Aria comparison Essay example

Submitted By Nadnerb6969
Words: 777
Pages: 4
Open Document
Brendan Pegg
HT: Classical
Mrs. Poriss
1/29/15

Handel’s Giulio Cesare

The two arias “Svegliatevi nel cor,” and “Tutto può donna vezzosa” from Handel’s Giulio Cesare both contain the common theme of want and longing. Both lead singers are verbalizing their strong desire for a specific thing. In the case of Sesto, he is seeking revenge for the untimely demise of his father, Pompey. Cleopatra on the other hand does not want justice, but instead wishes to use Ptolomey’s betrayal of Pompey to gain Cesare’s trust, and gain sole possession of the throne. Handel creates a nervous tension in Sesto’s aria to portray the racing thoughts of a young man who has just lost his father. In Cleopatra’s aria the music is much more upbeat, and the 3/4 meter creates a driving downbeat that pushes the music forward. Although both characters are in search of doing something they believe to be right, Sesto is motivated by anger, and Cleopatra by greed.

Sesto is the lead singer of the first Aria, he is the son of Pompey and Cornelia. At the start of Act I Sesto learns that Ptolomey, one of Cesare’s high ranking officials, has murdered his father and cut off his head. Sesto feels great anger and seeks vengeance on Ptolomey, which he states at the end of the first strophe singing: “To wreak bitter vengeance upon a traitor!” Sesto even takes a pause between the third and fourth line of the first strophe to emphasize how big of a “traitor” Ptolomey is. However; the aria shifts moods when the second strophe begins, introducing the unsung section. Feelings of anger and angst are replaced by sadness and despair; the orchestra softens and the once strong sense of meter fades away as the text becomes the main focus. The feeling of the second strophe is much more reflective than the first, and words such as “severity” are emphasized to portray the seriousness of the matter. This continues until around the 2:40 mark when the first strophe repeats and the strings become more prominent once again. Sesto is then able to leave in an enraged mood to revenge his father’s death. The lead singer of the second aria is Cleopatra, and the audience is introduced to her in her palace in Alexandria. The theme of this Aria is similar to the first in that Cleopatra is singing about something she desires. Although instead of being motivated by anger she is motivated by greed. The audience is able to hear that Cleopatra is a very proud woman whom believes she will easily be able to win Cesare’s aid, and gain possession of the throne. She is singing of how any task is doable if you are a lovely woman, slowing down to sing “amarosa,” a reference to her as a “lovely woman.”

From a musical standpoint Handel does a great job in setting the specific mood for each aria. At the beginning of “Svegliatevi nel cor” the music creates an unsettling mood, and Sesto’s voice creates more anxiety as the piece builds.
Show More

Related Documents: Aria comparison Essay example

Nessum Dorma Pavarotti Essay

For example he performed his signature aria Nessun Dorma from the Puccini`s lebretto “Turandot” at the opening ceremony the 1990th FIFA World Cup in Italy as the most wanted superstar (Pareles). But regular people might not even know that Turandot is the name of a beautiful cold­hearted femme fatale princess, who was asking every prince who wanted to marry her to solve three riddles, and if he was not able to do it, he was ordered to be beheaded. And Pavarotti sings this aria as Calaf, the "Unknown Prince"…

Words 820 - Pages 4

Bach Performance Critique

the aria, where Jesus and the soul are conversing in a duet. Jesus is represented by the baritone soloist and the soul is represented by the soprano soloist (Knowles 2003). Accompanying this duet is an obbligato violin, which is said to “represent the flowing of anointing oil,” which is mentioned in the text and would have been used in this marriage ceremony (Graham and…

Words 981 - Pages 4

VRM Pharm Report 1 Essay

neurotransmitter reuptake in cholinergic synapses within the central nervous system and in neuromuscular junctions This enzyme has a particularly high specificity for acetylcholine, and can degrade roughly 5000 molecules of the neurotransmitter every second (Arias et al, 2010). Acetylcholine is a vital neurotransmitter within the body that allows for depolarization of the nerve cell, leading to the effect of muscle contraction. AChE serves to degrade ACh in the synapse so as to prevent muscle fatigue, which…

Words 2782 - Pages 12

Burnout Syndrome Paper

Burnout Syndrome: Intervention and Prevention in the Human Service Field Brittany R. McIntyre Upper Iowa University Abstract Employee burnout is getting increased attention in the human service field. Burnout Syndrome is a prolonged response to exhaustion and stressors in the workplace. This syndrome can cause a person to feel exhausted and overworked, resulting in the employee feeling ineffective at his or her position. In this paper the dimensions of Burnout Syndrome will be covered, as well…

Words 5770 - Pages 24

Assignment: Pricing and Lg Essay

consumer to frequently purchase a new television. People would not purchase a new television on a regular occasion, since the price would be, to most people, a large proportion of their income. Furthermore, consumers would be doing more research and comparisons to other competing products in order to make an informed decision. Since this product features a new production method (OLED), people would be excited or have a positive attitude towards product. Geographical LG sells to retailers worldwide,…

Words 2205 - Pages 9

Mexican Health Paradox Essay

What Role Does the Mexican Health Paradox Play on Health Today? What Role Does the Mexican Health Paradox Play on Health Today? What is it like to be a Mexican American in the modern United States? Asking this question, one can easily encounter various stereotypes. Often times it is associated with illegal immigration, these people can be caught in the middle of racial attacks and deprivations. The protesters might have forgotten about the history when Mexicans helped the American…

Words 7506 - Pages 31

tech work analysis Essay

structure in classical western music, appearing as early as Gregorian chant. Often the first section ‘A’ is repeated before the first ‘B’ section before coming backing to another section ‘A’ this approach was prevalent in the eighteenth century operatic arias called ‘De Capo’ loosely translated as repeat from the top. The structure of Til I Hear You Sing is in this form: Introduction, Bars 1-4 (with anacrusis). The introduction is cut down from the full introduction. This motif is repeated often in the…

Words 4432 - Pages 18

The Relevancy of Musical Theater Essay

Greek productions. Normally, it would take the form of an interlude or closing of each act. At the turn of the 17th century, opera began in Italy. Considered to be the foundation for musicals as we know them today, there was no spoken dialogue; arias carried the dramatics of the plot. In the Victorian era, English operettas were produced offering much lighter styles and themes than its Italian roots, often including some articulated conversation. Gilbert and Sullivan had a strong influence in both…

Words 2595 - Pages 11

Essay on The Wiggles

PA R T D go online Go online to <www.pearsoned.com.au/fletcher> to find more case studies. CASE STUDY D The Wiggles Dr Susan Dann, consultant INTRODUCTION © 2007 The Wiggles Pty Ltd OVERVIEW—THE WIGGLES The Wiggles is a band that targets the children’s music market and consists of four members who dress in distinctive, colourful outfits. The original members of the group, identified by the colour of their costumes, were Jeff Fatt (purple), Anthony Field (blue), Murray Cook (red) and Greg Page…

Words 3193 - Pages 13

Eggshell Membrane Reduces Joint Pain Essay

Eggshell Membrane Reduces Joint Pain John M BERaRdi, Phd, CSCS Copyright 2012 by Precision Nutrition Inc. all rights reserved. no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. in other words, don’t copy any of our work, sell it for profit, or pass it off as your own. That would be wrong. But you already knew that…

Words 4526 - Pages 19