Have a personal or library account? Click to login

Pastiching as Artistic Research: Ifigenia / Ipermestra (Brussels, 2006)*

Open Access
|Dec 2021

Figures & Tables

Figure 1

Soetkin Elbers (Clitennestra) rehearsing Leo’s ‘Prendi quel ferro, o barbaro’ while Geoffrey Degives (Ulisse) is watching her. Photograph by Matthias Schellens
Soetkin Elbers (Clitennestra) rehearsing Leo’s ‘Prendi quel ferro, o barbaro’ while Geoffrey Degives (Ulisse) is watching her. Photograph by Matthias Schellens

Musical Example 1

Leonardo Leo / Antonio Salvi Andromaca (Naples, 1742), ‘Prendi quel ferro’, bars 1–10
Leonardo Leo / Antonio Salvi Andromaca (Naples, 1742), ‘Prendi quel ferro’, bars 1–10

Music-dramatic contents of Ifigenia

No.EntityComposer / LibrettistSourceDramatic contentMusical characteristicsFraming tonalities
1SinfoniaA. Scarlatti / AnonymousEndimione e Cintia (1705) Allegro, 4/4 – Largo e sostenuto, 4/4 – [Andante], 3/8D minor
2Aria ‘Sento un’ aura che dolce respira’ (Diana)ibid.ibid.Diana beholds the landscape of Aulis and catches a glimpse of sleeping Agamemnon.Largo e piano – Allegro non presto – Largo e piano, 4/4D minor
3Recitative ‘Ma più soffrir non posso’ (Diana)ibid.ibid.Frustrated because of the King’s peacefulness and her inner turmoil, Diana awakens Agamemnon. B-flat major ~A minor (V)
4aAccompagnato ‘Alta Diva, che sei Cintia nel cielo’ (Agamennone, Oracolo I & II)C. H. Graun / Frederick II, VillatiIfigenia in Aulide (1748)Agamemnon jolts awake. He recalls the situation in which he and his men have found themselves: the Greek ships have been detained in Aulis on their way to Troy. He implores Diana to bring new wind to their sails.[senza tempo], 4/4D major ~ C minor (V)
4bArietta ‘Qual oracol tremendo’ (Agamennone)ibid.ibid.Out of nowhere, an oracular voice resounds, making Diana’s will known: Agamemnon must sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia for having provoked her wrath.Allegro, 4/4C minor ~ F minor
5Recitative ‘Signor di questa vita’ (Clitennestra, Agamennone, Ifigenia)ibid.ibid.Clytemnestra appears with Iphigenia. Neither of the two is aware that anything is wrong, but the King has a hard time hiding his unease, especially when Iphigenia comes up with a ‘good idea’: to make a sacrifice. B minor ~ F major
6Aria ‘Di questo core’ (Agamennone)Caldara / ZenoIfigenia in Aulide (1718) Non tanto presto, 2/4B-flat major
7Recitative ‘Misera me!’ (Ifigenia)Jommelli / AnonymousL’Ifigenìa (1751)Perturbed by her father’s sad mood, Iphigenia has a dark premonition. C major ~ A minor
8Aria ‘Ritrovo in quei detti’ (Ifigenia)Conti / MetastasioL’Issipile (1732) [senza tempo], 3/4A minor
9Recitative ‘Il crudo uffizio’ (Ulisse, Clitennestra)Caldara / ZenoIfigenia in Aulide (1718)Odysseus arrives and reveals the oracle’s message, which tears Clytemnestra apart. A minor ~ F major
10Aria ‘Prendi quel ferro’ (Clitennestra)Leo / SalviAndromaca (1742) Risoluto, 4/4 / Largo, 3/8B-flat major / minor
11aRecitativo ‘È questo il loco del mio supplizio?’ (Oreste)Jommelli / VeraziIfigenia in Tauride (1771)Iphigenia’s brother Orestes appears on the stage. The news of the sacrifice has so upset him that he has become delusional and offers himself as a sacrifice. B-flat major
11bScena ‘Per pietà’ (Oreste)ibid.ibid. Andantino, 6/8B-flat major
11cAccompagnato ‘Grazie ai numi, parti’ (Oreste)ibid.ibid. [senza tempo] – Larghetto – Andante – Allegro – Un poco andante – Con spirito, 4/4C major ~ G minor
11dAria ‘Tardi rimorsi / Odo il suon’ (Oreste)ibid.ibid. Allegro, 4/4 / Andantino, 6/8G minor ~ E-flat major (V)
11eAccompagnato ‘Ah madre!’ (Oreste)ibid.ibid. Con spirito, 4/4C minor ~ G minor (V)
11fAria ‘Tardi rimorsi’ (Oreste)ibid.ibid. Tempo di prima [Allegro], 4/4G minor
12aMarciaJommelli / AnonymousL’Ifigenìa (1751)A mournful procession appears. Iphigenia is wearing sacrificial robes.Larghetto, 2/2E-flat major
12bAccompagnato ‘Ahi padre…’ (Ifigenia)ibid.ibid.Iphigenia resigns herself to her fate and, as befits a Greek princess, faces death with her head held high. Achilles appears and embraces his beloved one last time.Larghetto – Andante – Larghetto – Allegro (alternated three times) – Con spirito, 4/4E-flat major ~ B-flat major
12cAria ‘Pria, che nell’ore estreme’ (Ifigenia)ibid.ibid.Iphigenia’s grand farewell.Larghetto, 4/4E-flat major

Music-dramatic contents of Ipermestra

No.EntityComposer / LibrettistSourceDramatic contentMusical characteristicsFraming tonalities
1SinfoniaVinci / MetastasioDidone abbandonata (1726) Allegro, 4/4 – Largo, 3/4 – Allegro, 6/8F major – D minor – F major
2aRecitative ‘Vadasi al genitor: dal labbro mio’ (Ipermestra, Danao)Hasse / MetastasioIpermestra (1751)On the very day of her marriage, Hypermnestra learns from her father, King Danaus, that she must kill her fiancé. An oracular spell leads the King to believe that he will be killed by his sons-in-law. G major ~ F major
2bRecitative ‘Misera, che ascoltai! Son io? Son desta?’ (Ipermestra, Linceo)Hasse / MetastasioIpermestra (1744)Touched by these words, Hypermnestra is left alone. At that very moment, the future groom appears, unaware of anything and declaring his love for her.Un poco lento – Adagio, 4/4G minor ~ F major (V)
3Aria ‘Ah non parlar d’amore’ (Ipermestra)ibid.ibid.Hypermnestra will not hear of love.[senza tempo], 4/4F major
4aRecitative ‘Ah Signor, siam perduti’ (Adrasto, Danao)Hasse / MetastasioIpermestra (1751)Adrastus tells Danaus that Hypermnestra has revealed her fate to Lynceus. G minor ~ C major
4bAccompagnato ‘Come vivrai, s’ei muore?’ (Ipermestra, Danao)Hasse / MetastasioIpermestra (1744)The princess tries to persuade her father to withdraw from the nefarious plan, but Danaus remains stubborn and forbids his daughter to deal with the prince any longer.[senza tempo] – Un poco lento, 4/4G minor ~ E major
5Aria ‘Non hai cor per un’ impresa’ (Danao)ibid.ibid.Danaus saddles Hypermnestra with guilt.Allegrissimo, 4/4B minor / D major
6Recitative ‘Ebbi la vita in dono’ (Ipermestra)Hasse / MetastasioIpermestra (1751)Hypermnestra is faced with the gruesome dilemma: either she obeys her father and kills Lynceus, or she chooses her betrothed and lets her father die. G major ~ C major
7Aria ‘Ombra diletta’ (Ipermestra)Conti / MetastasioL’Issipile (1732)Hypermnestra invokes the ghost of her soon-to-be dead father.Largo, 4/4F minor
8Recitative ‘Olà, custodi’ (Ipermestra, Danao)Hasse / MetastasioIpermestra (1751)Hardly has Hypermnestra moved but one foot when her father is back with a group of guards to capture Lynceus. A major ~ A-flat major
9Aria ‘Or del tuo ben la sorte’ (Danao)Hasse / MetastasioIpermestra (1744) Andante, 3/4C minor
10Recitative ‘Ah qual tumulto!’ (Ipermestra, Danao, Linceo, Plistene)Hasse / MetastasioIpermestra (1751)Against all odds, Lynaeus and Pleisthenes appear armed, overpowering Danaus, who is protected by his daughter. Moved by his daughter’s generosity, Danaus pardons her and Lynceus, and abdicates. E-flat major ~ G major
11Aria col coro ‘Se un core annodi’ (Linceo, tutti)Caldara / MetastasioAchille in Sciro (1736)Lynceus and the other characters sing about Cupid’s power.Allegro, 3/8G major
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/muso-2021-0014 | Journal eISSN: 2353-5733 | Journal ISSN: 1734-1663
Language: English
Page range: 148 - 159
Published on: Dec 31, 2021
Published by: Polish Composers\' Union
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 1 times per year
Related subjects:

© 2021 Bruno Forment, published by Polish Composers\' Union
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.