Mozart’s Approach to Opera
A comparison between "La Ci Darem La Mano" and "Ho Capito"
Jul 1, 2007
Mozart’s Approach to Opera Duet and Aria
A duet - either of two singers or of two instruments - hosts a conversation between the two participants in which they reveal concurring or differing perspectives on a subject. In a romantic duet - where the participants are lovers, and the subject is their love, the conversation between the two sheds light on their perspectives on what love is, but more importantly, where their love is and where it is going. Giovanni and Zerlina's romantic duet "La Ci Darem La Mano" in Mozart's opera Don Giovanni is exemplary for its effectiveness in portraying the subtle differences in the lovers' perspectives, and showing the progress of their love - from seduction to scandal - all within the duet; the composition of the duet takes advantage of a variant of sonata form that allows both participants a chance to express their own perspectives on the subject - double-exposition form.
Unlike the traditional A B A' sonata form, the schematic map of double-exposition form is A A' B A'; in the double-exposition form, the exposition is repeated with new material before the development and recapitulation. Mozart uses this repetition of exposition in "La Ci Darem La Mano" as a way to give Giovanni and Zerlina time and a chance to make statements on their newfound love; Mozart dedicates exposition A to Giovanni and exposition A' to Zerlina. Lines exchanged by the couple and the accompanying galant musical material in the exposition sections of the opera duet "La Ci Darem La Mano" tells of the slight difference in the couple's respective perspectives, but at the same time, foretells that the differences will overcome and develop into a joint romance in the development section of the duet.
In expsition A, with the lines "There [in the villa] you’ll give me your hand, There you’ll tell me yes! You see, it isn’t far. Let’s go there, my dear!", Giovanni seduces Zerlina with straightforward gusto. In return, in exposition A', Zerlina expresses her hesitation to accept Giovanni's invitation. Zerlina's lines in exposition A', "I want to, yet I don’t want to; My heart is trembling a little; It’s true, I would be happy, but he could be joking with me.", show both her anticipation for an unexpected adventurous love and her doubt that Giovanni's love for her is sincere. Although Zerlina's lines explicitly tell her ambivalence toward Giovanni's invitation, the musical accompaniment foretells the coming of Zerlina's submission to her overwhelming anticipation; Mozart, by composing both parts primarily in the same galant melody and tonic, signals the audience that Zerlina's wishes are not very different from Giovanni's, and she will probably give in to Giovanni's seduction. The galant - or light and joyous - musical accompaniment of the duet is a sign that heralds the positive future of Giovanni and Zerlina for it is flooded with coyness, and lacks seriousness - the tone of the general mood in "La Ci Darem La Mano".
But even when the duet reaches the development section B of "La Ci Darem La Mano", Zerlina's inner conflict, 'to go or not to go', still remains unsolved; it is not until the end of the development section B where Zerlina submits to her desire and Giovanni's advances. The following exchange shows Zerlina's progress from being reluctant to being indulgent:
Giovanni: Come, my darling!
Zerlina: I’m sorry for Masetto…
Giovanni: I shall change your lot!
Zerlina: All of a sudden I’m weakening…
Zerlina's words in the development section B reveals both her growing guilt and and weakening scruples as Giovanni tempts her further - a sign of continuation of her ambivalence. Also, compared to the rising volume of the music accompanying Giovanni's pressures, the music accompanying Zerlina's answers to his pressures weakens in volume - also a sign of Zerlina's continuing indecision. However, the fact that Zerlina repeats her last line, "I'm weakening", three times, that the music shifts away from the tonic key to the second key, and that the two characters begin to exchange lines more rapidly in the development section B signifies that Zerlina and Giovanni's romantic relationship is progressing, rapidly.
The conflict between Zerlina and Giovanni begins to resolve when the duet reaches recapitulation. In the recapitulation section A', the lines and musical material from the exposition sections A and A' are repeated with minor modification; Zerlina and Giovanni share a dialogue, a line after a line. The fact that Zerlina and Giovanni are exchanging lines in this new manner that resembles a dialogue in the recapitulation signifies that Zerlina is beginning to open up, and the two are starting to converse. The accompanying music also hails the success of Giovanni's seduction; the harmony returns to the original tonic key and remains in the tonic until the end of the duet, creating a triumphant sensation in the music.
When duet leaves the recapitulation and enters the coda, the audience is informed that Giovanni and Zerlina are beginning to conjoin; Giovanni's and Zerlina's arias begin to overlap. The overlaps extend during the coda, and at the end of the coda when Giovanni and Zerlina sing at the same time “Andiam!" - "Let us go!", the audience is told both musically and literally that Giovanni and Zerlina has finally united. And after a short pause following the coda, in the final short section of “La Ci Darem La Mano” - section 2 allegro, the galant melody softens as if to symbolize the gentle and tender nature of love. The line from section 2 - "Let us go, my dear, and relieve the pangs of an innocent love." - sung repeatedly by both lovers compliments the delicate galant melody, and highlights the much awaited resolution of the conflict with the rest-assured unification of Giovanni and Zerlina.
In “La Ci Darem La Mano”, Mozart employs the double-exposition format with a coda, giving strength to the conflict through the repetition of musical and textual materials and giving a sense of closure in the end through the return to the tonic key - "the key of the piece". Because the effect of the return to the opening material and the tonic key is so pleasurable, one might rightfully assume it is essential and necessary to all classical music. However, Mozart disproves this viewpoint by avoiding such return, repetition, and the well-rounded A B A format in composing “Ho Capito,” Masetto’s aria in Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. "Ho Capito", in contrast to "La Ci Darem La Mano", lacks a return to its opening material, and only four of its lines repeat. Furthermore, although the piece indeed permeates great intensity and power, the entire piece is relatively short compared to "La Ci Darem La Mano". Mozart's such conspicuous composition of Massetto's aria is purposefully intended to maximize the portrayal of Massetto's raw and untamed emotion of betrayal.
"Ho Capito" is Massetto's - Zerlina's fiance's - aria in response to Don Giovanni's seduction of Zerlina and Zerlina's favorable reaction to the seduction. In the aria, Massetto freely lets on his angst and fury toward his fiance's unacceptable infidelity, but repeating only few lines of the text and not returning to the opening material. The lack of excessive repetition of the previously introduced text and material - unlike the excessive repetitions observed in "La Ci Darem La Mano" - brings about the simple and expressive nature of unexpected anger; his inexcessive repetition of the line “No doubt this fine lord will make you his fine lady, too!” does not undermine but rather sharpen the natural expression of angst and desperateness. Massetto's desperate will to distress Zerlina, for he has been hurt by her betrayal, only repeats until his will is expressed. On the other hand, the structural design of "Ho Capito" without a return to the tonic key creates a sense open-endedness, which corresponds to the point in the plot where the aria is introduced. The short length of the aria further effectuates the unsolved conflict - Zerlina's infidelity - and leaves the audience without a sense of proper closure, which is necessary in that specific moment in the plot.
