Gilda-how I see her:
There are always choices in life, but love is always an option. She stays concistent in her love to her father, her unknown mother and the Duke.
Everybody around her are making compromises, but she has a power of conviction, as she stays true to love and beauty and more important to howrself. In our everyday sarcastic life, it takes huge strengths of character to stay true to yourself and consictantly not to make compromises all the time
.
She is like many of Verdi's heroins is immortal character.
Gilda is not dreamy or naive. Despite everything b
eing a new experience, she somehow knows intuitivaly the ways of life. She is feisty and passionate.
She has a very possesive father, holding her enclosed, protecting, does not let her freedom. He makes her feel guilty and blackmails her, as all he wants for her is to stay close to him. This is a typical story of a teenage-parent experience, when a parent protecting the child too much and the child, wanting to break free, ending up making more mistakes.
Or an obsessive relationship, where one partner is needy, finds it hard to give freedom to another and stops the other from growing.
Gilda falls in love with the Duke, completely beliving in the power of their love. She is amazed by the sensations that washing her and feelings she experiences. Her sensuality is awakening. The Duke is also surprised by what he feels towards her.
She is unlike every other girl, does not through herself at him or is after his riches. This is different, new to him and he hopes that she will finally transform him.
There is no rape here. Gilda gives herself to him happily. But then
she sees that her father is being bitten and she blames herself for it. The Duke sees her leaving with her father and like a spolled child sulkes and annoyed. Gilda leaves, as she is affraid for her father's life, still hoping to be with the Duke in the future. She is deeply sad, when she witnesses the Duke betrayal in the Inn. She realises that there is no future for them. Then , she overhears the assasin and realises that it is all her fault. The Duke can die because she told her father.
There is also a
possibility that her father can die.
Gilda is feeling that everything is closing on her. Her father won't change and will not give her freedom. Duke will die, if she does not enter the Inn.
In a sense she is freeing herself also from her pain that Duke does not love her anymore.
But Gilda is not a symbolic character and not a martyr. She is real and her tragedy is deeply sad and unnecessary.
The Music of Gilda:
It all starts in bright, major keys. It mirrows every cange in the moods and colours.
Her melodies are always melodic, floating, different from all the other characters.The orchestra is her feelings, doubts, excitment, longing and pain.
Caro nome is not a virtuoso aria to show off coloratura fireworks. It is made of simple scales, it is a delicate, honest and simple confession.It has a fragile quality and is breakable.
Tutte le feste, is her second confession. She tells he father the secrets of her heart, the price she payed and her hopes for the future. It is holding on seamless Legato, which shows her strengths and Gilda as a grown up young woman.
In the following trio and quartet her voice is floating above the rest, as if showing that she is fighting against everybody else.
Fighting to stay true to herself. At the very end, just before Gilda dies, her music is heavenly. She has no regrets, as she made the right choice and she is freeing herself, but staying true to her love.
