Sarah Neal, Mezzo-soprano Master of Music in Vocal Performance, Degree Recital W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) An icon of Italian music of the Classical Period, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a compositional prodigy born in Salzburg who excelled at every art-music form, from symphonic works to operas to the classical sonata. Mozart’s compositional style is characterized by elegant, balanced melodies, which blend Austrian and Italian musical traditions. Although originally from Austri a, the majority of Mozart’s operatic works are composed in Italian. Immensely prolific, Mozart composed approximately 600 works during his lifetime, many of which are operas. During the height of Classical Italian opera, it was common for composers to write multiple arias for an opera, which would be added or subtracted from the production depending upon the performer’s abilities, the length of the production, or popular demand. These arias, which Mozart originally intended to be included in his operatic compositions, but were later removed, are now published as concert arias to be performed with orchestra or piano outside of the context of an opera. However, “Ch’io mi scordi di te” (K. 505) is a unique concert aria in that the music was not originally composed for an opera. The libretto is identical to that of an aria inserted into one production of Mozart’s opera, Idomeneo (K. 490). However, the music included in today’s program was composed separately in December 1786 as part of a farewell concert where Mozart played the piano. The libretto is the only similarity between the concert aria and the original aria composed for Idomeneo. Mozart composed this musical setting of “Ch’io mi scordi di te” for Anna Selina (“Nancy”) Storace who was the original Susanna in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. It is believed that Mozart formulated this dramatically and vocally demanding work of approximately 10 minutes of uninterrupted singing to honor Storace’s virtuosic stage presence. These demands can be heard in the dramatically contrasting musical sections of the concert aria as well as the mounting tessitura throughout the piece. Ch’io mi scordi di te?
I should forget you?
Ch'io mi scordi di te? Che a lui mi doni puoi consigliarmi?
I should forget you? You can suggest that I give myself to him? And you want me to live like this? Ah no, Such a life for me would be far worse than death! Let death come! I await it fearlessly, But, that I could be enamored with another face, To give my affections to another, How could I? Ah! I would die of misery!
E puoi voler ch'io viva? Ah no, Sarebbe il viver mio di morte assai peggior! Venga la morte! Intrepido l'attendo, Ma, ch'io possa struggermi ad altra face, Ad altr'oggetto donar gl'affetti miei, Come tentarlo? Ah! di dolor morrei!
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