In the last scene of Rigoletto the following exchange occurs between the Duke and Sparafucile:
DUCA Due cose, e tosto... (a Sparafucile)
SPARAFUCILE Quali?
DUCA Una stanza e del vino...
RIGOLETTO (Son questi i suoi costumi!)
The Duke basically says that he wants two things, a room and some wine to which Rigoletto eavesdropping says to Gilda that is his usual custom. Such is how the libretto was known since the piece was first presented in a Venice.
This is the censored version as in the original libretto the Duke asks Sparafucile for "Tua sorella e del vino", "Your sister and some wine". This makes more sense and implies what indeed is Maddalena' s occupation. Of course the censors in Venice did much to change the libretto as originally the Duke was a king, but surprisingly they still allowed the basic concept of the piece. Are we now regressing to an even worse time than 1850's Italy???
This correction is made in the urtext critical edition of the score which is the work of the University of Chicago Press under the stewardship of the late Philip Gossett.
I wonder if this was the edition performed which probably only further infalmmed the snowflake sensibilities of those who were offended.
(Disclaimer: I hope that my operatic dyslexia did not get things backwards as I did when I attempted to quote the libretto of Tosca from memory as I do not have access to the critical edition of the score.)
