One of Mozart's most enduring operas, Le nozze di Figaro
premiered with much success on May 1, 1786. It was Mozart's first collaboration
with the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, who would later provide the librettos for
Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni. Based on a stage play by Pierre
Beaumarchais that had been banned in Vienna for its satirical treatment of the
aristocracy, Le nozze di Figaro nevertheless became one of Mozart's most
successful operas.
The aria "Non so più cosa son" ("I no longer know what
I am") from Act I is an example of aria agitata, a common form of aria
in both opera seria and opera buffa during the 18th
century. The aria agitata was sung in a breathless manner and, musically,
possessed a rapid accompaniment with offbeat accents. In the case of "Non so
più cosa son," the aria is sung by Cherubino, a young teenage page in the
service of Count Almaviva. He admits his growing interest in women and that he
cannot help but think and speak of love. Towards the end of the aria, on the
words "E se non ho chim'oda" ("And if no one is near to hear
me"), the tempo slows from the original Allegro vivace to an Adagio,
creating a brief moment of melancholy. However, the breathless Allegro pace
resumes on the final line ("I speak of love to myself") to close the aria. Joseph
DuBose
Classical Music | Mezzo-Soprano
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Non so più cosa son, from The Marriage of Figaro Play
Recorded on 10/14/2009, uploaded on 05/03/2010
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
One of Mozart's most enduring operas, Le nozze di Figaro premiered with much success on May 1, 1786. It was Mozart's first collaboration with the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, who would later provide the librettos for Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni. Based on a stage play by Pierre Beaumarchais that had been banned in Vienna for its satirical treatment of the aristocracy, Le nozze di Figaro nevertheless became one of Mozart's most successful operas.
The aria "Non so più cosa son" ("I no longer know what I am") from Act I is an example of aria agitata, a common form of aria in both opera seria and opera buffa during the 18th century. The aria agitata was sung in a breathless manner and, musically, possessed a rapid accompaniment with offbeat accents. In the case of "Non so più cosa son," the aria is sung by Cherubino, a young teenage page in the service of Count Almaviva. He admits his growing interest in women and that he cannot help but think and speak of love. Towards the end of the aria, on the words "E se non ho chi m'oda" ("And if no one is near to hear me"), the tempo slows from the original Allegro vivace to an Adagio, creating a brief moment of melancholy. However, the breathless Allegro pace resumes on the final line ("I speak of love to myself") to close the aria. Joseph DuBoseMore music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Soave sia il vento, from Così fan tutte
Rondo in D Major, K. 485
Hostias from Requiem K.626
Concerto No.21 Do major 2nd moviment
Sonata in D Major
Benedictus from Requiem K. 626
12 Variations in C Major on “Ah, vous dirai-je Maman” K. 265
Piano Concerto 12 KV 414 (1ºmov)
Piano Sonata No. 8 in a minor, K 310
Dies Irae from Requiem K. 626
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