Apostolo Zeno: Tragedia Greca --> Opera Italiana

Speranza Opera was invented or emerged in Italy c. 1600. By 1650 it was leading musical genre all over Europe - i.e. most fashionable, most imitated, most arranged Why such an instant success? Because adopted and sponsored by royalty and by nobility - rise of opera coincided with rise of modern state - operas reflected the values of princes and aristocracy gathered at court or in capitals - only princes could afford to put it on. Opera not distinguished categorically from other forms of high-class theatre. Critics judged opera mainly as drama, not as music. The "librettist" (tragedian) was considered more important than composer - people considered opera the most high-class form of dramatic entertainment Opera originally produced as "one-off" galas for special occasions at courts. First public theater for opera was Thon theater in Venice, 1637. Other public theatres built during 17th and early 18th centuries in Venice, Rome, other Italian cities, London, Hamburg, Paris. "Public" didn't mean that all classes came; opera was expensive and exclusive - Elsewhere opera was given at court theaters (i.e. private). Opera exported from Italy to France, Germany, England, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Sweden. Initially tried out in native languages, but by 1700 pretty much in Italian (except in France). Why in Italian? --> a) to keep out lower classes, to make opera exclusive; b) so the same operas could play all over Europe with the same singers – International opera world: same singers, dancers, composers, et al, moved from one capital to another for the season (winter until Lent) Opera was a total spectacle - Involved drama, poetry, singing, instrumental music, stage sets, special effects, costumes, dance - comparable to movies today. Opera as social ritual - Audience was on display as much as singers - King etc. had central seat or box - Aristocracy leased boxes for year and carried on social life at opera house - audience sometimes ignored show, sometimes participated vigorously. "opera seria" means “serious opera” – people didn’t use the term at the time; to them this was normal, basic opera. Other kinds of opera got special names (e.g. opera buffa, pastoral opera, tragédie lyrique, ballad opera) – Genre emerged between 1680 and 1720 – Flourished 1720-1800 Main characteristics Text in Italian – in verse Historical subjects – usually Greek or Roman High-born characters – kings, queens, princes, generals Plots revolve around love and duty Rigid dramatic and musical conventions. Excludes: comic characters and scenes, lower-class characters, all realistic elements, most magical or fantastic elements. Contrasts with 17th-century opera (e.g. Monteverdi, Cavalli) where there were comic characters, secondary characters, fantastic scenes, often local language. The genre of "tragedia per musica" was established by two important librettists - Apostolo Zeno (1668-1750) and Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782). They saw themselves as reformers, purging comic, pastoral, and extravagant elements, making opera conform to ideals and rules of classical Greek tragedy. In retrospect we tend to see their libretti as artificial and stylized Metastasio wrote about 50 plays (libretti); they dominate opera seria – His texts were set over and over by many composers – Most are based on history (i.e. not contemporary, not mythological) Important to recognize that 18th-century opera begins with the librettist – The librettist turns a story into a play in accordance with conventions. He decides what characters to have (thus singers); what should be recitative, what should be aria; what emotions the aria will express (often 2 emotions). The composer worked with what he was given – The librettist got more credit for the opera than the composer Layout of drama 3 acts Series of scenes in each act. New scene starts when another character enters 5 main characters: primo uomo, secondo uomo prima donna secoda donna, tenor or basso – sometimes a few extra characters 2 plots, both involving love – 1o + 1o, 2o + 2o Structure of text Alternation of recitative and aria. Recitative is usually dialogue, conveys information and moves action along. Aria is usually monologue, paints emotional states Librettist determines aria vs. recit by type of verse. Recitative is 7 and 11 syllable lines (“versi sciolti”), unrhymed. Aria is 8 syllable lines, RHYMED (occasionally 4 syllable, rarely 6). Character must leave stage after singing aria Duets also possible (but only between 1o and 1o). In late 18th century there are some ensembles (e.g. in Mozart) First and 2nd male roles are sung by castrati – thus most of the singers have high voices Recit accompanied by continuo (usually), aria accompanied by orchestra (usually) Orchestra accompanies recitative at moments of great emotional intensity – "accompanied recitative", i.e not dry. Orchestra plays alone in overtures and stage business (processions, battles, storms, etc) Most arias are in da capo form ("ABA") Conventional aria types: aria di bravura, revenge, aria cantabile (tender emotions), pathetic, etc. – These also had to be distributed correctly among the characters 4. Handel – Scene from Giulio Cesare, Act 2 – NAWM 99 Example of structures of text and music – The text isn’t by Zeno or Metastasio, it’s by Nicola Haym (adapted from an earlier Venetian libretto) Dramatic set-up – Cleopatra contrives with her manservent, Nireno, to seduce Caesar – (actually she’s already seduced him disguised as Lydia, now she displays herself with the magnificence of a queen) NAWM p.___ How has Haym laid out the libretto? – What does he intend as aria? what as recitative? – Count syllables, remember elisions – recit is dialogue and action and it consists of 7 and 11 syllable lines – The aria is an expression of emotion (actually 2 emotions), and it’s 6-syllable lines – Remember it’s the librettist, not the composer, who sets this up Try to scan recit of scene 1 – "Curio, Cesare venne e vide e vinse" etc - HANDOUT PLAY recitative example – Note 2 soprano voices (Nireno is castrato, though not 2o uomo) – Note how continuo emphasizes shape of text, lets you know where sentences begin and end, emphasizes important points – This is simple recitative (secco), not accompanied Aria – “V’adoro pupille” – Example of da capo aria Cleopatra sings from top of Mt. Parnassus - Note stage orchestra Libretto set up for DC – Haym gives Handel two stanzas with contrasting emotions – New affect introduced in line 5 –(“Pitiable”) A section in F major, B section in d minor – Change in texture from A to B, but melodic shape retained What is key at double bar? – F major because aria will end there – Double bar in DC aria has to be in tonic Recitative interjection before repeat of A is an unusual touch – Since we expect the DC, it sounds as though Caesar is blurting out his feelings accidentally ---- 5. Alessandro Scarlatti, ""In voler ciò che tu brami" from Griselda (1720) – NAWM 90 (vol. 1) Example of DC aria – HANDOUT text PLAY – listen for ABA structure – What key does each section begin in? end in? Story – Libretto is by Zeno (also set by Vivaldi) – King marries poor girl (Griselda) but his ministers force him to renounce her and send her and her infant daughter into exile – For 3 acts she endures her exile, remains faithful to her husband, and rejects the advances of obnoxious suitors – At the end of Act 3 the king takes her back This aria comes from Act 1 (Griselda's first aria) - Zeno divides text into 2 stanzas with 2 emotions: A) I love you so much; b) I'd rather die than give you up PLAY – listen for contrasting emotions and musical techniques for contrast: key (Bb major vs. G minor), scoring (double bass drops out in B section), vocal texture (B section is breathless) Within broad harmonic layout in Bb and G minor, Scarlatti introduces other keys for color and to heighten emotion, especially major-minor substitutions (C/c in m. 10, Bb/bb in m. 21, g vs. Eb in B section – This is characteristic of Scarlatti and it adds to "pathos" of the aria (if time) PLAY again – listen for contrasting emotions and for major-minor exchange within emotions PS – Griselda premiered in Rome, where women were banned from the theater – So not only were the male roles (King, et al) sung by castrati (except for 1 tenor), Griselda was sung by a castrato also – This was unusual, and in other cities the part was sung by women – But the men's roles are high and were always sung by castrati – Today by women or countertenors 6. Johann Adolf Hasse: "Digli ch'io son fedele" from Cleofide (Dresden, 1731) – NAWM 102 Another example of a DC aria Also another example of international currency of Italian opera - Hasse, a German, was a leading Italian opera composer of his day (the other was Handel) - Hasse's wife was a famous soprano, Faustina Bordoni, for whom this aria was written Text adapted from Metastasio libretto (Alessandro nel India) Da capo structure READ text – What will be the A section? What will be the B section? PLAY – listen for how Hasse expands the DC aria into a larger form than Scarlatti or Handel – Also how he gives the singer (his wife) opportunities to show off Longer orchestral ritornello that modulates to dominant (m.20) – then returns immediately to tonic 2 cadenza possibilities – m. 19 (V of B), m. 33 (V of E) B-section – in E minor (similar – Handel and Scarlatti go to relative minor, Hasse to parallel) – change of meter – modulates to B minor (similar – this is minor v instead of iii) Repeat of A section was opportunity for singer to ornament - Faustina's ornaments to this aria were transcribed and have been preserved – I think Emma Kirkby sings Faustina's ornaments here 7. Opera seria on the stage Video of Handel: Giulio Cesare, Act 1 (Supplementary) Act 1 – Caesar’s first aria – "Presto mai" PLAY VHS Peter Brook places in late 20th-century US – Why? Effect of countertenor (castrato) voice Coloratura – does it convey character? drama? This is not a DC aria – Why not? [to move action along] Following scene is in recitative Characters: Caesar, Curio, Cornelia, Sesto, Achilla What happens? – Caesar acts magnanimous with Cornelia and Sesto; Achilla presents Pompey’s head; Caesar chews out Achilla and Ptolemy, Caesar sings another aria PLAY Why no special music for the severed head? How effective is this in recitative? – Is this Martello's "scena di forza"? [yes] Caesar’s 2nd aria – "Empio dirò to sei" Stock aria – anger PLAY Coloratura seems to intensify anger (if time) Contemporary criticism of DC because it moves the drama backwards How does Brook handle the this? Is it successful? What do students think about setting this in modern times?