illusion playing tricks on me! "

Unfortunately, this pale face is Gilda!

Diego Leto threw himself at his daughter sadly and shouted in despair:

"My Gilda, tell me, who killed you? Talk to me! Children! "

Gilda really made a sound, but it was very weak and almost inaudible:

"My good father ..."

"Are you badly hurt? Tell dad! "

"It hurts my heart ..."

Gilda used up his last strength and said to his father:

"I lied to you, I am guilty; It is my love, I want to sacrifice for him! "

Holding her weaker daughter, Ligotto's heart twisted:

"My lovely angel, look at your father, he is talking to you. Don't close your eyes and talk, Gilda! "

Gilda sang the last song of the play with a delicate voice, but its moving power was shocking:

"In that distant heaven, there are angels flying. I'll go there, to my mother's. We will pray for you together. Please forgive him, forgive him ... Farewell, Dad, in heaven, we will do it for you ... "

Rico Leto kept calling his daughter's name until Gilda was silent, until he fell on her.

It ended with the strong lamentation of the orchestra.