•

when we think of Italian opera, we often think of Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan

•

yet in the late 18th century, much Italian opera occurred in Vienna

•

Mozart

•

Antonio Salieri

•

Martín y Soler

•

few works that were created in the late 18th century had come to us unaltered

•

usually not played on the kinds of instruments Mozart wrote for

•

singers are trained differently

•

the halls in which they were originally performed have mostly disappeared

•

but the notes of Le nozze di Figaro have for the most part remained the same

•

1786 composed Le nozze di Figaro

•

Lorenzo Da Ponte

•

gave him an Italian libretto in order to create an Italian opera

•

has stood the test of time

•

the music, independent of the words, can tell us much about the lives, hearts, and minds of the characters who are represented in the opera

•

opera represents the achievement of intense dramatic expression by essentially musical means

•

if we listen with intent to the music and the music alone, we can understand much of the drama on stage and in the lives of the characters on that stage

•

the music conveys the drama

•

you don't always need to know the words that are being sung, you don't even need to see the work being performed on a stage

•

if you learn to develop your ear to hear the music is doing, you will pick up and understand much of the drama composed by the best musical dramatists

•

opening duet

•

at one point counting numbers

•

strange words to set to music

•

Figaro is measuring out the room that he and Susanna will share together once they get married

•

he is fairly preoccupied

•

at first he doesn't seem to hear Susanne at all

•

who is more focused on the nature of their wedding and marriage

•

the music changes when Susanne sings

•

more lyrical

•

more song-like

•

whereas the music when Figaro speaks represents his more terse expressions of distance

•

two people are singing

•

but they are not singing together

•

they aren't singing about the same thing

•

Figaro: material matters

•

Susanne: less tangible issues

•

Figaro's first not keep being raised higher and higher

•

keeps expanding Figaro's range

•

a musical portrayal from 5 to 43

•

strings keep playing the same not over and over

•

the fixed point from where the measurements expand

•

Susanne singing

•

more songful

•

more variety in rhythm and volume

•

expresses a wide range of possibilities

•

has more thoughts and feelings than Figaro has expressed so far

•

first 20 second

•

Figaro measuring out the room

•

next 10 second

•

Susanne

•

then a mix

•

Figaro even more consumed with his measurements

•

Susanne continues in rapturous thought of their life ahead

•

oblivious to Figaro and his actions

•

Figaro starts to sing the song that Susanne's music

•

never goes back to measuring

•

allows them to sing in harmony with each other

•

abandons measuring out the room in order to join Susanne in rhapsodizing about their life together

•

by the end they are singing Susanne's music, not Figaro's

•

gives us a hint that Susanne might be a step ahead of Figaro throughout the opera