'Non tardar amato bene' Completed. But Not by Mozart Author(s): John Platoff Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 132, No. 1785 (Nov., 1991), pp. 557-560 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/966209 Accessed: 20-03-2019 14:09 UTC JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at https://about.jstor.org/terms Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Musical Times This content downloaded from 140.182.176.13 on Wed, 20 Mar 2019 14:09:41 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms to cope with the musical-dramatic imperative which he operatic medium further in this direction - did the had set himself. In the longer run we could look to the agenda of October 1781 last, although perpetually even more ambitious and extended declamatory frustrated by the existing theatrical conditions? It is episodes in the two finales of Die Zauberflite, but we possible, but at the same time he evidently also came to might also note a certain stylistic continuity between realize that there were methods of exploiting those them and that in Die Entfuihrung. conditions for serious artistic ends which were as yet Was Mozart in later years still hoping to take the invisible to him in October 1781. 'Non tardar amato bene' completed - but not by Mozart John Platoff In the last act of Le nozze de Figaro, Susanna sings her the same text that Mozart abandoned: 'Non tardar so-called 'Garden aria', 'Deh vieni non tardar'. This amato bene'.4 Its music of course differs from Mozart's, piece, which she really addresses to Figaro while despite the common key and the typical stylistic teasing him by pretending to be awaiting the Count, is features of the rond6. But this discovery raises further rightly hailed as one of the loveliest pieces in the opera. questions: how did Righini wind up setting a text But its final form was not arrived at without difficulty. It written for Mozart, and how could a text designed for a is clear from the autograph score that Mozart and his different opera fit successfully into II demogorgone? librettist Da Ponte originally planned a rond6 for To evaluate why Mozart abandoned 'Non tardar' we Susanna, on the text 'Non tardar amato bene'. The must consider the nature of the operatic rond6.5 By the composer drafted the introductory accompanied reci- late 18th century the rond6 was the standard show- tative and sketched 36 bars of a rond6 in E-flat before piece aria for a leading female singer. It was an extended abandoning the project.' Only near the very end piece of in two tempos - slow, then fast - that gave the Figaro's composition, according to Alan Tyson, sopranodid an opportunity to show off both her sustained Mozart decide on the 6/8 aria in F - 'Deh vieni non cantabile singing and her agility in rapid coloratura tardar' - that we hear today. Tyson notes that apassages. sketch The main theme of each section of a rondb for 'Deh vieni' is found on the same page as a sketch was forrepeated at least once. In the slow section, and the opera's overture, 'surely a sign that it was writtenperhaps the Allegro as well, this invited the singer to very late'. Moreover there is evidence in the autograph embellish the theme upon its return. Frequently the that the order of the final two arias before the Act IV themes of the two sections were related melodically; finale, for Figaro and Susanna, was originally reversed: frequently, as well, they depended on an underlying that Susanna's aria, initially to be the rond6 in E-flat, gavotte rhythm. As for the text, it was a generalized was to precede Figaro's. Figaro's aria, 'Aprite un expression po' of emotional feelings, almost invariably quegl'occhi', which is in E-flat, would also presumably comprising three quatrains of 'ottonario' (see the text of have to have been in another key, to avoid consecutive 'Non tardar' below). Typically the slow part of a rond6 numbers in E-flat.2 set the first two quatrains in ABA fashion, with the first All this leaves us with a question or two. Why did quatrain used for the main theme and its return. The Mozart abandon Susanna's rond6? Was the tonal plan a Allegro then used the final quatrain for its main theme, primary reason, or were there other factors? How did with earlier text repeated as needed for the contrasting the matter of Figaro's aria fit into the decision? But material within the section. before grappling with these matters we should take Because the rond6 was a piece essentially imported note of a surprising discovery in another Viennese from opera seria, it was not always clear in an opera opera from the same year. buffa who should sing one. For while the rond6 was the On 12 July 1786, about two months after the first showpiece owed to the prima donna it was more performance of Le nozze de Figaro, the Burgtheater appropriate for seria or noble characters than comic presented its third new opera of the season: II demogor- ones. In Cosi fan tutte, for instance, Fiordiligi and gone, ovvero II filosofo confuso, with a libretto by Da Ponte Dorabella are virtually equivalent roles in size and and music by Vincenzo Righini.3 In Act II, just before importance; yet only Fiordiligi, the more serious of the the last finale, the leading soprano character Lesbina sisters, sings a rond6 ('Per pieta, ben mio, perdona'). In sang an accompanied recitative and rond6 in E-flat. My Don Giovanni the sole rond6 ('Non mi dir, bell' idol mio') examination of the Viennese libretto and the manu- is sung by Donna Anna; Zerlina, though her role is as script score reveals that Righini's rondb sets precisely substantial, is clearly a buffa part, and Donna Elvira is 557 This content downloaded from 140.182.176.13 on Wed, 20 Mar 2019 14:09:41 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms -:-:----:--:.-_-:-r:-::::-_---:: -::::::: :: :::::::: -:l~---:----_--i~l_-_:-: ::-:--::--.... ......:r ii- ..... ... .. .. ....-.-..--- ::::::::-: ::~iiiji ij ljil~-i .. iiiii .i-~ l . I i~ lr~rii l iii~j~~~i-?: ?~::''i~ ~ ;ii :::111:::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::: :':IiiiijjIilj'll~ :::::: :::?~:-::::---::: :::::::: :::::?::::_: ;l~: il~~ii i~ ~,i'-~iiii .......... .. ........ iiij'l~ii :::::::::::::::::: : ::::-:::.::l 1 :i_111 I- I: :. - .:I . .. .. i:::::-_:.::::::1::::1' iil:i l-iii:-_:::: li:::- :: ::_'l::~l-i: : ::~ lii::---l_1:-:. 1 Illlll:li?:l::ii-l:-::- :-_:l::i'?:I:_:--- I?::. ::':: 1::- ::...... ........i:---I . --:-ii I- :. ::: _: -j.: _j __- : -I- :::--:i ::--I:- :: -:-_: :--::I::-::-::i::-: _ : :? ::- ::::i::~:: ?_:: :::: ::::::-::_ :_ i?- ?l: _,I~--:li- lll~ll~l:il-::: lIl::-:i::i~:::::::: ::::1::_: 11 :1:::::- :::::: ::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::I~i::::::l~::::::::' I-::::::::~: lili~i::ll (:lll'llll:il~~il::-: ll :l~:::~l::::~ l::i ':l''l l...........ili~~i 4k:- iiiiiiiiiiiii jiiiir ?iii~ lii lIlll l::::: I:.II~i::~ lli iiiiii ililiijilijiiiiiiijjjij ::: 34 .... ~i~i~i ~...... :::::::::::~1: ...... ...... .......... .... : .1 -1. 1-.......i-::i: 4 - , 34:-~.::i.li?.ii-l:l~li:: :il:::: rl:::~ ~i:~Zi~i ? ~#i ":1:~??i:-::_:~:::::: .............~jj: "lowj-rr-;ii?"?i?j::::lg . ......... ........... ............ .......... .. ..........~ii~i~b ~ ~ i i;. :::: :~ -: ::- ::: :I:-:::::?::::: :_:__:_: ::: . :::::::::::::......... ....::::: :R~l:":. .......... .... .........j: ~: ~~ ....... ... .. .... ......... ............ ..... ...... ::::? ~ ii i ib1:::i~:2z:.. ....... .......:-::a:::::: :::::::::b ~ j~iii~jjijii . ... ........ ...... ....... .. .......llll .1 l:??~~nl:?::i:-?4"T .. ............:::::::: ~l~r~":~ii~~i-'~i::j~iii ........ ......... .......:::::::: :::::-_ ::::::::::: a::::::?::::::?:-::::-:::i:f:............. : : Vocal opening to Righini's 'Non tardar amato bene' Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in der Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin-Musikabteilung. mezzo carattere. humiliated at its end by the clever plotting of the These concerns seem relevant to Mozart's change women. ofThe target of Da Ponte's derision in this libretto heart about Susanna's rond6. On the one hand is Nancythe Abbate Giambattista Casti, a talented poet who Storace, who played Susanna, was the indisputable had written librettos for three recent operatic successes female star of the Italian opera in Vienna. Her in audienceVienna and was a dangerous rival for Da Ponte's job." was certainly accustomed to hearing her sing Daa rond6.6Ponte's endless and unsubtle jabs at the foolish And the rond6 was typically sung late in the philosopher last act, evidently made for a long evening, for the either soon before or immediately before the opera last (like act Righini's previous effort in Vienna) received finale7 - in short just where Susanna's aria was only to be.four On performances. the other hand Susanna is no seria figure, no noble Because lady; of the relatively nonspecific character of she is a chambermaid. Le nozze di Figaro has a noble 'Non tardarlady, amato bene' - typical of the high-flown in the person of the Countess, and she has generalities had her of a rondb text - Da Ponte could work it into rond6: 'Dove sono i bei momenti' in Act III.his newDaniel libretto without much difficulty. When she Heartz points out that here in the last act 'Susanna sings it Lesbinais is alone. She has been quarreling with disguised as the countess, so it is not unreasonable Ricciardo that and knows that he will soon arrive to beg her she should put on airs and sing something forgiveness.