The
heroine of
Verdi's opera
Rigoletto. She is the beautiful and innocent daughter of Rigoletto, the ugly and naughty
jester to the Duke of
Mantua. Rigoletto goes along with the
Duke's good-humoured ravishing of the ladies of the city, but keeps his own daughter carefully
immured where the Duke will not find her.
A curse having been put on the jester, he is trailed when he goes to visit her, and her existence, though not her true relationship to him, is discovered. The Duke goes to seduce her, disguised as a poor student (studente sono, e povero). He gives his name as Gualtier Maldè, and she duly falls in love with him (Gualtier Maldè... Caro nome 'Dear name'). But she confides her remorse to her maidservant Giovanna (Giovanna, ho dei rimorsi).
When Rigoletto finds out all his precautions have been for naught he spits chips and hires the murderer Sparafucile to do a spot of murdering should the Duke happen to pop along. Gilda overhears their plotting and intercedes to protect her lover, with the result that she is accidentally put into a sack, murdered, and delivered to Rigoletto.
My favourite Gilda is Amelita Galli-Curci.