Unit Overview

Who is Rigoletto?

What is the Structure of the Story?

Why Do These Characters Act This Way?

From Story to Stage

Developing a Libretto

The Composer and the Librettist

Operatic Conventions

How Do Words and Music Help Us Understand the Characters

Discovering Opera through Rigoletto

What is the Structure of the Story?

5-8

Language Arts, Performing Arts

The second lesson continues to explore the theme of the story and discuss comedy and tragedy as they relate to the structure of the complete story. The lesson asks the question, what does the overture tell about the story? It also discusses musical interpretations of the opera and the story line, and how they work together.

TV/video player
CD player

Lesson and Extension-Specific Resources: See unit overview

General Internet Resources: See unit overview

Students will identify the elements of a story in Rigoletto.

Teacher-directed instruction
Questioning
Hands-on student activity
Selected listening skills

1. As a warm up, ask the students to name their favorite stories, movies or plays. What do they like about these stories? What makes a story good? Develop a list on the blackboard or a bulletin board.

2. Review the plot of Rigoletto. Read the second part of the story. Was the opera a tragedy or a comedy?

3. Create a story map for Rigoletto. Who does what? When do things happen? Add details.

4. The music for Rigoletto was composed by Verdi. Replay the Overture to Rigoletto (CD1, Tr1), and then play the selection that is associated with Monterone's curse (CD1, Tr7). Now that you know the whole story of the opera, what do you think that the overture is telling us?

5. Play selections from these moments in the story (you may excerpt these selections if you wish): Gilda's declaration of love (CD1, Tr16), The Courtiers trick Rigoletto (CD1, Tr18 and 19), Gilda sacrifices herself for the Duke (CD2, Tr16). Before playing the selections, read the translation of the libretto to the students. How does the music help to tell the story?

6. Have the students evaluate the story using the list they created in the warm-up. Is Rigoletto a good story by their standards?

7. Have the students draw a picture of Rigoletto and list his characteristics, both physical and emotional. Do they think of him as a good character or a bad one? Does he have elements of both?

Were students able to map out the main points of the opera plot with relevant details?

Continue to lesson 3.

Black Dog Opera Series Rigoletto CD

© ARTSEDGE, 2000