Pastiching as Artistic Research: Ifigenia / Ipermestra (Brussels, 2006)*
| 31 dic 2021
Musicology Today
Pasticcio. Ways of arranging attractive operas
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Publicado en línea: 31 dic 2021
Páginas: 148 - 159
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/muso-2021-0014
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© 2021 Bruno Forment, published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Figure 1
Musical Example 1
Music-dramatic contents of Ifigenia
| 1 | Sinfonia | A. Scarlatti / Anonymous | Allegro, 4/4 – Largo e sostenuto, 4/4 – [Andante], 3/8 | D minor | ||
| 2 | Aria ‘Sento un’ aura che dolce respira’ (Diana) | ibid. | Diana beholds the landscape of Aulis and catches a glimpse of sleeping Agamemnon. | Largo e piano – Allegro non presto – Largo e piano, 4/4 | D minor | |
| 3 | Recitative ‘Ma più soffrir non posso’ (Diana) | ibid. | Frustrated because of the King’s peacefulness and her inner turmoil, Diana awakens Agamemnon. | B-flat major ~A minor (V) | ||
| 4a | Accompagnato ‘Alta Diva, che sei Cintia nel cielo’ (Agamennone, Oracolo I & II) | C. H. Graun / Frederick II, Villati | Agamemnon jolts awake. He recalls the situation in which he and his men have found themselves: the Greek ships have been detained in Aulis on their way to Troy. He implores Diana to bring new wind to their sails. | [senza tempo], 4/4 | D major ~ C minor (V) | |
| 4b | Arietta ‘Qual oracol tremendo’ (Agamennone) | ibid. | Out of nowhere, an oracular voice resounds, making Diana’s will known: Agamemnon must sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia for having provoked her wrath. | Allegro, 4/4 | C minor ~ F minor | |
| 5 | Recitative ‘Signor di questa vita’ (Clitennestra, Agamennone, Ifigenia) | ibid. | Clytemnestra appears with Iphigenia. Neither of the two is aware that anything is wrong, but the King has a hard time hiding his unease, especially when Iphigenia comes up with a ‘good idea’: to make a sacrifice. | B minor ~ F major | ||
| 6 | Aria ‘Di questo core’ (Agamennone) | Caldara / Zeno | Non tanto presto, 2/4 | B-flat major | ||
| 7 | Recitative ‘Misera me!’ (Ifigenia) | Jommelli / Anonymous | Perturbed by her father’s sad mood, Iphigenia has a dark premonition. | C major ~ A minor | ||
| 8 | Aria ‘Ritrovo in quei detti’ (Ifigenia) | Conti / Metastasio | [senza tempo], 3/4 | A minor | ||
| 9 | Recitative ‘Il crudo uffizio’ (Ulisse, Clitennestra) | Caldara / Zeno | Odysseus arrives and reveals the oracle’s message, which tears Clytemnestra apart. | A minor ~ F major | ||
| 10 | Aria ‘Prendi quel ferro’ (Clitennestra) | Leo / Salvi | Risoluto, 4/4 / Largo, 3/8 | B-flat major / minor | ||
| 11a | Recitativo ‘È questo il loco del mio supplizio?’ (Oreste) | Jommelli / Verazi | Iphigenia’s brother Orestes appears on the stage. The news of the sacrifice has so upset him that he has become delusional and offers himself as a sacrifice. | B-flat major | ||
| 11b | Scena ‘Per pietà’ (Oreste) | ibid. | Andantino, 6/8 | B-flat major | ||
| 11c | Accompagnato ‘Grazie ai numi, parti’ (Oreste) | ibid. | [senza tempo] – Larghetto – Andante – Allegro – Un poco andante – Con spirito, 4/4 | C major ~ G minor | ||
| 11d | Aria ‘Tardi rimorsi / Odo il suon’ (Oreste) | ibid. | Allegro, 4/4 / Andantino, 6/8 | G minor ~ E-flat major (V) | ||
| 11e | Accompagnato ‘Ah madre!’ (Oreste) | ibid. | Con spirito, 4/4 | C minor ~ G minor (V) | ||
| 11f | Aria ‘Tardi rimorsi’ (Oreste) | ibid. | Tempo di prima [Allegro], 4/4 | G minor | ||
| 12a | Marcia | Jommelli / Anonymous | A mournful procession appears. Iphigenia is wearing sacrificial robes. | Larghetto, 2/2 | E-flat major | |
| 12b | Accompagnato ‘Ahi padre…’ (Ifigenia) | ibid. | Iphigenia resigns herself to her fate and, as befits a Greek princess, faces death with her head held high. Achilles appears and embraces his beloved one last time. | Larghetto – Andante – Larghetto – Allegro (alternated three times) – Con spirito, 4/4 | E-flat major ~ B-flat major | |
| 12c | Aria ‘Pria, che nell’ore estreme’ (Ifigenia) | ibid. | Iphigenia’s grand farewell. | Larghetto, 4/4 | E-flat major |
Music-dramatic contents of Ipermestra
| 1 | Sinfonia | Vinci / Metastasio | Allegro, 4/4 – Largo, 3/4 – Allegro, 6/8 | F major – D minor – F major | ||
| 2a | Recitative ‘Vadasi al genitor: dal labbro mio’ (Ipermestra, Danao) | Hasse / Metastasio | On the very day of her marriage, Hypermnestra learns from her father, King Danaus, that she must kill her fiancé. An oracular spell leads the King to believe that he will be killed by his sons-in-law. | G major ~ F major | ||
| 2b | Recitative ‘Misera, che ascoltai! Son io? Son desta?’ (Ipermestra, Linceo) | Hasse / Metastasio | Touched by these words, Hypermnestra is left alone. At that very moment, the future groom appears, unaware of anything and declaring his love for her. | Un poco lento – Adagio, 4/4 | G minor ~ F major (V) | |
| 3 | Aria ‘Ah non parlar d’amore’ (Ipermestra) | ibid. | Hypermnestra will not hear of love. | [senza tempo], 4/4 | F major | |
| 4a | Recitative ‘Ah Signor, siam perduti’ (Adrasto, Danao) | Hasse / Metastasio | Adrastus tells Danaus that Hypermnestra has revealed her fate to Lynceus. | G minor ~ C major | ||
| 4b | Accompagnato ‘Come vivrai, s’ei muore?’ (Ipermestra, Danao) | Hasse / Metastasio | The princess tries to persuade her father to withdraw from the nefarious plan, but Danaus remains stubborn and forbids his daughter to deal with the prince any longer. | [senza tempo] – Un poco lento, 4/4 | G minor ~ E major | |
| 5 | Aria ‘Non hai cor per un’ impresa’ (Danao) | ibid. | Danaus saddles Hypermnestra with guilt. | Allegrissimo, 4/4 | B minor / D major | |
| 6 | Recitative ‘Ebbi la vita in dono’ (Ipermestra) | Hasse / Metastasio | Hypermnestra is faced with the gruesome dilemma: either she obeys her father and kills Lynceus, or she chooses her betrothed and lets her father die. | G major ~ C major | ||
| 7 | Aria ‘Ombra diletta’ (Ipermestra) | Conti / Metastasio | Hypermnestra invokes the ghost of her soon-to-be dead father. | Largo, 4/4 | F minor | |
| 8 | Recitative ‘Olà, custodi’ (Ipermestra, Danao) | Hasse / Metastasio | Hardly has Hypermnestra moved but one foot when her father is back with a group of guards to capture Lynceus. | A major ~ A-flat major | ||
| 9 | Aria ‘Or del tuo ben la sorte’ (Danao) | Hasse / Metastasio | Andante, 3/4 | C minor | ||
| 10 | Recitative ‘Ah qual tumulto!’ (Ipermestra, Danao, Linceo, Plistene) | Hasse / Metastasio | Against all odds, Lynaeus and Pleisthenes appear armed, overpowering Danaus, who is protected by his daughter. Moved by his daughter’s generosity, Danaus pardons her and Lynceus, and abdicates. | E-flat major ~ G major | ||
| 11 | Aria col coro ‘Se un core annodi’ (Linceo, tutti) | Caldara / Metastasio | Lynceus and the other characters sing about Cupid’s power. | Allegro, 3/8 | G major |