Tosca Act I, rehearsal 48

Apr 05, 2007 11:03

These 23 measures can be divided into 2 major sections
the first comprising 6 measures + 1 transitional measure, the 2nd comprising 16 measures.

Text and stage directions

ANGELOTTI: Ch'io le indossi?
CAVARADOSSI: Per or non monta; il sentiero è deserto.
ANGELOTTI: (per uscire) Addio!
CAVARADOSSI: (accorrendo ancora verso Angelotti) Se urgesse il periglio, correte al pozzo del giardin. L'acqua è nel fondo, ma a mezzo della canna un picciol varco guida ad un antro oscuro, rifugio impenetrabile e sicuro! (odesi un colpo di cannone, i due si guardano agitatissimi)

Section I

mm. 1, 2 continue with musical ideas set in motion previously. Flutes 1, 2 and Fg. 1 play bass line (!), while oboes sustain harmony and clarinet 1 provides melodic content.

In m. 2 all strings (minus CB) have a pizzicato E major chord on the 2nd beat f and accenting the harmony the winds landed on, and setting up the dominant to the tonality to follow (A major)

A brief 3 4 bar and the shape of the melody in Vlns. 1, 2 make it sound like the melody is falling over itself.

The CB, Vc, ControFg., Bs. Cl. and Fg. play the descending bass line. The lower strings go for 5 measures, the winds for 4 (and then they drop out after the 1st beat). The violas accompany the bass line for 2 measures then play a counterpoint for one measure (5th and 7th, 5th and 7th) then enter p in harmony with the bass.

Timpani plays a quick rolled I - V progression (a to E)

Violins 1 & 2 continue with the clarinet filagree melody of the first bar and develop it for 2 bars, then settle in for 2 beats on a syncopated sequence. On the 6th bar, the sequence briefly stops, tries to start up again, and in the 7th bar (transitional) the melody turns chromatic and ends on an A# (against the C# minor harmony heard at the beginning of the bar), setting up the ambiguous chord to follow in the next measure.

Clarinets 1 and 2 and all horns introduce a brief imitation of the bass line in the 4th measure (which also doubles the vocal line).

Section II

Starting at the 8th measure the bass clarinet, 1st clarinet, and Fg. 1 (along with the held Vln. 1 A #) briefly articulate a p French augemented 6th chord that doesn't end up going anywhere. The Fg. holds onto the C for 3 measures, and in the 4th measure starts the whole tone descent down to E natural. This descent is accompanied by all three flutes, oboe 1, and celeste. These instruments ascend with the flutes providing harmony to the oboe and celeste melody. when the instruments finally land on the E major tonality they are joined by rolled timp. (E), Contrabbassi (low E), and harp (bass clef playing low E octaves mf, treble clef E major chord in 2nd inversion (with melody note on top) pp, not rolled!)

The timpani sustains the roll for 10 full measures, and the whole tone descent and harmony is repeated 3 times, each time stopping for 2 bars on E major. During the movement of the instruments the music is a tempo, and while they sustain the E major harmony they are col canto.

The structure of the melodic line ascending (half step, minor third, whole step, half step) offsets the purely whole tone descent of the bass. This melodic and harmonic figure is an extention of the original "Scarpia" motive heard in the opening bars.

vocal lines

with the exception of the 5th and 6th measure where the melody joins the counterpoint of the horns and clarinets, the vocal lines are declamatory. The 2nd section is predominantly recitative like in that Cavaradossi stays mainly on one note (E) while the winds, timp, and CB sustain a chord. During the 2nd iteration of the whole tone descent and harmonic ascent, Cavaradossi catches the tail end of it ascending to B and immediately descending to E in the col canto measures. In the 3rd statement of the melody he doubles the entire bass line whole tone statment from C down to E. After reaching E in the col canto measure he quickly leaps to B and then finally to an E on "si-cu-ro!."

A cannon shot follows.

48, tosca

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