Chapter 13: Other Classical Genres

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Chapter 13Other Classical Genres

• Opera Buffa

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Key Terms

• Opera buffa
• Ensemble
• Duet

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Opera Buffa

• Comic opera now equaled serious opera in
  importance
• Peasants soldiers replaced emperors courtiers
• Comic basses replaced heroic castrati
• Flexible Classical style perfectly suited to
  casual, swift, lifelike effects of comedy
• Italian opera buffa was popular throughout Europe
• It influenced growth of French, German, English
  comic operas

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Seria vs. Buffa (1)

• Story from ancient history or mythology
• Featured ancient heroes nobility
• Used recitatives arias
• Often in 3-4 acts
• Long operas
• Pacing was slow, drawn out
• Serious, tragic

• Contemporary subjects used
• Ordinary middle- lower-class folk
• Used ensembles, recitatives, arias
• Often in 2-3 acts
• Shorter operas
• Quicker, livelier, more lifelike
• Light, comic

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Seria vs. Buffa (2)

• At its best
• Gripping, profound drama
• Powerful emotional expression
• Timelessness of myth
• At its worst
• Far-fetched plots
• Exaggerated emotion
• No continuity

• At its best
• Fast-paced, nonstop entertainment
• Pointed social commentary
• Realistic story characters
• At its worst
• Trivial plots music
• Comic situations not believable

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The Ensemble (1)

• Ensemble a fully musical number sung by two or
  more soloists
• Serious opera alternated between
• Recitative for dialogue and action
• Aria for meditation on one emotion singer
  steps out of the action to reflect
• Ensembles can depict dialogue, action, emotions
  simultaneously
• Can depict emotions of two or more characters at
  the same time their changing reactions!

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The Ensemble (2)

• Ensembles often in several sections
• Each with different tempos, keys, themes
• Contrasts allowed greater expressive range
• Aria was static ensemble was dynamic
• Opera seria da capo aria ended where it started
• Comic ensemble moved the drama music ahead
  several notches
• Ensembles continuous forward momentum
  transformed opera buffa
• Opera became a much more dramatic genre

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Mozart, Don Giovanni

• One of Mozarts greatest operas
• Written for Prague in 1787
• Technically an opera buffa, but
• Also an example of dramma giocoso
• Neither wholly comic nor wholly tragic
• Enigmatic mixture of both a dark comedy
• Mixture happens musically, dramatically,
  character by character

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Characters

• Serious roles
• Donna Anna Don Ottavio, a noble couple
• The Commandant, Donna Annas father
• Comic roles
• Leporello, Don Giovannis servant
• Zerlina Masetto, a peasant couple
• Mixed roles (both serious comic)
• Don Giovanni (Italian for Don Juan), the
  legendary Spanish libertine
• Donna Elvira, a noblewoman loved left by Don
  Giovanni

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Plot (1)

• Don Giovannis bawdy escapades belong to opera
  buffa
• More serious is his compulsive pursuit
• He promises women anything, but leaves when he
  gets his way (Donna Elvira)
• He kills the father of a victim (Donna Anna)
• He attempts to seduce a peasant (Zerlina) as she
  celebrates her betrothal to Masetto
• He blasphemes God the dead (Commandant)
• He defies rules of society, morality, God, even
  when it means his doom

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Plot (2)

• In the graveyard the Commandants statue
  reproaches Giovanni for his blasphemy
• Don Giovanni invites the statue to dinner
• As Don Giovanni dines, the statue arrives
• Giovanni refuses to mend his ways
• The statue drags him down to hell
• We sympathize both with his punishment and with
  his verve bravery
• We also feel ambivalent about the others
• The other characters both amuse move us

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Act I, scene iii

• (Note aristocrat vs. peasant distinctions)
• Scene begins with a chorus of peasants
• They celebrate the betrothal of Masetto Zerlina
• Don Giovanni arrives with Leporello
• He decides to seduce Zerlina
• He asks Leporello to keep Masetto occupied
• Masetto immediately senses trouble
• He confronts Don Giovanni
• Don Giovanni threatens him with his sword

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Mozart, Ho capito (1)

• Mozart uses this aria to define Masettos
  character
• Short, repeated phrases frequent strong
  cadences depict his simple yet direct nature
  his sputtering anger

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Mozart, Ho capito (2)

• But this aria is not static - we see Masetto
  interacting with several characters
• He is nearly insolent in telling Don Giovanni
  what an unjust bully he is
• He is abrupt in putting off Leporello
• In his jealousy he becomes progressively more
  furious sarcastic with Zerlina

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Mozart, Alfin siam liberati

• Secco recitative with continuo only
• Dialogue between Don Giovanni Zerlina
• With Masetto out of the way, Don Giovanni begins
  his seduction
• She worries about betraying her promise to marry
  Masetto
• Giovanni tells her she was not meant to be a
  peasant flatters her for her beauty
• She fears Giovannis intentions are not good
• He promises to marry her immediately

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Mozart, Là ci darem la mano (1)

• Ensemble for Don Giovanni Zerlina
• One of Mozarts best known tunes
• Simple direct apt for wooing a peasant

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Mozart, Là ci darem la mano (2)

• Don Giovanni becomes ever more impassioned
  persuasive
• Zerlinas resistance gradually breaks down
• Dialogue alternates more more rapidly
• Final section in rhythmic unison quicker
• Depicts their agreement eagerness