emmy destinn in role of tosca, c. 1910
fisher has observed puccini s tragic muse; in second act of tosca, according newman, rises greatest height master of musical macabre. act begins quietly, scarpia musing on forthcoming downfall of angelotti , cavaradossi, while in background gavotte played in distant quarter of farnese palace. music puccini adapted fifteen-year-old student exercise late brother, michele, stating in way brother live again through him. in dialogue spoletta, torture motif—an ideogram of suffering , according budden—is heard first time foretaste of come. cavaradossi brought in interrogation, tosca s voice heard offstage chorus singing cantata, [its] suave strains contrast[ing] dramatically increasing tension , ever-darkening colour of stage action . cantata cantata giove, in literature referred lost work of puccini s 1897.
osborne describes scenes follow—cavaradossi s interrogation, torture, scarpia s sadistic tormenting of tosca—as puccini s musical equivalent of grand guignol cavaradossi s brief vittoria! vittoria! on news of napoleon s victory gives partial relief. scarpia s aria già, mi dicon venal ( yes, venal ) closely followed tosca s vissi d arte . lyrical andante based on tosca s act 1 motif, perhaps opera s best-known aria, yet regarded puccini mistake; considered eliminating since held action. fisher calls job-like prayer questioning god punishing woman has lived unselfishly , righteously . in act s finale, newman likens orchestral turmoil follows tosca s stabbing of scarpia sudden outburst after slow movement of beethoven s ninth symphony. after tosca s contemptuous e avanti lui tremava tutta roma! ( rome trembled before him ), sung on middle c♯ monotone (sometimes spoken), music gradually fades, ending newman calls impressively macabre scene in opera. final notes in act of scarpia motif, softly, in minor key.
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