The Importance of Location in Opera

The Importance of Location in Opera Maria Callas the great diva is reputed to have stated in one of her interviews that Puccini’s opera Tosca would not have suffered if the composer did not include the soprano aria “Vissi d’arte” (I lived for art). In her opinion the aria is superfluous. But, since Puccini chose to include this marvelous aria, we must conclude that he did so with intent; that it has significance and is an integral part of the story that Puccini wished to tell. In addition, Puccini’s decision to place it where he did in the plot, is relevant to our understanding Tosca’s character. It remains for us to reveal Puccini’s intent.The aria is sung by Tosca towards the latter part of Act II. Scarpia, Rome’s villainous Chief of Police had apprehended Tosca’s lover Cavaradossi for committing subversive activities against the government and has ordered the former’s torture. Tosca cannot bear to hear her lover’s anguished screams and is prepared to pay a price for Cavaradossi’s release. Scarpia scoffs at Tosca’s supposed offer of money. (One wonders about her naivety); he wants to possess her. As Scarpia makes his physical advances towards her, Tosca desperately strives to stave him off. It is here that Puccini introduces the splendid aria in which Tosca asks God why he makes her suffer so for she has always been his faithful servant. [https://youtu.be/SFCMk5zgItI] Relevant to our consideration here is Puccini’s deft use of the accompaniment to make his point. After beginning with an innocuous accompaniment, Puccini subtlety introduces a familiar melody [1:10 -1:38] beginning with the words “Sempre con fe sincere” (Always with sincere faith). It is the same theme that we heard upon Tosca’s first entrance in Act I [https://youtu.be/tRLAGdPxvCE 11:40 -12:20] “Mario, Mario…il vuol de sagrestano” (…it’s the sacristan’s will).The theme returns in the aria’s second half beginning with the words “Diedi gioielli della Madonna al manto” (Jewels I brought for the Madonna’s mantle) [https://youtu.be/SFCMk5zgItI] 2:24 – 2:55]. The repeat is relevant to the section in Act I starting with “No, Mario mio! Lascia pria le preghi, che l’infiori” (No Mario! First let me pray and offer these flowers [at the foot of the altar]).[https://youtu.be/tRLAGdPxvCE 13:00 – 13:47]. By simple logic of association, the composer establishes a psychological connection using the same musical theme in two (or more) places in the score. And while this observation seems so elementary, most listeners barely notice its existence. What significance is all this discussion and what is its purpose? In the first reference to Act I in the aria (Sempre con fe sincere), the subject is faith, whether in its religious or personal meaning such as faithfulness – we recall Tosca’s suspicion of Cavaradossi’s infidelity; its recurrence in the second part of the aria (Diedi gioielli della Madonna al manto) focuses on her insistence to place flowers at the foot of the altar before acquiescing to Cavaradossi’s romantic attitude. That is duty first. For us to understand Puccini’s use of the connecting theme, we must entertain the possibility that it represents a psychological insight into Tosca’s behavior at a point where she is struggling to retain her honor and perhaps to ward off a threat to her physical safety. She is at her wit’s end; entertaining an interpretation that Tosca is experiencing pangs of conscience for having doubted Cavaradossi’s fidelity (part1) and her inordinate insensitivity to his manifestation of love (part 2) is a viable possibility. Credence is given to this interpretation by the observation that the subject of the aria is, allegedly, wrongful suffering and retribution for something. Employing this ingenious concept in musical terms increases our understanding of the plot and our appreciation of the composer’s personal involvement.

A Revealing Personal Touch

One of the most dramatic of all baritone arias is Credo in un Dio Crudel(I believe in a cruel God). It appears in Act II of Verdi’s Otello and is sung by the treacherous Iago immediately after he dispatches Cassio to ask Desdemona to intercede with Otello on Cassio’s behalf to restore Cassio’s former rank. The main theme of the aria is that God is cruel; he created Man in his image. And as Iago is a man, he is born cruel and conducts himself accordingly. Love, honesty, and charity are for fools. Life is nothing; after death there is nothing. [https://youtu.be/TNLbXE-kIlQ]. Iago then begins to implement his plan to ruin Otello as we well know from Shakespeare’s play Othello. A soliloquy parallel to the aria does not appear in Shakespeare’s work; it is entirely the figment of Verdi’s imagination. While it may raise many an eyebrow, the very fact that it exists as part of Verdi’s opera requires our respect and attention. Verdi intentionally created the aria and not conveniently, but rather purposely, placed it where he did in the action. It remains for us to understand why. Recalling the scene that immediately precedes the aria, we realize that, in enlisting Cassio as a witness to Otello’s action during the brawl in the closing moments of Act I, Iago has ensured for himself what he believes to be a justifiable cause for Otello’s replacement as commander, due to incompetence. It is a possible defense should he need it. Iago will, of course, use the aria as a springboard for further plans to destroy Otello. By introducing the aria Verdi adds a personal touch to his version of an age-old story of deception and deceit and he does so in musical terms.

Inventive Measures in Creativity

Sometimes we are involved in one task but our thoughts are elsewhere. This phenomenon is not uncommon and often we are preoccupied with our extraneous contemplations more fully than with the task at hand. If we were to write a novel we would use words to describe this duality. Music does not offer us the luxury of verbal latitude; this medium is too immediate and requires an auditory solution that will get a feeling or an idea across to the listener. How then does the composer accomplish this seemingly insurmountable task? He may, of course, change the meter (beats per measure) or he may retain the meter but alter the effect of the music within the meter itself. The following discussion related to Puccini’s opera Tosca is a case in point. Cavaradossi is a suspected subversive of the Roman government whose chief of police is the cruel and villainous Scarpia. The latter has sown seeds of doubt in the mind of the jealous Tosca regarding Cavaradossi’s fidelity towards her. Scarpia himself is enamored of Tosca and hopes to possess her. In the closing moments of Act I Scarpia joins a procession of church goers who sing a Te Deum (song of praise and glory to God). During the course of the procession, Scarpia plots Cavaradossi’s execution and his own possession of Tosca. The music for the Te Deum is written in a time signature of four beats to the measure. This is, after all, a procession – slow and ponderous. But Scarpia is pensive and on the verge of obsessive passion; he pays no attention to the ongoing religious ceremony. How does Puccini convey the mood of the scene to capture Scarpia’s state of mind? He introduces triplets (a rhythm playing three evenly spaced notes in the space of two notes of the same rhythmic value; the first note is emphasized. The triplet sounds: yam-ta-ta, yam-ta-ta yet has a value of one beat). This clever alteration is repeated several times during the scene. The cumulative auditory sensation is astounding. While maintaining the plodding tempo of a procession, Puccini’s use of the triplets adds the illusion of a waltz. Since a waltz is generally associated with a romantic atmosphere, Scarpia’s amorous yearnings are given expression within the context of a religious ceremony. https://youtu.be/rkMx0CLWeRQ [38:12 - 42:33]

Master Criminal’s Artful Manipulation

The opening scene in Act II of Verdi’s Otello finds Iago Otello’s ensign in conversation with Cassio who was relieved of his command in Act I ostensibly because of his involvement in the brawl engineered by none other than Iago himself. It is a casual, almost innocent, conversation about a falling out between Cassio and a woman called Bianca. The gist of the conversation suggests that Cassio has fallen out of favor with Bianca as a result of the former’s falling out of Otello’s grace. Iago advises Cassio to ask Desdemona Otello’s wife to intercede on his behalf, insinuating in a conspiratorial manner, that they both know that she is the true ruler in Cypress. What, if anything, gives credence to Iago’s statement and what evidence is there to its existence? In a novel or play the artist can spin out an explanation in countless words but in opera, this is not possible. How then does Verdi cope with that allegation? To what effect? As opera is drama set to music it follows that the action must be logical because the human mind requires it. And since the composer’s main tool of expression is music, he must translate it into understandable human motive or motivation. The scene itself provides us with ample clues. Let’s consider. Five characters appear in the opening scene; all but Bianca convene together in Act I – when Otello demotes Cassio beginning with “Abbaso le spade” [Lower your swords]. (https://youtu.be/Pj_XSeLT3qU [18:24 - 20:27]. The musical figure at 18:35-18:37 appears a total of five times within this time frame. During this span, Otello gathers evidence relating to the cause of the disturbance and has sufficient information to make a command decision. But only on the fourth time, upon Desdemona’s appearance, does Otello take action and relieve Cassio of his command; the final sounding seals Casssio’s fate. The cause for Cassio’s demotion is clear. It is because he disturbed Desdemona’s sleep – not because of behavior unbecoming of an officer on duty! Who then rules in Cypress if not Desdemona? This is Verdi’s keen observation and understanding of the human condition and his masterful use of music to define it. A further observation bears mentioning. In repeating the musical figure several times, Verdi calls into question Otello’s ability to make decisions appropriate to a military commander. By this clever and insightful use of music, Verdi opens a vast expanse to explain the human elements in the plot. Iago’s calculated enlistment of Cassio as a witness to Otello’s inept leadership is only the beginning; he will make expert and damaging use of this material in the course of the opera.