One Phrase, Two Different Impressions

The tone and the inflection of what we express in words is an indicator of our inner soul; they reflect our feelings and intentions. They are signposts of who we are in any given situation. Poets, playwrights, and authors throughout history were aware of this human trait and employed it to describe and further their literary and social ideas. So have artists, sculptors, and choreographers employed this principle each in his own, unique manner, using the instruments of expression that applied to their specific discipline.  The operatic composer too is no stranger to this experience. He uses his musical palette, as is his wont, to describe ever so delicately, a change in mood or feeling in his characters sometimes using the same or similar words. A beautiful example of this sensitivity to detail appears in Act I of Puccini’s La Bohème. Rodolfo the poet is alone in the bachelor apartment that he shares with three friends; he must finish an article he promised to his publisher.  He is not able to concentrate; he is not in the mood. Suddenly, Mimi, the upstairs neighbor knocks on the door supposedly to ask that her extinguished candle be re-lit.  In the ensuing scene the two fall in love.  [https://youtu.be/cSuL4u3bOpg] Puccini delicately describes the changing mood in Mimi’s behavior based on a single phrase uttered by her during the exchange with Rodolfo. No sooner has Mimi exited the apartment with her newly lit candle, she quickly re-enters to the following phrase.’Oh! Sventata, sventata [….] Importuna la vicina’. (Oh! The candle has gone out [….] (18:36 – 18:47) and bothersome neighbor. (19:10 – 19:33).  Note the gay, light-hearted music that accompanies the statements.  Immediately following her aria Mi chiamano Mimi (They call me Mimi), she intends to make a hurried exit ‘Sono la sua vicina [….] d’ora a importunare’. (I am your neighbor [….] at this inopportune hour 29:22 – 29:34). In both instances, neighbor and inopportune are joined.  However, notice the difference in mood between the two. Coincidence?  Not a chance!  The Mimi that came into the apartment has undergone an emotional transformation. Upon her entrance, Mimi was an unknown.  Nevertheless, having revealed herself during her aria, Mimi felt exposed and not in a particularly good light.  Regardless of her soaring aspirations, in the end, Mimi’s flowers were artificial.  ‘Ma I fiori ch’io faccio, ahime, non hanno odore’. (But the flowers I make, alas, have no fragrance). Puccini accurately captured Mimi’s feelings in both instances. Only the sensitive artist can fathom the fragility of the human condition so precisely.  This what makes Puccini the individual so special and the opera composer as an artist, so unique.

Character Development in Opera

The key ingredient in defining the worth or value of an object is to assess its functionality over a relative period of time or usage. The period of assessment must be reasonable; longevity, therefore, is an accepted reference factor to evaluate the object of scrutiny. If this measure of quality applies to inanimate objects, it is even more relevant to human beings. For the opera composer, this feature is crucial to the molding of his characters so that they become believable persona in the drama that he has put to music. Human beings grow and mature along a continuum, usually a lifetime. Every aspect of their personality contributes to the compilation of the final evaluation. In opera, the entire spectrum of behavior, from the beginning to the end of the work, is weighed and accounted for. Opera is a dynamic medium of artistic expression; when people are involved, as they are in opera, the medium takes on psychodynamic implications. The motivation and actions of a Rigoletto, for example, must be understood on the merits of the entire spectrum of his inter-relation with other characters in the opera. There is no such designation as the real Rigoletto- the warm and loving father - unless verified over the long haul of the entire opera. Sadly, this is not the case, though it has been publically stated. A close inspection of the libretto will challenge the notion of the warm and loving father as the real Rigoletto. The reason for this anomaly is that the assessor only considered Rigoletto’s statement in Pari Siamo ‘Ma in altr’uomo qui mi cangio!’ (But, here I become another person!). But, when we reflect on the sum of Rigoletto’s relationships with the Duke, Monterone, the courtiers, Sparafucile, and even Gilda, the picture takes on an entirely different hue. It is the conglomerate impression left by these associations that will ultimately define the real Rigoletto, very much as the aggregation of pixels on a monitor. The greater the number of pixels, the clearer the picture. Believable character development, therefore, is dependent on the evaluation of the sum of the traits provided by the composer for each protagonist in his opera.

The Nature of Music

Of all the varied forms for describing the Human experience, music is probably the most profound. It is wondrously malleable, exquisitely pliable and can be finely tuned to achieve an accurate expression of feelings and states of mind. But its maximum effect can only be realized when it is placed in the hands of a sensitive master artisan. Music is a tool that must be manipulated carefully and with utmost spiritual dexterity. In the absence of this requirement, music becomes mundane and devoid of emotional impact. Change of mood, feeling and atmosphere can even be achieved by altering the tempo and or slightly modifying the musical line from minor to major; a semitone can make all the difference in creating atmosphere. This idea was discussed in my post ‘Retrospection’ and here takes on an added dimension. In Act I of Verdi’s Otello, [http://youtu.be/VVvr4tOyUTY] during the scene when Otello strips Cassio of his commission, the composer uses a theme at (18:32 – 1836) which is repeated four more times until Cassio’s demotion. The music (six notes) is dramatic and the atmosphere is fraught with tension; the difference between the last two notes is a half –minor – step. In Act I of Verdi’s earlier opera Un Ballo in Maschera, [http://youtu.be/RH8C51NOLFy] at (19:14 -1916), Verdi uses the same melody, but this time the difference between notes five and six is a full –major –note. In this scene, the king is planning to visit the fortune teller, Ulrica, as a lark together with members of his entourage. Listen to the different atmosphere from the one in Otello. Yes. The moments are but a flash; however, the distinction between the two examples is discernible. The subtle variances can only be accomplished by a master musician which Verdi most certainly was.