The work:
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Le Nozze di Figaro ossia la folle giornata (KV 492)
Dramma giocoso in quattro atti
(Burgtheater Vienna, 1-May-1786)
(The Marriage of Figaro)
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(*27-Jan-1756 Salzburg, +5-Dec-1791 Vienna)

Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte (Emanuele Conegliano)
(*10-Mar-1749 Ceneda, +17-Aug-1838 New York)

based on the comedy "Le mariage de Figaro" (Paris, 1784) by
Beaumarchais (Pierre Augustin Caron)
(*24-Jan-1732 Paris, +19-May-1799 Paris)

Transcribed from G. Ricordi & C. Editori, Milano 1985
by Michael Bednarek [mb@nrhs.health.nsw.gov.au]

Background:
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The score I used is much more than a piano excerpt; in fact, I'm convinced
that some parts are unplayable: it really is a condensed orchestral score.

I transcribed these pieces for the pleasure of seeing W.A. Mozart at work and,
my own practical instrumental skills being limited, making the sounds come
to live. I'm grateful to the author of "Mozart", a notation program like no
other in its very pleasing method of using the computer keyboard economically
to enter a musical score.

The piece:
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Aria - No.12: "Venite, inginocchiatevi!" (Soprano)
Atto II, Seguito della Scena II.

Susanna and the Countess dress Cherubino in women's clothes, so he doesn't have
to join the army and can attend the the festivities later that day. Susanna
does most of the disguise and gives advice on posture and stance, while
Cherubino still languishes for the Countess, for whom he just sang a
canzonetta (No.11). The contradictions and delicacies in Cherubino's role could
not be any greater than in this aria: a boy, sung by a woman, being disguised
as a girl and having to act as a boy playing a girl.

As with most pieces I did for "Nozze", the orchestra is represented by MIDI
instrument 49 "String Ensemble 1"; Susanna is 69 "Oboe". Spatial orientation
has the high strings left, low strings right, Susanna slightly to the right.

Details:
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We see in this aria W.A. Mozart's close collaboration with his librettist and
how his composition illustrates -and merges with- the action on stage. This is
most obvious in bars 81ff, when the disguising game is followed by Susanna
turning to the Countess and describes Cherubino in rather gushing terms.

There are a lot of recitativo-like passages for the soloist during which the
orchestra engages in some concertanto, followed by wonderful little melodic
phrases. In fact, in this rather short aria (111 bars) W.A. Mozart presents an
incredible number of themes and phrases.

The thematic phrases are quite different for soloist and orchestra: it is not
until bar 96 that they are unison with the same theme. This independent treat-
ment for soloist and orchestra demonstrates W.A. Mozart's rich store of musical
ideas: it's not enough to use its material one after the other, it has to be
done simultaneously.

The first orchestral theme is extremely simple: a descending glissando of three
secondal notes, repeated ascending three times, the third repetition on the
octave of the original, closed by three falling eights, again in seconds, the
last chord in D major (the piece is written as G major). However, this theme
is never used again. The same is true for Susanna's first theme: a nice canta-
bile with a dotted rhythm, modulated a second higher and closed on the dominant
(G maj). By that time, the orchestra has already introduced its second theme:
(anacrucis bar 11) another cantabile of five eighth notes followed by a little
dotted figure, stretched over one and a half octaves (an undecime). This theme
will eventually be picked up by the soloist in bar 96. When Susanna starts her
recitativo-like instructions, the orchestra has introduced yet another phrase:
four rising and three falling eights, followed by quick repetitions and orna-
ments around G. And just before Susanna gets her second melodic phrase (bar 25),
the orchestra introduces yet another phrase: three bars falling a sept and one
bar rising a sext. This theme is later used also in a minor key. While the
orchestra plays the undecime theme, Susanna gets a new melody in bar 39/40,
whith a repeat in bar 49/50, and slightly varied in bar 52.

I find bar 74 particularly fascinating for the strings' little chromatic figure
which occurs only here.

Late in the aria, two more ideas are presented: a -not quite unison- falling
and rising staccato (bars 103ff), and a solo using triplets for rhythm and
broken G major chords for melody, resembling hunting horn calls, not unlike the
ones used in No.9 (Non pił andrai), bars 99 and 109, where Figaro paints life in
the army for poor Cherubino.

I am grateful for notification of any mistakes I may have made, or just for a
brief email from anyone who used this file.

December 2006: Following the publication of the complete scores of W.A. Mozart
by the International Stiftung Mozarteum, I transcribed W.A. Mozart's piano re-
duction of K.579, Un moto di gioia, which was first used as an alternative to
this aria in the production of 1789.

Michael Bednarek
mb@mbednarek.com http://mbednarek.com/