Vivianne Laurence
Mr. Frank DeMeglio
B-MU124 Music History
October 2, 2017
Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo Word Painting
Abstract
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (1567-1643) was an Italian composer that was in between the Renaissance and the Baroque period. He was a composer of both secular and sacred music; and also play role in the development of opera. He is considered to be the first rediscovered great-composers after have been forgotten; thus there are still many of his stage works that still have not yet to be discovered up until now. His surviving music includes nine book of madrigals, three completed operas and large scale sacred work.
Monteverdi composed his first stage work when he moved to Mantua (1592) L’Orfeo,one built on a new libretto by Alessandro Striggio. Here, we can see Monteverdi constantly attempt to illustrate and outline words through music in order to utmost expressiveness .This essay will examine how Monteverdi used melody and rhythm to abruptly change the mood and interpret the poem.
Around 190 words-250 @paragaph
Introduction
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi is considered to be the first rediscovered great-composers after have been forgotten.He wrote many church music,secular and sacred music,including the nine book of madrigals and other stage works that still remains undiscovered. Moreover, Monteverdi is generally considered as the first real milestone in the history of Opera.
By the early 17th century the traditional intermedio was evolving into an opera, which Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo emerged and provided this new form. He refer this form to the seconda pratica which perceive it from the prima pratica. Here, Monteverdi violate many of the standard rules of counterpoint writing in the sixteenth century which lead to the widely known of the controversy between Artusi and Monteverdi.
The L’Orfeo contains V ACT which sometimes it also called as La Favola d’Orfeo in which Favola itself is an Italian term which means fairytale. Each act in this opera establish a single elements of the ancient Greek story of love and loss between Orpheus , son of Apollo, and Eurydice. The L’Orfeo combines many features from the traditional madrigal style in 16th century emerging the Florentine mode. In this mode, the lyrics prevail the music while the sinfonia and the ritornelli illustrate the action.
Moreover, the use of instruments in every acts in this opera also represents a specific scene and character. Here, in the elements from which Monteverdi constructed his first opera score is the aria, the strophic song, recitative, choruses, dances and the dramatic music interludes.
2. Analysis
The table below provides the synopsis of each act that will be analyzed consecutively.
ACT
Summary
I
The marriage of Orpheus and Eurydice
II
La mesaggera enters bringing a tragic news that Eurydice was bitten by a poisonous snake
III
Orpheus’ attempt in order to make the ferryman,Caronte,soothed into sleep
IV
King Plutone agree to release Eurydice on condition that Orpheus must not look back; but he broke that promise
V
Orpheus leave earth and join Apollo ascend to heaven
Table 1.1. Brief summary of every act in L’Orfeo
Toccata
The opera begin with toccata which refers to a processional fanfare for trumpets and drums (the term used at the late 14th century through the late 18th century). Here the toccata lead the entrance of the La Musica which symbolize the ‘spirit of music’ who sings the five stanzas of prologue.In general, the melody of toccata is the pentatonic scale of C Major. Clarinet is playing the melody while the other instrument is playing the dominant and the tonic key.
As the brass sound of the toccata fades, it is replaced by the soothing tone of the strings ritornello which introduces prologue. The ritornello will be repeated in shortened form between each of the prologue five verses, and in full after the final verse.
The first ritornello is in the key of d minor and end in picardy third. Based on the ritornello, the melody is built upon the sequence which also will be found throughout the opera; while the entire bass is playing the pentatonic scale. This
welcome the La Musica that stand for the “spirit of music”.
The first and second stanza is build on the same chord progression in the key of d minor.
The difference consist in the second stanza which is relate with note value. The eighth and sixteenth notes are sung with a strong and bold character which reflects the word of anger.
And so with the noble anger
ACT I
Act I is mostly written in major key which is a commonly used to give a happy mood. It starts in the key of d minor with an abrupt modulation to the major key.
Thus on such a happy and auspicious day which ends the amorous torments
The melody is in the descending motion of natural d minor key followed by a minor third then the new key,C Major, begin to establish. The sharpened 6th is the only device that is being used to demonstrate that Orpheus’ torments have finally come to an end. This also happen in the chorus that comes after which give a contrast and unexpected feeling.
The second chorus enters along with dance (ballet) accompanied by a wind and string instruments that sound like a Gastoldi dance-song style as it is a typical Monteverdi impersonate Gastoldi’s style quite closely
235
But if our joy derives from Heaven, As from Heaven comes all that happens down here
In bar 235,the melodic contour expound the word itself. The “Heaven” (dal ciel) is demonstrated by the highest note among the melody while the descending motion that follow after refer to the word of “happens down here” (ciò che qua giù ) with the lowest note precisely at the word of “down”( giù )
For after a sudden storm
In this SATB score,Monteverdi used Tenor instead of Soprano, to illustrate his word. While the Soprano and Alto is fifth apart along with the Bass singing the pentatonic scale, the Tenor voice immediately altering the rhythm which demonstrate the word of sudden.
ACT II
The foremost about this act is when La Messagera enter which modify the whole mood become doleful. The melody and bass were written mainly in minor interval which distinguish the mood distinctly. The figure below show a brief evaluation of the minor interval usage.
Ah bitter fate, ah wicked and cruel destiny, Ah hurtful stars,ah avaricious Heaven
As seen from above, the minor melody was a structural device to accentuate the mood. Another example can also be seen from the figure below where the use of semitones are used relentlessly for the word of “farewell” (a Dio). The word that come after is “Earth” (terra) , “Sky” (ciello),“Sun” (sole) whereas the melody that was being employed is disjunct. This represents the altitude of each element respectively.
Farewell earth, farewell sky and Sun, farewell.
That soon vanishes, and often after a great ascent a precipice is near.
The persistent ascending and descending melody illustrate the word of ascent and precipice. This imply to when there is great things happen,there are times when bad things will come around.
ACT III
The centerpiece in the act III is “Possente spirto, e formidabil nume” (Mighty spirit and formidable God) which is very significance in this opera. Initially,the aria form is strophic(page 409 history of opera) which offers an remarkable example of early 17th century vocal virtuosity(page 17 history of opera)
In Possente spirto, the instruments stand in for the “echo” of Orpheus’ voice. The structure itself is corresponding with the previous act, but here each ritornello is progressively elaborating Orpheus’ character. It is Orpheus attempt to appeal Caronte which is accompanied by organ,theorbo,violins,cornetts and harp in a various time. (music in western civilization pg 246)
In general, the melody of ritornello is an ascending scale with a non-harmonic tone that is constantly being broaden.This also applies in the vocal part which was written in 2 part: the first one is the harmony while the other is the embellishment of the harmony itself accompanied by the basso continuo.
To sum up, the use of simple chord progression, which was used as a fundamental device for melody that is being improvised extensively, and the richness of the instruments are the major point of this legendary aria
ACT IV