Le Nozze di Figaro Musical Examples Flashcards
No.3 Se Vuol Ballare
- Response to Susanna telling him that the count is infatuated with her; he will make the count ‘dance’ – he’s in control
- 3/4, F major, extreme dynamic contrasts, accented second beat for ‘si-gnor’ which knocks the count off his pedestal.
- Lighthearted revenge aria, anger is tightly reined.
- Buffa aria, small orchestra (pizzicato strings), Figaro is plotting.
- mark of higher minuet is that there is no anacrusis
No. 9 ‘non più andrai’
- Figaro paints picture of army life to Cherubino as he is leaving. Serves as fraternal advisor, masterminding public send-off.
- 4/4, C major, dotted rhythms and arpeggio theme.
- ‘Evolving’ rondo
No.26 (Act IV) Figaro rage aria
‘aprite un po’
- Accompanied recit even though not a noble character – Mozart allows the servants to rise to musical levels of the nobility.
- With preceding accomp. recit, Figaro is upset at Susanna’s supposed infidelity; he sings an aria about the faithlessness of women.
- Heightened recitative before shows Figaro’s pain and anger (brought to level of count)
- Aria: 4/4, Eb major. Middle section
- Maintains immediacy of previous arias, acceting only important words e.g. ‘aprite’, ‘uomini’, ‘femmine’.
- Uneven phrases and prominent horn fanfares mock the potential cuckold (horns sign for cuckold).
- Becomes a patter catalogue – metaphors of fickle women.
- Aria is marked out from no.3 with more uncontrolled rage: incessant quaver accompaniment and chromatic ascent at end of first stanza.
- Rhetoric is virtuosic and characteristic of Figaro, but also contorted to fit conventional primo buffo type. His anger driven him to this – it is a misstep and not his overall character.
- Horn calls at the end signal his jealous anxieties
No.27 (Act IV), ‘giunse alfin il momento…deh vieni, non tadar’
- Susanna also gets accomp recit - possible argument that in this opera highness of style is coherent with emotional intelligence of characters.
- string accompaniment has trills and scotch snaps before recit shows humour and warmth compared to Figaro’s previous rage aria
- Teases the hiding Figaro by singing a love song which he thinks is for the Count
- pastoral 6/8, F major.
- Flute, oboe and bassoon all interact with the voice – soloists as well.
- Slips down into sultry lower range in most phrases
- Change in orchestration, second section. First time the voice part becomes off kilter with the orchestra. Slightly more complicated harmonies.
- Two points of potential closure in the second half, it takes her a while to get to the end and try and convey her message to Figaro.
Porgi amor
- One of the few long introductions and only because at start of act.
- Eb major, 2/4
- Removed from bustle of act I
- Vocal line is potent expression of yearning
- Rise to higest note on ‘let me die’ – does not resolve to G so aria closes on a question mark which is answered by Dove sono
- Mezzo carattere combination of noble march accompaniment and amorosa melody (she carries herself like an aristocrat but sings in softer mode)
- Melting harmonies of clarinets and bassoons
Dove sono
- ‘Where are the lovely moments?’ She misses and laments her husband’s love; then takes heroic resolve that her faithfulness brings her hope.
- Accompanied recit: laments how her husband has deserted her; highest point (A) final line of recit when she says how upset she is that now even her own servant is helping her.
- C major – 2/4. Sad major – reflective.
- Allegro second section – topics/musical cues (fragmented phrases, faster rhythm) shows building confidence about her resolve. Ends with lyrical, allegro to show resolve.
- Mozart music key in this – ‘se almen la mia costanza’ (if at least my constancy) – could have continued as depressive/reflective but Mozart chooses to make her seem confident and resolved at this point.
- Highest note in aria is A which is higher than top note of porgi amor – shows her resolve and audience would know this is highest note (and singer). Also it is a 6-5 – starts with C major arpeggio and would expect a G; shows her overexcitement/resolve about restoring her marriage and his love for her.
- Also still dynamic, something important happens (change of heart) so still kinetic: because of the music.
Cherubino arias (both)
No.6 ‘non so più’
- He is overwhelmed by his sexual feelings
- Eb major
- Muted strings and clarinets
No.11 ‘voi che sapete’
- Bb major
- The canzonetta which he has written for the Countess
- Susanna accompanies with her guitar
Count rage aria no.17
- Act III
- Accompanied recit shows seria
- Launched into the aria with the perfect cadence of recit
- D major, revenge aria
- Horns, trumpets and drums (like no.4)
- Repetitive but not parodistic
- Chromaticism with minor inflections
- Phrases are fully formed; scary count!
No.4 ‘La Vendetta’ (Bartolo)
- Typical buffo aria
- D major, angry, warlike, trumpets, drums
- Rendered more fatuous (foolish) when compared to the intense inner range
- Parody of revenge clichés
- Vocal line keeps getting stuck on one note as his anger stops him from putting together a coherent musical thought; very repetitive melody
- Lots of phrases set up and not properly finished- consequent often delayed too much.
No.1 duet ‘cinque…dieci…venti’
- Example of buffa action moving forwards (this would be recit in seria)
- Also example of Mozart applying skill as composer of instrumental forms
- Libretto/change of metre suggests two sections, one faster, like ‘Là ci darem’
- But Mozart’s music makes it more complex:
- Two instrumental themes:
o Simple repeated note string figure for Figaro – mimics steady pacing of room
o Lyrical, circular motif in woodwinds for Susanna – circular passage of her image as it goes mirror and back
o At first their music is separated as he does not pay attention to her
o Ultimately they sing Susanna’s line in concord – Susanna has triumphed and Figaro happy that she has - Techniques of instrumental music with interplay of contrasting themes
- Horn call:
o End of orchestral introduction – signifies the cuckold/sexual jealousy foreshadowing throughout.
No.5 duet ‘via resti servita’
- Comic duet with Susanna and Marcellina
- Contrast between fake politeness and genuine spite
- Repetition of text for comic effect
Act II Finale plot
- As argument builds, more lines with different things happening at once. More complex texture for higher emotion
Plot:
1. Eb allegro 4/4– Count angry at Countess
2. Bb andante 3/8 – Susanna appears from closet
3. Bb allegro 4/4 – Count pleads for forgiveness
4. G allegro 3/8 – Figaro enters ready for the wedding
5. C andante 2/4 – Figaro confronted with the letter but he doesn’t get that he needs to say it was his
6. F allegro 4/4 – Antonio comes in and says he saw someone jump from window; Figaro says it was him
7. Bb andante – Antonio gives the dropped document (Cherubino’s commission) – and Susanna/Countess help him figure out it what it is.
8. Eb allegro (gets faster) - Marcellina, Basilio, Bartolo enter and say Figaro is obliged to marry Marcellina. General chaos.
Act II Finale general
- Each section contrasted in time signature and tempo
- All modulations around Eb major
- Some sections instruments have important vocal moments e.g. when Susanna is found – shows shock of moment – her broken vocal lines etc
- Several sections have independent contained musical structures because each bit has a new issue which needs to be resolved
- E.g. section 7 where Antonio gives document Cherubino dropped and Figaro has to figure out what it is – compressed sonata form where tonal resolution arrives when Figaro figures out what the document is.
- Closing section: last section so less tonal instability (back to Eb) but instead gradual acceleration of tempo; lots of melisma, syncopation.
Act III che soave duet
- Dictating letter for Count
- Pastorale – moment of peace within frenzy of opera’s pace
- They share musical phrases – then parallel singing up to heavenly third (G and Bb)
