David Larwill was commissioned by the Australian Opera to produce a lithograph for the Program ‘Rigoletto’ in 1989.
Montego Estates’ director purchased ‘Rigoletto’ at auction. Over time the piece became one of his favourites so when the opportunity arose to develop it into a label there was no hesitation.
The jester Rigoletto is mocking and cruel and suffers the loss of his daughter he is trying to defend after being cursed by the Duke Monterone.
Verdi’s tale is of a father’s passionate love for his daughter. The wine Rigoletto should represent the passion we have put into producing it and the good times we would like you to have while drinking it.
The Story
Rigoletto is an opera in 3 acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s’amuse by Victor Hugo in 1851.
The play in its original form had been banned by french censors. Verdi was to face the same problem with the Austrian censors who had control of Northern Italy. He had to change some scenes and the name of the hunchback (originally triboulet) to Rigoletto. Rigoletto is derived from the French rigolo meaning funny.
The hunchbacked jester Rigoletto mocks the husbands (noblemen) of the ladies to whom the duke is paying attention. Count Monterone who’s daughter has been dishonoured by the duke and has been mocked by Rigoletto places a curse on them both. Monterone’s Curse.
When rigoletto returns home he is accosted by the Assassin Sparafucile who offers his services, Rigoletto refuses. His daughter Gilda has been concealed in his house so not discover his true occupation. Her only outing has been to church and it is here that she meets the duke and falls in love.
The noblemen believe that Gilda is rigoletto’s mistress and come to abduct her because of his mocking. They convince rigoletto to assist them, assuring him it is his neighbour. When he realises he has been duped, he remembers Monterone’s Curse.
The noblemen inform the duke of the abduction and he is delighted. Rigoletto searches in despair for his daughter and pleads with the noblemen for her return to no avail. Rigoletto swears vengeance on the duke.
Rigoletto pays Sparafucile to kill the duke and deliver his body in a sack so he can throw it in the river Mincio. Sparfucile’s sister Maddalena begs for the duke’s life, after some discussion he agrees to kill who ever shows up next at the remote inn, if it is before midnight. Gilda has been told to go home and change into men’s clothing for her flight with Rigoletto to Verona. When she returns and over hears Maddalena and Sparafucile, she decides to sacrifice herself for the man she loves. She knocks on the door of the inn and is promptly stabbed and stuffed in a sack for Rigoletto. As he is to throw the sack in the river he hears the dukes signing and opens the sack to find his daughter dying, she declares her love for the duke with her last breath. Rigoletto again recalls Monterones Curse.
The Wines
Rigoletto is Montego Estates premium wine label.
For a wine to be presented under this label it must go through a series of tastings by our experienced team.
Only the best wines that make it through this serious process are released.
The first release is the 2005 Barossa Valley Shiraz.
This wine is rich, deep, smooth and classy. It is a wine that upon first taste indicates its pedigree and continues to show this over the entire bottle. It is a wine that we would like you to enjoy now, but if you can manage to squirrel some away it will reward you.
