The adjectives in these lines play a key role in creating a special atmosphere: the forest at night, the radiant moon, a sense of mystery, power,
reverence, exoticism. The set, costumes, chiaroscuro and lighting all
add to this effect. It’s all unmistakably Norma.
Singers and students of voice should give plenty of thought to the
meaning of adjectives because they are an important cue as to which
emotions are to be expressed, (musically and dramatically, with gestures and facial expressions) and how they are to be expressed.
2. How Adjectives Are Formed
Adjectives change their endings to suit the noun/pronoun which they
describe. “Casto” (chaste) is typical. Here are its forms:
casto amore (masc. singular)
casta diva (fem. singular)
diva: goddess
casti amori (masculine plural)
caste dive (fem. plural)
The masculine ends in “o”; the feminine ends in “a” . This is the most
common kind of adjective, but there are also those which end in “e”
in both the masculine and the feminine singular. “feroce” (fierce) is
typical:
guerriero feroce (masc. sing.)
strega feroce (femin. sing.)
guerriero: warrior
guerrieri feroci (masc. plur.)
streghe feroci (fem. plural)
A number of other adjectives end in “e” (and “i” in the plural):
dolce
fedele
felice
migliore
sorridente
dolci
fedeli
felici
migliori
sorridenti
(sweet)
(faithful)
(happy)
(better)
(smiling)
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As mentioned in Chapter two, part three, words with a hard “c” or “g”
sound will tend to add an “h” in the plural in order to keep the [k] or
[g] sound consistent:
cieco (blind)
vago (charming)
ciechi
vaghi [vagi]
3. typically evocative adjectives
Adjectives are often complex in meaning and this complexity makes
them well-suited to convey the multi-faceted, often conflicting emotions of opera. Some readers will find this section interesting; others
will prefer to skim over it lightly.
The following adjectives are typically operatic i.e. complex, often violent and dramatic; rich both in connotation (which is why I have had
to use so many English words to translate them and why great lexicographers of Italian like Palazzi and Zingarelli sometimes write long
entries in their attempts to explain these elusive words) and in their
power to create atmosphere. The complexity (and sometimes vagueness) of these adjectives makes them one of the most difficult aspects
of the libretto.
A knowledge of these words will prove useful in reading librettos and
it is worthwhile to devote time to them. Students of voice should know
these words intimately so that they can use them with great expressivity
and dramatic flair.
altero Proud and confident, dignified, noble; used for a person who
has noble interests and motives and a strong sense of self-worth–a
good kind of pride:
“Misterioso, altero /
Mysterious, proud
Croce e delizia, delizia al cor’."
/ Cross and rapture, rapture to the heart.
It is not easy to translate “delizia”; neither “delight” nor “rapture” really
do the job. Palazzi defines “delizia as “diletto squisito” and then defines
“diletto” as “sentimento piacevole, blando e soave, dell’animo e del
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corpo” (‘a pleasing feeling, bland and sweet/of the mind and body’).
aspro Bitter, rough, harsh, severe, cruel, intractable:
“Mal’ reggendo all’aspro assalto/ Ei già tocco il suolo avea.”
Badly standing up to the bitter attack/He already touched the ground
had.
Paraphrase: Unsuccessfully trying to resist the bitter attack, he had
already fallen on the ground (...) “Tocco” is short for “toccato” . Manrico describing to his mother his strange inability to kill the Count
in Il Trovatore.
candido Palazzi: “bianchissimo, puro, innocente, sincero, ingenuo”;
Zingarelli: “troppo semplice e buono” .
“La bella mano candida!”
What a beautiful white hand!
(The Duke to the prostitute, Maddalena, in Rigoletto). “Candida” suggests qualities of virtue as well as an ivory complexion. How clever
of the Duke to play on this flattering connotation! Maddalena can’t be
used to this kind of compliment.
crudo Bitter, inhuman, cruel, pitiless, severe, sad. Zingarelli’s Vocabolario (dictionary): “mancante di luce, scuro, pensoso, taciturno, non
chiara”(lacking in light, dark, thoughtful, taciturn, not clear).
“Cruda, funesta smania tu m’hai svegliato in petto [pEtto]"
Cruel, fatal obsession you have awakened in my chest.
(Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor).
cupo Dark, dim, gloomy, somber, deep, baleful . This word also connotes mystery, sadness, and sometimes danger.
“Quel suon, quelle preci, solenni, funeste,
That sound, those prayers, solemn, deadly,
Empiron quest’aere [aere] di cupo terror!”
Filled
this air
with dark terror!
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