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in recitatives and arias, choruses, and shorter passages in an aria-like style (called
ariosos). Monteverdi also makes effective use of the “agitated style” in movements
interspersed with instrumental sinfonias and ritornellos. A ritornello—the term is
related to the word “return”—is an instrumental passage heard at the beginning and
end of an aria or, in early opera, a passage that returns again and again (within an
aria) in the manner of a refrain.
The characters in this historic drama are hardly admirable. Nero (a castrato role)
is a spoiled, self-indulgent playboy; his wife Ottavia plots to poison her rival; Poppea
is calculating and ambitious; and Seneca, despite his courage in opposing the
emperor, is pompous and aloof. In the final scene, Nero achieves his purpose and
leads Poppea to the throne, where she is saluted by the consuls and tribunes in
fanfare-like, imitative polyphony. (See Listening Guide 16.)
An instrumental sinfonia sets the scene for the final love duet between Nero
and Poppea, which closes the opera. In this poignant duet, the opening section
returns after the middle part, which itself has been repeated; the result is a pattern of
A-B-B-A that foreshadows the da capo, or A-B-A, aria, soon to arise in opera. The duet
unfolds over a four-note ground bass that is carried by various chordal instruments. A
ground bass consists of a short phrase repeated over and over in the lower voice while
the upper voices pursue their independent lines; with each repetition, some aspect of
the melody, harmony, or rhythm is changed. Here, the lovers’ voices intermingle in a
tender dialogue, with the emotional phrase “pur t’annodo” (I enchain you) highlighted by melismatic treatment. (In a melisma, you will recall, a single syllable of text
is extended over a group of notes.) Monteverdi makes affective use of dissonance on
phrases such as “più non peno” (no more grieving) and “più non moro” (no more sorrow, or dying): the lovers hope that their union will put an end to all contention.
With Monteverdi, Italian opera took on the basic shape it was to maintain for the
next several hundred years. The love duet, established in The Coronation of Poppea,
became an essential operatic feature, and the powerful musical portrayal of human
passions captured here is echoed in the soaring melodies of Giuseppe Verdi’s Romantic masterworks, as we will see later.
Baroque Opera
Arioso
Ritornello
Ground bass
I]Z:c_dnbZcid[Bjh^XEVX`V\Z
I]ZCdgidcGZXdgY^c\h
I]ZDca^cZA^hiZc^c\AVW
oll
)
Listening Guide
-
Monteverdi: The Coronation of Poppea
(L’incoronazione di Poppea), Act III, Scene 7
DATE OF WORK:
GENRE:
LIBRETTIST:
BASIS:
CHARACTERS:
1642
Opera, Italian
HijYnHeVXZ
89"GDB
89"GDB
I]Z:c_dnbZcid[Bjh^X
I]ZCdgidcHXdgZh
89"GDB
I]Z:c_dnbZcid[Bjh^X!
H]dgiZg
I]Z:c_dnbZcid[Bjh^X!
H]dgiZgZWdd`
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Giovanni Busenello
Roman history
Nero, emperor of Rome (castrato role)
Poppea, his mistress, soon to be empress (soprano)
Ottavia, wife of Nero, to be deposed (soprano)
Seneca, sage and advisor to Nero (bass)
Consuls and tribunes
Listening Guide continues
153
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VOCAL MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:
2 voices (tenor and bass), in imitative, declamatory duet, followed by
dancelike section.
Short orchestral sinfonia with running bass line.
Various Baroque period instruments featured (strings, trumpets; basso
continuo played by cello with organ, lute, and harpsichord).
Love duet between Nero (a castrato, sung today by a mezzo-soprano)
and Poppea (a soprano); in 2 parts (A-B-B-A).
Descending 4-note motive (ground bass) as basis for first section of
duet; short imitative exchanges between the 2 voices.
B section faster moving, without ground bass.
Word painting, including a melisma on “pur t’annodo” (I enchain you)
and emotional dissonances on “peno” (grieving) and “moro” (sorrow).
Act III, Scene 7: Coronation Scene (this scene probably by a younger contemporary of Monterverdi)
Consuls and tribunes, the crowning of Poppea (sung as a duet on the recording)
TEXT
TRANSLATION
DESCRIPTION
A te, a te sovrana augusta,
con il consenso universal
di Roma,
Indiademiam la chioma.
O hail to thee, our empress,
our ruler, by our unanimous
consent, and that of all
Romans, now with this crown,
we crown thee.
Now shall Asia, now shall
Africa be humble before thee.
And now let Europe, and
all the seas which belong to
this most fortunate empire,
offer and consecrate in honor
this, the crown of the mighty
Roman Empire.
2-part writing, imitative,
recitative-like.
A te l’Asia, a te l’Africa
s’atterra;
a te l’Europa, e’l mar che
cinge e serra
quest’impero felice,
Ora consacra e dona
questa del mondo imperial
corona.
Fanfare-like passage.
Dancelike melody begins
with bass, imitated in
tenor; closes with tremolo
(repeated-note trill) on
“imperial,” and trumpet
fanfare.
Chorus, with dancelike meter, imitation between 2 voices, and melisma on “corona” (crown):
¬
6
!34
∑
∑
49
∑
64 œ . œjœ œ œ œ œ etc.
œ
6 . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ 49 œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ 46 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ
L?3 4 œ J
J
JJ J J
O - racon - sa - cra e
O - racon-sa-cra e
do-na, e do - na
Que - sta del mon - do im- per - ri - al co
-
ro
-
do - na,
-
na,
Sinfonia: Orchestral section, moving bass line, jubilant in character; sets up love scene between
Nero and Poppea
Duet: Nero and Poppea (singing the same text)
Form: A-B-B-A; A section with 4-note ground bass
Introduction
Instrumental introduction
(establishes ground bass).
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Baroque Opera
A
Pur ti miro, pur ti stringo,
pur ti godo, pur t’annodo
più non peno, più non moro,
O mia vita, o mio tesoro.
I adore you, I embrace you,
I desire you, I enchain you,
no more grieving, no more
sorrow,
O my dearest, O my beloved.
4-note ground bass in
opening; imitation
between 2 voices.
I am yours, O my love,
tell me so, you are mine,
mine alone, O my love.
Feel my heart, see my love, see.
Middle section; free bass;
short motives imitated.
I am yours, etc.
Entire middle section
repeated.
I adore you, etc.
Repeat of opening section.
B
Io son tua, speme mia
dillo dí l’idol mio,
tu sei pur, si mio ben,
sí mio cor, mia vita, sí.
B
Io son tua, etc.
A
Pur ti miro, etc.
Opening of duet (ground bass shaded first time through):
&
&
[# ]
[#]
POPPEA
∑
∑
NERONE
∑
∑
Œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ
J J
Œ Œ œ œ œ œ œœ Œ
J J J
pur
j
Œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ
J
Pur ti mi - ro,
Ó.
Pur ti
# ˙.
?[ ]
&
[# ] Œ
˙.
˙.
6
5
6
4
3
Œ œ œ ˙.
J J
˙
Pur ti strin
[# ] œ œ œ Œ
œ
& J
˙.
˙.
-
go,
Pur t’an - no
[# ] ˙ .
?
˙.
6
-
6
6
4
-
˙.
˙.
6
4
3
Dissonance on words “moro” (death) and “peno” (grieving):
&
&
j j
˙ œ œ ˙ œ ˙
[#] œ œ œ ˙ .
[#]
Più non mo
-
œ Œ Œ Œ œ œ ˙.
[#] ˙ .
?
Più non
˙.
ro, non mo
ro,
˙ œ ˙
pe
-
6
7
˙.
-
˙.
no,
˙.
etc.
pur ti
˙.
pur ti
strin - go,
-
do,
˙.
j j
Œ œ œ
go - do,
˙.
Œ Œ j j œœœœœœœœœœœ œ œ œ
œ œ
go - do,
Œ
˙.
œ œ œ œ
J J
œ ˙
ti mi - ro,
etc.
3
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