The Comic Servant in Mozart's Operas, Abram Loft

8/10/2019 The Comic Servant in Mozart's Operas, Abram Loft

1/15

The Comic Servant in Mozart's OperasAuthor(s): Abram LoftSource: The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 32, No. 3 (Jul., 1946), pp. 376-389Published by: Oxford University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/739197.

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2/15

THE

COMIC

SERVANT

IN

MOZART'S

OPERAS

By

ABRAM

LOFT

i.

How

ridiculous and

strange;

What a

monstruous

proposition,

That I

should

condescend

to

change

My

dress,

my

name,

and

my

condition,

To

follow

Xanthias,

and

behave

Like a

mortal and

a

slave;

To be set

to watch

outside

While he

wallow'd in

his

pride,

Tumbling on a purple bed;

While

I

waited with

submission,

To receive

a

broken

head;

Or be kicked

upon

suspicion

Of

impertinence

and

peeping

At

the

joys

that

he was

reaping.

2.

Gaily

he

within is

sporting,

I must

keep

off all

intrusion,

For his

lordship

needs

seclusion;

I

myself

will

go

acourting,

I the

gentleman

will

play,

But with him

no more

I'll

stay.

T

HE

two

bits of dramatic verse that

appear

above

will,

it is

hoped,

impress

the

reader

for

the

similarity

of

their

spirit

and

content.

Each

passage

apparently expresses

a

grumbling

protest

against

the

unhappy

life

of

the

serving-man.

Aside from

differences

in poetic detail, the twin excerpts might almost be thought to come

from

the

mouth

of one

and

the same

protagonist.

And

yet,

it is

sur-

prising

to

realize

that

each is

separated

from the

other

by

a

span

of

two

thousand

years;

the first is Bacchus's

speech

from

Aeschylus's

The

Frogs (c.

405

B.C.),1

while the second

is from

Leporello's part

in

da

Ponte's

libretto for Mozart's Don Giovanni

(1787)

.2

This

correspondence

in detail between

two

plays

so distant

from

each

other

in time

may

help

dramatize

the statement that the

servant

1

Lane

Cooper

(ed.),

Ten

Greek

Plays,

New

York,

1936,

p.

383.

2 Mozart, Don Giovanni, English version by Natalia MacFarren, Schirmer edition,

p.

8.

376

THE

COMIC

SERVANT

IN

MOZART'S

OPERAS

By

ABRAM

LOFT

i.

How

ridiculous and

strange;

What a

monstruous

proposition,

That I

should

condescend

to

change

My

dress,

my

name,

and

my

condition,

To

follow

Xanthias,

and

behave

Like a

mortal and

a

slave;

To be set

to watch

outside

While he

wallow'd in

his

pride,


While

I

waited with

submission,

To receive

a

broken

head;

Or be kicked

upon

suspicion

Of

impertinence

and

peeping

At

the

joys

that

he was

reaping.

2.

Gaily

he

within is

sporting,

I must

keep

off all

intrusion,

For his

lordship

needs

seclusion;

I

myself

will

go

acourting,

I the

gentleman

will

play,

But with him

no more

I'll

stay.

T

HE

two


appear

above

will,

it is

hoped,

impress

the

reader

for

the

similarity

of

their

spirit

and

content.

Each

passage


a

grumbling

protest

against

the

unhappy

life

of

the

serving-man.

Aside from

differences


from

the

mouth

of one

and

the same

protagonist.

And

yet,

it is

sur-

prising

to

realize

that

each is

separated

from the

other

by

a

span

of

two

thousand

years;


speech

from

Aeschylus's

The

Frogs (c.

405

B.C.),1

while the second

is from

Leporello's part

in

da

Ponte's


(1787)

.2

This

correspondence

in detail between

two

plays

so distant

from

each

other

in time

may

help

dramatize


servant

1

Lane

Cooper

(ed.),

Ten

Greek

Plays,

New

York,

1936,

p.

383.


p.

8.

376

THE

COMIC

SERVANT

IN

MOZART'S

OPERAS

By

ABRAM

LOFT

i.

How

ridiculous and

strange;

What a

monstruous

proposition,

That I

should

condescend

to

change

My

dress,

my

name,

and

my

condition,

To

follow

Xanthias,

and

behave

Like a

mortal and

a

slave;

To be set

to watch

outside

While he

wallow'd in

his

pride,


While

I

waited with

submission,

To receive

a

broken

head;

Or be kicked

upon

suspicion

Of

impertinence

and

peeping

At

the

joys

that

he was

reaping.

2.

Gaily

he

within is

sporting,

I must

keep

off all

intrusion,

For his

lordship

needs

seclusion;

I

myself

will

go

acourting,

I the

gentleman

will

play,

But with him

no more

I'll

stay.

T

HE

two


appear

above

will,

it is

hoped,

impress

the

reader

for

the

similarity

of

their

spirit

and

content.

Each

passage


a

grumbling

protest

against

the

unhappy

life

of

the

serving-man.

Aside from

differences


from

the

mouth

of one

and

the same

protagonist.

And

yet,

it is

sur-

prising

to

realize

that

each is

separated

from the

other

by

a

span

of

two

thousand

years;


speech

from

Aeschylus's

The

Frogs (c.

405

B.C.),1

while the second

is from

Leporello's part

in

da

Ponte's


(1787)

.2

This

correspondence

in detail between

two

plays

so distant

from

each

other

in time

may

help

dramatize


servant

1

Lane

Cooper

(ed.),

Ten

Greek

Plays,

New

York,

1936,

p.

383.


p.

8.

376

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


3/15

The Comic

Servant in

Mozart's

Operas

he Comic

Servant in

Mozart's

Operas

he Comic

Servant in

Mozart's

Operas

-sometimes shown

as

the Fool or

Clown,

and

again

as

the

cunning

valet-has

always

been

prominent

among

the stock

figures

that make

up

the

stage

family.

It is

impossible

to

present

here

a

detailed

study

of

the Fool's

long

history.

Suffice

it

to

point

out

that,

springing

as

he does from

the

very

roots

of

human

thought and

culture,

the Fool

may

be

traced

on

his

journey

from

the ancient

fertility

rites

through

the

Dionysiac

revels of

ancient

Greece,

into

the

amphitheater

of

Greek

comedy,

on to

the

stage

of Roman

farce,

along

the roadsides

and

village

squares

of medieval

Europe,

into

the

Church,

the

courts

of

the

nobility,

and

the

lowly

tavern,

through

the

amateur

plays

of

the townsfolk

and

craft

guilds,

and

to

the more

polished perform-

ances of the 16th-century Italian commedia dell'arte and the English

theatrical

troupes.

At

the

beginning

of

the

17th

century,

the

Fool

represents,

as

always,

a

combination of

the most

diverse characteristics.

By

turns

suspicious

and

gullible,

cynical

and

blundering,

blustering

and

cow-

ering,

the

Fool

offers

a

synthesis

of

human

nature.

Although

he

may

no

longer

wear the

cap

and

bells

and

motley

of

the

jester,

the

stage

clown

of

the

17th

and

18th

centuries retains

the

prime

trait of

his

ancestor: to mimic

in

word and

deed

the

human

weakness of

his

fellow creatures.

The

comic

figure

in

Renaissance and

Baroque

drama

is no

longer

content

with mere

acrobatics and

buffoonery.

The

mocking

wisdom

and

cynicism

that

are

always

the

central

feature of

the comic

role

now take

on

ever-increasing

importance;

the

significance

of

that

role within

the dramatic

plot,

moreover,

shows a

comparable

growth.

Thus, Sganarelle,

the servant in

Moliere's Don

Juan,

ou,

Le

Festin

de

pierre

(1665),

contents

himself

with

muttered

criticisms of

his

master-"Don Juan, my master, the greatest scoundrel the earth has

ever

borne,

a

fiend,

a

dog,

a

devil,

a

Turk,

an

heretic.

..."

Little

more

than a

century

later,

however,

(1775)

Beaumarchais's

crafty

barber-servant,

Figaro,

is

himself

the

master of

the

dramatic

plot.

The

comic

figure,

in

short,

is

no

longer

a

subordinate

one

in the

18th-century

theater.

Despite

the

importance

of

the comic

role

in

the

stage

plot,

it is

true

that

the

social rank

of the

part

is almost

always

an

inferior

one.

There is

a

plausible explanation

for

the fact

that

the comic

figure

is often cast in the part of the servant. Among the age-old company

of comic

types,

the

servant is

the most

important

because it

is

he

who

bridges

the

gap

between the comic and

the serious.

Through

-sometimes shown

as

the Fool or

Clown,

and

again

as

the

cunning

valet-has

always

been

prominent

among

the stock

figures

that make

up

the

stage

family.

It is

impossible

to

present

here

a

detailed

study

of

the Fool's

long

history.

Suffice

it

to

point

out

that,

springing

as

he does from

the

very

roots

of

human

thought and

culture,

the Fool

may

be

traced

on

his

journey

from

the ancient

fertility

rites

through

the

Dionysiac

revels of

ancient

Greece,

into

the

amphitheater

of

Greek

comedy,

on to

the

stage

of Roman

farce,

along

the roadsides

and

village

squares

of medieval

Europe,

into

the

Church,

the

courts

of

the

nobility,

and

the

lowly

tavern,

through

the

amateur

plays

of

the townsfolk

and

craft

guilds,

and

to

the more

polished perform-


theatrical

troupes.

At

the

beginning

of

the

17th

century,

the

Fool

represents,

as

always,

a

combination of

the most


By

turns

suspicious

and

gullible,

cynical

and

blundering,

blustering

and

cow-

ering,

the

Fool

offers

a

synthesis

of

human

nature.

Although

he

may

no

longer

wear the

cap

and

bells

and

motley

of

the

jester,

the

stage

clown

of

the

17th

and

18th

centuries retains

the

prime

trait of

his

ancestor: to mimic

in

word and

deed

the

human

weakness of

his

fellow creatures.

The

comic

figure

in

Renaissance and

Baroque

drama

is no

longer

content

with mere

acrobatics and

buffoonery.

The

mocking

wisdom

and

cynicism

that

are

always

the

central

feature of

the comic

role

now take

on

ever-increasing

importance;

the

significance

of

that

role within

the dramatic

plot,

moreover,

shows a

comparable

growth.

Thus, Sganarelle,

the servant in

Moliere's Don

Juan,

ou,

Le

Festin

de

pierre

(1665),

contents

himself

with

muttered

criticisms of

his


ever

borne,

a

fiend,

a

dog,

a

devil,

a

Turk,

an

heretic.

..."

Little

more

than a

century

later,

however,

(1775)

Beaumarchais's

crafty

barber-servant,

Figaro,

is

himself

the

master of

the

dramatic

plot.

The

comic

figure,

in

short,

is

no

longer

a

subordinate

one

in the

18th-century

theater.

Despite

the

importance

of

the comic

role

in

the

stage

plot,

it is

true

that

the

social rank

of the

part

is almost

always

an

inferior

one.

There is

a


for

the fact

that

the comic

figure


of comic

types,

the

servant is

the most

important

because it

is

he

who

bridges

the

gap


the serious.

Through

-sometimes shown

as

the Fool or

Clown,

and

again

as

the

cunning

valet-has

always

been

prominent

among

the stock

figures

that make

up

the

stage

family.

It is

impossible

to

present

here

a

detailed

study

of

the Fool's

long

history.

Suffice

it

to

point

out

that,

springing

as

he does from

the

very

roots

of

human

thought and

culture,

the Fool

may

be

traced

on

his

journey

from

the ancient

fertility

rites

through

the

Dionysiac

revels of

ancient

Greece,

into

the

amphitheater

of

Greek

comedy,

on to

the

stage

of Roman

farce,

along

the roadsides

and

village

squares

of medieval

Europe,

into

the

Church,

the

courts

of

the

nobility,

and

the

lowly

tavern,

through

the

amateur

plays

of

the townsfolk

and

craft

guilds,

and

to

the more

polished perform-


theatrical

troupes.

At

the

beginning

of

the

17th

century,

the

Fool

represents,

as

always,

a

combination of

the most


By

turns

suspicious

and

gullible,

cynical

and

blundering,

blustering

and

cow-

ering,

the

Fool

offers

a

synthesis

of

human

nature.

Although

he

may

no

longer

wear the

cap

and

bells

and

motley

of

the

jester,

the

stage

clown

of

the

17th

and

18th

centuries retains

the

prime

trait of

his

ancestor: to mimic

in

word and

deed

the

human

weakness of

his

fellow creatures.

The

comic

figure

in

Renaissance and

Baroque

drama

is no

longer

content

with mere

acrobatics and

buffoonery.

The

mocking

wisdom

and

cynicism

that

are

always

the

central

feature of

the comic

role

now take

on

ever-increasing

importance;

the

significance

of

that

role within

the dramatic

plot,

moreover,

shows a

comparable

growth.

Thus, Sganarelle,

the servant in

Moliere's Don

Juan,

ou,

Le

Festin

de

pierre

(1665),

contents

himself

with

muttered

criticisms of

his


ever

borne,

a

fiend,

a

dog,

a

devil,

a

Turk,

an

heretic.

..."

Little

more

than a

century

later,

however,

(1775)

Beaumarchais's

crafty

barber-servant,

Figaro,

is

himself

the

master of

the

dramatic

plot.

The

comic

figure,

in

short,

is

no

longer

a

subordinate

one

in the

18th-century

theater.

Despite

the

importance

of

the comic

role

in

the

stage

plot,

it is

true

that

the

social rank

of the

part

is almost

always

an

inferior

one.

There is

a


for

the fact

that

the comic

figure


of comic

types,

the

servant is

the most

important

because it

is

he

who

bridges

the

gap


the serious.

Through

3777777



4/15

The Musical

Quarterly

he Musical

Quarterly

he Musical

Quarterly

his

satirical comment

he establishes the

relationship

between the

obvious

buffoonery

of

the

comedians

and

the more

subtle

absurdity

often concealed in

the actions of the serious characters.

In

the role

of

servant,

the

comic

figure

has

ample opportunity

to observe

and

react

to the

doings

of

his

masters.

Furthermore,

as

a servant he

en-

joys

the

function of

message-carrier

and

general

intermediary

in the

activities

of

the

plot.

This

capacity places

him

in

a

position

to con-

trol the course

of events

in

the

drama.

As a

prominent

figure

in

both the

comic and

serious

groups

of

the dramatic

cast,

therefore,

the comic

servant can

fulfill the

vital

purpose

of

fusing

the

comic action

with the

serious.

By

making

pos-

sible this blending of contrasting elements, the comic servant helps

establish

the

plausibility

of the

drama,

a

plausibility

that

must be

present

as

the

starting

point

of

any

effective

piece

of

dramatic art.

Because

of

his

importance

in the

cast of

characters,

the comic

servant

provides

an

excellent

medium

for

studying

the

problems

of

opera.

The

combination

of music

with drama

presents

serious

diffi-

culties

which

have

accompanied opera

throughout

its

history.

While

it is

desirable

to

make

full

use

of the

capabilities

of each

art,

com-

plete

fulfillment of

the

structural

demands both

of

music

and

of the

drama

soon

leads to

a deadlock

between the two.

Composer

and

playwright

must,

therefore,

seek

a

compromise;

the work

of one

must

supplement

and enrich that

of

the other.

Only

when

this aim

is

attained

can the

combination

of the two

arts be

justified.

Drama,

in the

last

analysis,

deals with

relationships

between

hu-

man

beings.

Since

these

reactions

first

take

place

through

the

medium

of

concrete,

tangible things

and

movements,

they

can best

be

expressed

by

the

visible

action

and

spoken

word

of

the

stage.

Music can, on the other hand, give life to abstract ideas that defy

the

medium of

speech.

By

cutting

through

the

surface

details

of

reality,

music

can

quickly

reveal

the

hidden

depths

of

a

personality,

thereby

helping

to

explain

the

reactions of

the various

stage

char-

acters.

In

this

way,

music

takes on

an

independent

function without

encroaching

upon

the

territory

peculiar

to

the

spoken

drama.

With these

points

in

mind,

it

should

prove

worthwhile

to

ex-

amine

a

particular

type

of

dramatic

role

(it

is obvious

that we

intend

to

use the

servant

for

this

purpose)

and

to

observe its

treatment in

the most consummate works for the lyric stage: the operas of Mozart.

It

is

interesting

to note

that

the

comic

servant does not

play

an im-

portant

part

in

this

composer's

early

dramatic

works. Before

his

ap-

his

satirical comment

he establishes the

relationship

between the

obvious

buffoonery

of

the

comedians

and

the more

subtle

absurdity

often concealed in


In

the role

of

servant,

the

comic

figure

has

ample opportunity

to observe

and

react

to the

doings

of

his

masters.

Furthermore,

as

a servant he

en-

joys

the

function of

message-carrier

and

general

intermediary

in the

activities

of

the

plot.

This

capacity places

him

in

a

position

to con-

trol the course

of events

in

the

drama.

As a

prominent

figure

in

both the

comic and

serious

groups

of

the dramatic

cast,

therefore,

the comic

servant can

fulfill the

vital

purpose

of

fusing

the

comic action

with the

serious.

By

making

pos-


establish

the

plausibility

of the

drama,

a

plausibility

that

must be

present

as

the

starting

point

of

any

effective

piece

of

dramatic art.

Because

of

his

importance

in the

cast of

characters,

the comic

servant

provides

an

excellent

medium

for

studying

the

problems

of

opera.

The

combination

of music

with drama

presents

serious

diffi-

culties

which

have

accompanied opera

throughout

its

history.

While

it is

desirable

to

make

full

use

of the

capabilities

of each

art,

com-

plete

fulfillment of

the

structural

demands both

of

music

and

of the

drama

soon

leads to

a deadlock

between the two.

Composer

and

playwright

must,

therefore,

seek

a

compromise;

the work

of one

must

supplement

and enrich that

of

the other.

Only

when

this aim

is

attained

can the

combination

of the two

arts be

justified.

Drama,

in the

last

analysis,

deals with

relationships

between

hu-

man

beings.

Since

these

reactions

first

take

place

through

the

medium

of

concrete,

tangible things

and

movements,

they

can best

be

expressed

by

the

visible

action

and

spoken

word

of

the

stage.


the

medium of

speech.

By

cutting

through

the

surface

details

of

reality,

music

can

quickly

reveal

the

hidden

depths

of

a

personality,

thereby

helping

to

explain

the

reactions of

the various

stage

char-

acters.

In

this

way,

music

takes on

an

independent

function without

encroaching

upon

the

territory

peculiar

to

the

spoken

drama.

With these

points

in

mind,

it

should

prove

worthwhile

to

ex-

amine

a

particular

type

of

dramatic

role

(it

is obvious

that we

intend

to

use the

servant

for

this

purpose)

and

to

observe its

treatment in


It

is

interesting

to note

that

the

comic

servant does not

play

an im-

portant

part

in

this

composer's

early

dramatic

works. Before

his

ap-

his

satirical comment

he establishes the

relationship

between the

obvious

buffoonery

of

the

comedians

and

the more

subtle

absurdity

often concealed in


In

the role

of

servant,

the

comic

figure

has

ample opportunity

to observe

and

react

to the

doings

of

his

masters.

Furthermore,

as

a servant he

en-

joys

the

function of

message-carrier

and

general

intermediary

in the

activities

of

the

plot.

This

capacity places

him

in

a

position

to con-

trol the course

of events

in

the

drama.

As a

prominent

figure

in

both the

comic and

serious

groups

of

the dramatic

cast,

therefore,

the comic

servant can

fulfill the

vital

purpose

of

fusing

the

comic action

with the

serious.

By

making

pos-


establish

the

plausibility

of the

drama,

a

plausibility

that

must be

present

as

the

starting

point

of

any

effective

piece

of

dramatic art.

Because

of

his

importance

in the

cast of

characters,

the comic

servant

provides

an

excellent

medium

for

studying

the

problems

of

opera.

The

combination

of music

with drama

presents

serious

diffi-

culties

which

have

accompanied opera

throughout

its

history.

While

it is

desirable

to

make

full

use

of the

capabilities

of each

art,

com-

plete

fulfillment of

the

structural

demands both

of

music

and

of the

drama

soon

leads to

a deadlock

between the two.

Composer

and

playwright

must,

therefore,

seek

a

compromise;

the work

of one

must

supplement

and enrich that

of

the other.

Only

when

this aim

is

attained

can the

combination

of the two

arts be

justified.

Drama,

in the

last

analysis,

deals with

relationships

between

hu-

man

beings.

Since

these

reactions

first

take

place

through

the

medium

of

concrete,

tangible things

and

movements,

they

can best

be

expressed

by

the

visible

action

and

spoken

word

of

the

stage.


the

medium of

speech.

By

cutting

through

the

surface

details

of

reality,

music

can

quickly

reveal

the

hidden

depths

of

a

personality,

thereby

helping

to

explain

the

reactions of

the various

stage

char-

acters.

In

this

way,

music

takes on

an

independent

function without

encroaching

upon

the

territory

peculiar

to

the

spoken

drama.

With these

points

in

mind,

it

should

prove

worthwhile

to

ex-

amine

a

particular

type

of

dramatic

role

(it

is obvious

that we

intend

to

use the

servant

for

this

purpose)

and

to

observe its

treatment in


It

is

interesting

to note

that

the

comic

servant does not

play

an im-

portant

part

in

this

composer's

early

dramatic

works. Before

his

ap-

3787878



5/15

The

Comic

Servant in

Mozart's

Operas

he

Comic

Servant in

Mozart's

Operas

he

Comic

Servant in

Mozart's

Operas

pearance

in

Die

Entfiihrung

aus dem

Serail

(composed

in

1781-82),

he

figures

in

only

two

works,

La

finta

semplice

(1768)

and La

finta

giardiniera (1774-75).

In

the

first

of

these

two,

the

servant, Simone,

is of

minor

importance;

he

emerges

only

occasionally,

as

when-in

the

Finale

of

Act

I-he

breathlessly

makes

an

announcement that

throws

all

the

members of

the

cast

into

the

excited

flurry

that

cus-

tomarily

brings

down

the

curtain

in

opera'

buffa.

Nardo,

the servant

in La

finta

giardiniera,

is

lost

in

the mazes of a

plot

so

complicated

that

Otto

Jahn

requires

two

pages

of

fine

print

to

summarize it.3

Aside

from

his

individualization in

the

introduction

of

the

opera,

Nardo

asserts

himself

only

momentarily,

as

in

the

aria,

Con un

vezzo all'italiana. Here Nardo parodies French, English, and Italian

vocal

style

in

the art

of

serenading;

unfortunately,

the

piece

is

little

more than a

pantomimic

vehicle for

Nardo

and

actually

interferes

with

the flow

of the action.

Unlike the

Giardiniera,

Die

Entfiihrung (the

first of

the

stage-

works

Mozart

produced

after

he

settled in

Vienna),

has

the

advan-

tage

of a

concise

plot

that

deals

with

a

limited

number of

char-

acters.

Belmont and

Pedrillo

are

trying

to

rescue

Constanze

and

Blonde

from the

clutches

of the Bassa

Selim

and Osmin.

Pedrillo is

the ideal servant in

that

he-rather than

his

master,

Belmont-plans

the details of the

conspiracy.

Curiously

enough,

however,

Pedrillo

is not as

distinct an

individual,

from

the

musical

point

of

view,

as

Osmin. This is

remarkable

in

view of

the fact

that

Osmin,

as

the

villain

of

the

play,

actually

serves as a

dramatic foil

to

the

scheming

Pedrillo.

Osmin,

however,

is

simpler

to

represent,

for

he has

only

one

dominating

characteristic,

that

of

the

petulant

bully.

To

hear

his

aria,

Solche

hergelauf'ne

Laffen,

with its

irritable

insistence on

one note, its ferocious grumbling

r

n--r

Pf

ptZ ms l

Sol-che

ihe.-

e-Iufne

Laf

-

-

fen

Suk

a

mot-

eycroudof

ma

-

_.

her.

-b I

V

r

i

die

nur nch

en ei-bern

gaf

-

-

fen

who

do

noght

but

chase

the

wo

- -

men

or the venomous threats of his Erst

gekopft,

dann

gehangen,

sung

to the

persistent,

whining

accompaniment

of

oboe and

bassoon,

is

3

Otto

Jahn,

W.

A.

Mozart,

translated

by

P.

Townsend,

London,

1882, I,

210-12.

pearance

in

Die

Entfiihrung

aus dem

Serail

(composed

in

1781-82),

he

figures

in

only

two

works,

La

finta

semplice

(1768)

and La

finta


In

the

first

of

these

two,

the

servant, Simone,

is of

minor

importance;

he

emerges

only

occasionally,

as

when-in

the

Finale

of

Act

I-he

breathlessly

makes

an

announcement that

throws

all

the

members of

the

cast

into

the

excited

flurry

that

cus-

tomarily

brings

down

the

curtain

in

opera'

buffa.

Nardo,

the servant

in La

finta

giardiniera,

is

lost

in

the mazes of a

plot

so

complicated

that

Otto

Jahn

requires

two

pages

of

fine

print

to

summarize it.3

Aside

from

his


the

introduction

of

the

opera,

Nardo

asserts

himself

only

momentarily,

as

in

the

aria,

Con un


vocal

style

in

the art

of

serenading;

unfortunately,

the

piece

is

little

more than a

pantomimic

vehicle for

Nardo

and

actually

interferes

with

the flow

of the action.

Unlike the

Giardiniera,

Die

Entfiihrung (the

first of

the

stage-

works

Mozart

produced

after

he

settled in

Vienna),

has

the

advan-

tage

of a

concise

plot

that

deals

with

a

limited

number of

char-

acters.

Belmont and

Pedrillo

are

trying

to

rescue

Constanze

and

Blonde

from the

clutches

of the Bassa

Selim

and Osmin.

Pedrillo is


that

he-rather than

his

master,

Belmont-plans

the details of the

conspiracy.

Curiously

enough,

however,

Pedrillo

is not as

distinct an

individual,

from

the

musical

point

of

view,

as

Osmin. This is

remarkable

in

view of

the fact

that

Osmin,

as

the

villain

of

the

play,

actually

serves as a

dramatic foil

to

the

scheming

Pedrillo.

Osmin,

however,

is

simpler

to

represent,

for

he has

only

one

dominating

characteristic,

that

of

the

petulant

bully.

To

hear

his

aria,

Solche

hergelauf'ne

Laffen,

with its

irritable

insistence on


r

n--r

Pf

ptZ ms l

Sol-che

ihe.-

e-Iufne

Laf

-

-

fen

Suk

a

mot-

eycroudof

ma

-

_.

her.

-b I

V

r

i

die

nur nch

en ei-bern

gaf

-

-

fen

who

do

noght

but

chase

the

wo

- -

men


gekopft,

dann

gehangen,

sung

to the

persistent,

whining

accompaniment

of

oboe and

bassoon,

is

3

Otto

Jahn,

W.

A.

Mozart,

translated

by

P.

Townsend,

London,

1882, I,

210-12.

pearance

in

Die

Entfiihrung

aus dem

Serail

(composed

in

1781-82),

he

figures

in

only

two

works,

La

finta

semplice

(1768)

and La

finta


In

the

first

of

these

two,

the

servant, Simone,

is of

minor

importance;

he

emerges

only

occasionally,

as

when-in

the

Finale

of

Act

I-he

breathlessly

makes

an

announcement that

throws

all

the

members of

the

cast

into

the

excited

flurry

that

cus-

tomarily

brings

down

the

curtain

in

opera'

buffa.

Nardo,

the servant

in La

finta

giardiniera,

is

lost

in

the mazes of a

plot

so

complicated

that

Otto

Jahn

requires

two

pages

of

fine

print

to

summarize it.3

Aside

from

his


the

introduction

of

the

opera,

Nardo

asserts

himself

only

momentarily,

as

in

the

aria,

Con un


vocal

style

in

the art

of

serenading;

unfortunately,

the

piece

is

little

more than a

pantomimic

vehicle for

Nardo

and

actually

interferes

with

the flow

of the action.

Unlike the

Giardiniera,

Die

Entfiihrung (the

first of

the

stage-

works

Mozart

produced

after

he

settled in

Vienna),

has

the

advan-

tage

of a

concise

plot

that

deals

with

a

limited

number of

char-

acters.

Belmont and

Pedrillo

are

trying

to

rescue

Constanze

and

Blonde

from the

clutches

of the Bassa

Selim

and Osmin.

Pedrillo is


that

he-rather than

his

master,

Belmont-plans

the details of the

conspiracy.

Curiously

enough,

however,

Pedrillo

is not as

distinct an

individual,

from

the

musical

point

of

view,

as

Osmin. This is

remarkable

in

view of

the fact

that

Osmin,

as

the

villain

of

the

play,

actually

serves as a

dramatic foil

to

the

scheming

Pedrillo.

Osmin,

however,

is

simpler

to

represent,

for

he has

only

one

dominating

characteristic,

that

of

the

petulant

bully.

To

hear

his

aria,

Solche

hergelauf'ne

Laffen,

with its

irritable

insistence on


r

n--r

Pf

ptZ ms l

Sol-che

ihe.-

e-Iufne

Laf

-

-

fen

Suk

a

mot-

eycroudof

ma

-

_.

her.

-b I

V

r

i

die

nur nch

en ei-bern

gaf

-

-

fen

who

do

noght

but

chase

the

wo

- -

men


gekopft,

dann

gehangen,

sung

to the

persistent,

whining

accompaniment

of

oboe and

bassoon,

is

3

Otto

Jahn,

W.

A.

Mozart,

translated

by

P.

Townsend,

London,

1882, I,

210-12.

3797979



6/15

The Musical

Quarterly

he Musical

Quarterly

he Musical

Quarterly

to

realize

the

personality

of

the hard-hearted old

rascal.

He

could

never unbend

to

the

extent

of

singing

so

dreamy

a

serenade

as

Pedrillo's

romanza,

Im

Mohrenland

gefangen.

8

ImMohren~ and

fangen

war

.in

Ma-del

hbc.uncd

fir-

In MooriSl

landtihcaptive

y,_

a

maiden

pure

and fine

Six

complete

works for the

lyric stage

were

written

by

Mozart

during

the

years

after

Die

Entfiihrung.

They

are

Der

Schauspiel-

direktor

(1786),

Le

Nozze

di

Figaro

(1786),

Don Giovanni

(1787),

Cosi

fan

Tutte

(1790),

Die

Zauberfi

te

(1791),

and La Clemenza

di

Tito (1791). Of these six, the first can be omitted from the present

discussion;

its

only

comic

character,

Buff

by

name,

is so

unimportant

that he

is

merely

allowed to

explain

the

meaning of

his

title:

"Nur

um ein

O

brauch ich den

Namen

zu

verlangern,

so

heiss'

ich ohne

Streit,

Buffo."

Likewise,

there

is no

place

in

this

study

for

La

Clemenza di

Tito;

the

whole-hearted

concentration

on

the

imperial

mercy

of Titus leaves

no

possible

niche

for

a comic

servant,

to

say

nothing

of

the

horror Metastasio

would have felt

at the

thought

of

introducing

so

raucous

an

element

into his

prim

libretto.

In Cosi

fan

Tutte,

on the

contrary,

a

very important part

is that

of the

maid-servant,

Despina.

True

enough,

it is the

old

codger,

Don

Alfonso,

who

contrives

the

idea of testing

the

faithfulness

of Fiordi-

ligi

and

Dorabella.

It is

Alfonso,

too,

who

skilfully

guides

the

plot

towards

its climax

and who

finally

pronounces

the

triumphant

moral

of

the drama

". . .

giovani,

vecchie,

e

belle,

e

brutte,

ripetete

con me:

cosi

fan tutte "

Nevertheless,

Despina

serves

as the

able

assistant

of

Don

Alfonso

in

carrying

out the

intrigue.

Without

her

cooperation as the intermediary between the plotters and their vic-

tims,

the

complex

entanglements

of the

plot

could never come

to

pass.

Important

also

for

the

analytic

comments

that she delivers

on

the

actions

of the

other

characters,

Despina

takes rank next

to

the

greatest

comic

servant

of

all

operatic

history,

Mozart's

Figaro.

Note

that

Despina

has

an

aria,

In

uomini,

in

soldati,

which

corresponds

in its

subject

matter

(an

exposition

of

the

old theme

that

all is

fair

in love

and

war)

to

Figaro's

celebrated

song

on

the fickleness

of

womankind,

Aprite

un

po'

quegl'occhi.

Despina's

clear-sighted

understanding

of the truths

of life

repre-

sents

an essential

characteristic

of the comic servant

in

Mozart's

to

realize

the

personality

of


rascal.

He

could

never unbend

to

the

extent

of

singing

so

dreamy

a

serenade

as

Pedrillo's

romanza,

Im

Mohrenland

gefangen.

8

ImMohren~ and

fangen

war

.in

Ma-del

hbc.uncd

fir-

In MooriSl

landtihcaptive

y,_

a

maiden

pure

and fine

Six

complete

works for the

lyric stage

were

written

by

Mozart

during

the

years

after

Die

Entfiihrung.

They

are

Der

Schauspiel-

direktor

(1786),

Le

Nozze

di

Figaro

(1786),

Don Giovanni

(1787),

Cosi

fan

Tutte

(1790),

Die

Zauberfi

te

(1791),

and La Clemenza

di


discussion;

its

only

comic

character,

Buff

by

name,

is so

unimportant

that he

is

merely

allowed to

explain

the

meaning of

his

title:

"Nur

um ein

O

brauch ich den

Namen

zu

verlangern,

so

heiss'

ich ohne

Streit,

Buffo."

Likewise,

there

is no

place

in

this

study

for

La

Clemenza di

Tito;

the

whole-hearted

concentration

on

the

imperial

mercy

of Titus leaves

no

possible

niche

for

a comic

servant,

to

say

nothing

of

the

horror Metastasio

would have felt

at the

thought

of

introducing

so

raucous

an

element

into his

prim

libretto.

In Cosi

fan

Tutte,

on the

contrary,

a

very important part

is that

of the

maid-servant,

Despina.

True

enough,

it is the

old

codger,

Don

Alfonso,

who

contrives

the

idea of testing

the

faithfulness

of Fiordi-

ligi

and

Dorabella.

It is

Alfonso,

too,

who

skilfully

guides

the

plot

towards

its climax

and who

finally

pronounces

the

triumphant

moral

of

the drama

". . .

giovani,

vecchie,

e

belle,

e

brutte,

ripetete

con me:

cosi

fan tutte "

Nevertheless,

Despina

serves

as the

able

assistant

of

Don

Alfonso

in

carrying

out the

intrigue.

Without

her


tims,

the

complex

entanglements

of the

plot

could never come

to

pass.

Important

also

for

the

analytic

comments

that she delivers

on

the

actions

of the

other

characters,

Despina

takes rank next

to

the

greatest

comic

servant

of

all

operatic

history,

Mozart's

Figaro.

Note

that

Despina

has

an

aria,

In

uomini,

in

soldati,

which

corresponds

in its

subject

matter

(an

exposition

of

the

old theme

that

all is

fair

in love

and

war)

to

Figaro's

celebrated

song

on

the fickleness

of

womankind,

Aprite

un

po'

quegl'occhi.

Despina's

clear-sighted

understanding

of the truths

of life

repre-

sents

an essential

characteristic


in

Mozart's

to

realize

the

personality

of


rascal.

He

could

never unbend

to

the

extent

of

singing

so

dreamy

a

serenade

as

Pedrillo's

romanza,

Im

Mohrenland

gefangen.

8

ImMohren~ and

fangen

war

.in

Ma-del

hbc.uncd

fir-

In MooriSl

landtihcaptive

y,_

a

maiden

pure

and fine

Six

complete

works for the

lyric stage

were

written

by

Mozart

during

the

years

after

Die

Entfiihrung.

They

are

Der

Schauspiel-

direktor

(1786),

Le

Nozze

di

Figaro

(1786),

Don Giovanni

(1787),

Cosi

fan

Tutte

(1790),

Die

Zauberfi

te

(1791),

and La Clemenza

di


discussion;

its

only

comic

character,

Buff

by

name,

is so

unimportant

that he

is

merely

allowed to

explain

the

meaning of

his

title:

"Nur

um ein

O

brauch ich den

Namen

zu

verlangern,

so

heiss'

ich ohne

Streit,

Buffo."

Likewise,

there

is no

place

in

this

study

for

La

Clemenza di

Tito;

the

whole-hearted

concentration

on

the

imperial

mercy

of Titus leaves

no

possible

niche

for

a comic

servant,

to

say

nothing

of

the

horror Metastasio

would have felt

at the

thought

of

introducing

so

raucous

an

element

into his

prim

libretto.

In Cosi

fan

Tutte,

on the

contrary,

a

very important part

is that

of the

maid-servant,

Despina.

True

enough,

it is the

old

codger,

Don

Alfonso,

who

contrives

the

idea of testing

the

faithfulness

of Fiordi-

ligi

and

Dorabella.

It is

Alfonso,

too,

who

skilfully

guides

the

plot

towards

its climax

and who

finally

pronounces

the

triumphant

moral

of

the drama

". . .

giovani,

vecchie,

e

belle,

e

brutte,

ripetete

con me:

cosi

fan tutte "

Nevertheless,

Despina

serves

as the

able

assistant

of

Don

Alfonso

in

carrying

out the

intrigue.

Without

her


tims,

the

complex

entanglements

of the

plot

could never come

to

pass.

Important

also

for

the

analytic

comments

that she delivers

on

the

actions

of the

other

characters,

Despina

takes rank next

to

the

greatest

comic

servant

of

all

operatic

history,

Mozart's

Figaro.

Note

that

Despina

has

an

aria,

In

uomini,

in

soldati,

which

corresponds

in its

subject

matter

(an

exposition

of

the

old theme

that

all is

fair

in love

and

war)

to

Figaro's

celebrated

song

on

the fickleness

of

womankind,

Aprite

un

po'

quegl'occhi.

Despina's

clear-sighted

understanding

of the truths

of life

repre-

sents

an essential

characteristic


in

Mozart's

3808080



7/15

The Comic

Servant

in Mozart's

Operas

he Comic

Servant

in Mozart's

Operas

he Comic

Servant

in Mozart's

Operas

operas.

In Die

Zauberfl6te,

Papageno

is the

personification

of

the

basic desires and

needs of

mankind.

Beset

by

the

perils

of

daily

life,

he tries

always

to

escape

in

the easiest

and

quickest

manner

from

the

difficulties

that

confront

him. He

is,

indeed,

driven

to

attempt

suicide

in

his

effort to

escape,

but

on

the

very

brink

of destruction

his

common

sense

restrains him. It is this sense of

moderation,

of

proportion

in

the

values of

life,

that

distinguishes

Papageno

from

the

rest of the cast

in

Die

Zauberflote.

Scornful

of the

intellectual

and

sometimes

pompous

actions

of his

superiors, Papageno

devotes

himself to

a

slow but

steady

pursuit

of the

material

comforts for

which

he

yearns.

The

plot

of this

opera

is so

designed

that

Papageno

is subjected to the same experiences that befall his master, Prince

Tamino.

The dramatic

situations

in

themselves are

subordinate

to

the reactions of

the various characters who are

caught

up

in the

dilemma.

It

must be

remembered

that

Die

Zauberflote

is fashioned

on

the

lines

of

the

fairy-tale

dramas

so

popular

in

8th-century

Austria.

There

is

never

any

doubt as to

the

final

triumph

of

Right

over

Evil. The

good

Sarastro and his

minions are

predestined

to

conquer

the

wicked

Queen

of the

Night

and

her

henchman,

Monostatos. The extremes

represented

by

Sarastro and the Queen are reflected on a human

plane

by

Tamino and

the Princess

Pamina on the

one

hand,

and

Monostatos

on

the other.

And

yet,

these

last

are

still

representations

of

abstract

qualities

rather

than of

flesh-and-blood

people.

It remains

for

Papageno

to

relieve

the

idealized

plot

by

contrast with his own

earthy

nature.

Papageno's

first

song,

Der

Vogelfdnger

bin

ich

ja,

with

its

straightforward

harmonies,

its

obstinately

uniform

phrase-length,

and

its

sturdy, duple rhythms (reminiscent

of some wooden-shoe

dance),

emphasizes

the

forthright

simplicity

of

the

character.

Again

in

the

trio

(No.

6,

Act

I),

Papageno

is

introduced

by

a

sing-song

melody

that

reflects

the

folk

nature

of

the

bird-catcher.

In

the finale

to the first

act,

Papageno

steps

out

of character

(musically

speaking)

to

become

a

part

of

the

vocal ensemble.

In

his duet

passages

with

Pamina,

his

line

parallels

her

melody;

only

momentarily

does

he

give

vent to

personal

feeling,

and then

it is an

expression

of

an

appropriate

emotion,

namely,

fear:

operas.

In Die

Zauberfl6te,

Papageno

is the

personification

of

the

basic desires and

needs of

mankind.

Beset

by

the

perils

of

daily

life,

he tries

always

to

escape

in

the easiest

and

quickest

manner

from

the

difficulties

that

confront

him. He

is,

indeed,

driven

to

attempt

suicide

in

his

effort to

escape,

but

on

the

very

brink

of destruction

his

common

sense


moderation,

of

proportion

in

the

values of

life,

that

distinguishes

Papageno

from

the

rest of the cast

in

Die

Zauberflote.

Scornful

of the

intellectual

and

sometimes

pompous

actions

of his

superiors, Papageno

devotes

himself to

a

slow but

steady

pursuit

of the

material

comforts for

which

he

yearns.

The

plot

of this

opera

is so

designed

that

Papageno


Tamino.

The dramatic

situations

in

themselves are

subordinate

to

the reactions of


caught

up

in the

dilemma.

It

must be

remembered

that

Die

Zauberflote

is fashioned

on

the

lines

of

the

fairy-tale

dramas

so

popular

in

8th-century

Austria.

There

is

never

any

doubt as to

the

final

triumph

of

Right

over

Evil. The

good

Sarastro and his

minions are

predestined

to

conquer

the

wicked

Queen

of the

Night

and

her

henchman,


represented

by


plane

by

Tamino and

the Princess

Pamina on the

one

hand,

and

Monostatos

on

the other.

And

yet,

these

last

are

still

representations

of

abstract

qualities

rather

than of

flesh-and-blood

people.

It remains

for

Papageno

to

relieve

the

idealized

plot

by


earthy

nature.

Papageno's

first

song,

Der

Vogelfdnger

bin

ich

ja,

with

its

straightforward

harmonies,

its

obstinately

uniform

phrase-length,

and

its


of some wooden-shoe

dance),

emphasizes

the

forthright

simplicity

of

the

character.

Again

in

the

trio

(No.

6,

Act

I),

Papageno

is

introduced

by

a

sing-song

melody

that

reflects

the

folk

nature

of

the

bird-catcher.

In

the finale

to the first

act,

Papageno

steps

out

of character

(musically

speaking)

to

become

a

part

of

the

vocal ensemble.

In

his duet

passages

with

Pamina,

his

line

parallels

her

melody;

only

momentarily

does

he

give

vent to

personal

feeling,

and then

it is an

expression

of

an

appropriate

emotion,

namely,

fear:

operas.

In Die

Zauberfl6te,

Papageno

is the

personification

of

the

basic desires and

needs of

mankind.

Beset

by

the

perils

of

daily

life,

he tries

always

to

escape

in

the easiest

and

quickest

manner

from

the

difficulties

that

confront

him. He

is,

indeed,

driven

to

attempt

suicide

in

his

effort to

escape,

but

on

the

very

brink

of destruction

his

common

sense


moderation,

of

proportion

in

the

values of

life,

that

distinguishes

Papageno

from

the

rest of the cast

in

Die

Zauberflote.

Scornful

of the

intellectual

and

sometimes

pompous

actions

of his

superiors, Papageno

devotes

himself to

a

slow but

steady

pursuit

of the

material

comforts for

which

he

yearns.

The

plot

of this

opera

is so

designed

that

Papageno


Tamino.

The dramatic

situations

in

themselves are

subordinate

to

the reactions of


caught

up

in the

dilemma.

It

must be

remembered

that

Die

Zauberflote

is fashioned

on

the

lines

of

the

fairy-tale

dramas

so

popular

in

8th-century

Austria.

There

is

never

any

doubt as to

the

final

triumph

of

Right

over

Evil. The

good

Sarastro and his

minions are

predestined

to

conquer

the

wicked

Queen

of the

Night

and

her

henchman,


represented

by


plane

by

Tamino and

the Princess

Pamina on the

one

hand,

and

Monostatos

on

the other.

And

yet,

these

last

are

still

representations

of

abstract

qualities

rather

than of

flesh-and-blood

people.

It remains

for

Papageno

to

relieve

the

idealized

plot

by


earthy

nature.

Papageno's

first

song,

Der

Vogelfdnger

bin

ich

ja,

with

its

straightforward

harmonies,

its

obstinately

uniform

phrase-length,

and

its


of some wooden-shoe

dance),

emphasizes

the

forthright

simplicity

of

the

character.

Again

in

the

trio

(No.

6,

Act

I),

Papageno

is

introduced

by

a

sing-song

melody

that

reflects

the

folk

nature

of

the

bird-catcher.

In

the finale

to the first

act,

Papageno

steps

out

of character

(musically

speaking)

to

become

a

part

of

the

vocal ensemble.

In

his duet

passages

with

Pamina,

his

line

parallels

her

melody;

only

momentarily

does

he

give

vent to

personal

feeling,

and then

it is an

expression

of

an

appropriate

emotion,

namely,

fear:

0

war

idieine

Maus,

wie

wllic'i verAecren

Ohl

if

I weremouse

how

I

irunanhide

me

0

war

idieine

Maus,

wie

wllic'i verAecren

Ohl

if

I weremouse

how

I

irunanhide

me

0

war

idieine

Maus,

wie

wllic'i verAecren

Ohl

if

I weremouse

how

I

irunanhide

me

3818181



8/15

The

Musical

Quarterly

he

Musical

Quarterly

he

Musical

Quarterly

The

quintet,

Wie?

Ihr

an diesem

Schrekensort?,

permits

Papageno

to

emerge

from his subordinate

place

in the musical structure

only

at the very end of the piece, when

he

utters his

"battle-cry":

O

weh

0

wehl

0 weh

From this

point

on,

Papageno

does not

reappear

in the

music

until

his

aria,

Ein Madchen

oder

Weibchen.

Here

the

merry

fellow

sings

in

praise

of

his

prime

desire:

a mate.

He

states his

ideas

on the

subject with an admirable singleness of purpose and frames his text

with

music

of

suitable directness.

Despite

occasional

change

of

tempo

and

of

rhythmic

pattern,

the harmonic

motion

centers

closely

about

the

home

key,

F

major,

swinging

constantly

to and

fro

be-

tween

tonic

and dominant.

The melodic

line,

too,

falls into

sequen-

tial

rhythms:

Ei

hfd-

en

oder

Ueib-

win. ac

Pa-pa-ge-no

Sich

A

maid-en or a lit-tie wife is Pa-pa-ge-nos wih

Dann

schmekte

mir

Trinkeni

E

-sen,

Adan

ki5nnt'imit

ri-

ir

mea

-sen

Then

would

I

en-joy

foodandai

i,

I'd be

,

juA

as

good

as

your printes

Note how

the

wistful

yearning

of the

first section

is

replaced

by

the

more

vigorous capering

of the

6/8

measures.

Papageno

is so

over-

whelmed

at the

thought

of desires

fulfilled

that

he ventures

to

compare himself to princes. Yet here the music hesitates in ques-

tioning,

cautious

manner,

as

if

to show

that

Papageno

fears that

he

has

overstepped

his

ground:

dan

linnat'

ida

mit

Fursten

mir

mes-sea

I'd

be

just

as

good

as

your

princes

In

Papageno's

final

appearance,

his

music

takes

on a more

ex-

tended, through-composed structure; melodically, however, Papa-

geno

still

speaks

in the

short,

clipped

phrases

we have come

to

expect

from

him.

Partly governed

by

the words

of

the

text,

The

quintet,

Wie?

Ihr

an diesem

Schrekensort?,

permits

Papageno

to

emerge


place


only


he

utters his

"battle-cry":

O

weh

0

wehl

0 weh

From this

point

on,

Papageno

does not

reappear

in the

music

until

his

aria,

Ein Madchen

oder

Weibchen.

Here

the

merry

fellow

sings

in

praise

of

his

prime

desire:

a mate.

He

states his

ideas

on the


with

music

of


Despite

occasional

change

of

tempo

and

of

rhythmic

pattern,

the harmonic

motion

centers

closely

about

the

home

key,

F

major,

swinging

constantly

to and

fro

be-

tween

tonic

and dominant.

The melodic

line,

too,

falls into

sequen-

tial

rhythms:

Ei

hfd-

en

oder

Ueib-

win. ac

Pa-pa-ge-no

Sich

A


Dann

schmekte

mir

Trinkeni

E

-sen,

Adan

ki5nnt'imit

ri-

ir

mea

-sen

Then

would

I

en-joy

foodandai

i,

I'd be

,

juA

as

good

as

your printes

Note how

the

wistful

yearning

of the

first section

is

replaced

by

the

more

vigorous capering

of the

6/8

measures.

Papageno

is so

over-

whelmed

at the

thought

of desires

fulfilled

that

he ventures

to


tioning,

cautious

manner,

as

if

to show

that

Papageno

fears that

he

has

overstepped

his

ground:

dan

linnat'

ida

mit

Fursten

mir

mes-sea

I'd

be

just

as

good

as

your

princes

In

Papageno's

final

appearance,

his

music

takes

on a more

ex-


geno

still

speaks

in the

short,

clipped

phrases

we have come

to

expect

from

him.

Partly governed

by

the words

of

the

text,

The

quintet,

Wie?

Ihr

an diesem

Schrekensort?,

permits

Papageno

to

emerge


place


only


he

utters his

"battle-cry":

O

weh

0

wehl

0 weh

From this

point

on,

Papageno

does not

reappear

in the

music

until

his

aria,

Ein Madchen

oder

Weibchen.

Here

the

merry

fellow

sings

in

praise

of

his

prime

desire:

a mate.

He

states his

ideas

on the


with

music

of


Despite

occasional

change

of

tempo

and

of

rhythmic

pattern,

the harmonic

motion

centers

closely

about

the

home

key,

F

major,

swinging

constantly

to and

fro

be-

tween

tonic

and dominant.

The melodic

line,

too,

falls into

sequen-

tial

rhythms:

Ei

hfd-

en

oder

Ueib-

win. ac

Pa-pa-ge-no

Sich

A


Dann

schmekte

mir

Trinkeni

E

-sen,

Adan

ki5nnt'imit

ri-

ir

mea

-sen

Then

would

I

en-joy

foodandai

i,

I'd be

,

juA

as

good

as

your printes

Note how

the

wistful

yearning

of the

first section

is

replaced

by

the

more

vigorous capering

of the

6/8

measures.

Papageno

is so

over-

whelmed

at the

thought

of desires

fulfilled

that

he ventures

to


tioning,

cautious

manner,

as

if

to show

that

Papageno

fears that

he

has

overstepped

his

ground:

dan

linnat'

ida

mit

Fursten

mir

mes-sea

I'd

be

just

as

good

as

your

princes

In

Papageno's

final

appearance,

his

music

takes

on a more

ex-


geno

still

speaks

in the

short,

clipped

phrases

we have come

to

expect

from

him.

Partly governed

by

the words

of

the

text,

3828282



9/15

The Comic

Servant in Mozart's

Operas

he Comic

Servant in Mozart's

Operas

he Comic

Servant in Mozart's

Operas

Pa-pa-ge-na,

Pa-pa-ge-na,

Pa-pa-

ge

-

na

influenced more

by

the tension of the circumstances

(for

this is

Papageno's

suicide

scene),

his

song emerges

in

fitful

snatches.

The

tearful sobs

of his

despair

Nuanihl-an,

es

bleibt

da-bei

Well

now

see

how

all

'is

lost

give

way

to

the

effervescent

patter

of

Papageno's

final

duet with

his

beloved

Papagena.

Generally

speaking,

Papageno

is swallowed

up

in the musical

fabric

whenever he

appears

in

concert

with

the

other

characters.

It

is

in

the

words of

the

dialogue

and

in

Papageno's

solo

pieces

that

we

may

find

his

true

personality.

And

whenever

he is

represented

as an

individual,

he offers a

welcome contrast

to

the somewhat

stuffy

abstractions

of the

plot.

In

Don

Giovanni,

on

the

other

hand,

the

plot

itself

has

the

urgency

and

immediate

meaning

of

everyday

experience.

Despite

the

improbability

of certain

episodes of the story, the work as a

whole

presents

a

continuous

sweep

towards

a

powerful

climax.

That

Mozart

himself realized

the

intensely

tragic

nature

of

the

work

is

shown

by

the fact that

he

did

not

approve

of

the

anticlimactic

epi-

logue

to the

opera

that

was

foisted

upon

him.4

The

conciliatory

tone

of this

piece

changes

the

spirit

of the

narrative from

one

of

tragedy

to

that

of

a

mixture of

farce

and

horror,

presented

with the

apolo-

gies customary

in

the commedia

dell'arte.

True,

the

libretto

pre-

pared

by

Lorenzo da

Ponte stems from a

long

line of Don

Juan

stories in which a righteous and explanatory epilogue played an

important part.5

As

envisioned

Documents

The Comic Servant in Mozart's Operas, Abram Loft