MUSI 3380 Lecture Notes - Aria, Moodle
Document Summary
These are notes i took from the book and the anthology. First performance of don giovanni was in prague in october 1787. Leporello"s aria follows the straightforward for abcbdb (b m. 20; c m. 32; d m. 57) Leaping notes and quick scalar flourishes in bare octaves wonderfully depict leporello"s pacing and set a comic tone. When he wants to become a gentleman (m. 20) his melody becomes smooth and elegant with accompanying horns. He reverts back to the skipping melody, bass notes, and short notes typical of the opera buffa servant (m. 26-32) He expresses his fright through rapid comic patter (m. 57) Don giovanni true to his character as a duplicitous scoundrel tends to communicate in the manner of whomever he is with. Musical representation we can hear the swords thrust and parry, depicted by rapid rising scales and leaping octaves (m. 167) Sinking chromatic line depict the life ebbing from the commendatore (m. 190-93)
