8/19/2019 Mi Tradi Quell'Alma Ingrata

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Eleanor Barton

Don Giovanni – ‘Mi Tradì quell’alma ingrata’ 

 ‘Mi Tradì quell’alma ingrata’ is the aria from recitative and aria setno. 23 from Mozart’s Don Giovanni  it immediatel! follo"s the

recitative ‘#n quali eccessi’. Don Giovanni  is an o$era in t"o acts"ith music %! Mozart& $remiered in 'cto%er ()*). +oth therecitative and aria are sung %! Donna ,lvira& "ho is furious at DonGiovanni for %etra!ing her %ut also feels sorr! for him and is "orrieda%out his eternal fate. The recitative $ortra!s her feelings of%etra!al& in ,% minor& and the aria sho"s ho" she still loves himdes$ite ever!thing he’s done to her& in the tonic ma-or. Throughoutthe o$era& ,% ma-or is used "hen Donna ,lvira sings. This aria "asnot $art of the original o$era for the $remiere in ienna it "asadded on request of the singer $la!ing ,lvira "ho "anted a song to

sho" off her s/ill as an o$era singer& and so Mozart "rote this. #t isin 0 at a comforta%le allegretto tem$o.

The aria %egins "ith a one %eat anacrusis sung %! ,lvira& anunaccom$anied +%. This is sim$l! chord "hich $recedes an ,%ma-or chord& forming a $erfect cadence. The main motif that /ee$scoming %ac/ is a rising ,% ma-or ar$eggio immediatel! follo"ed %!the descending scale. The first four %ars follo" the chord sequence1#& ##%& & # in the standard cadential formula& and the net follo" #&& #& #& & # "ith a $erfect cadence ever! t"o %ars. There is a

chromatic + natural at the end of the first %ar "hich is quic/l!resolved to a & the sith& and the melod! is ver! scalic throughout.

The change in tonalit! forms the structure. #t is in rondo form "ith acoda 4 5 + 5 5 coda. The + section %egins "ith a short $assage in6 ma-or& initiall! hinted at %! 5 naturals in the flute and , naturals inthe cello& as , is the leading note to 6. This then falls to +% ma-or ina $erfect cadence "hich forms the remainder of the + section& andthen leads %ac/ to 5. This second a$$earance of 5 is shorter thanits first or third statements. The section is longer than + and is in

,% minor& or the tonic minor. This is first im$lied in the cellos in thefinal 2 %ars of the second 5 section "hen G%s are used. There arelots of accidentals in this section and the harmonic rh!thm is ver!fast a lot of musical ground is covered in a ver! short $eriod oftime. is further removed in /e! and is more contrasting to 5 than+. 7o"ever& this section finishes "ith a $ause on a +%) chord& read!to lead us %ac/ to the tonic ma-or of the 5 section. This is follo"ed%! a coda& "hich has lots of sforzandos from the accom$an!ingorchestra. The occasional D% indicates 5% ma-or& the su%dominantto ,%& though this changes %ac/ to D naturals and the aria is

finished "ith a #& #& #c& & # cadence.

8/19/2019 Mi Tradi Quell'Alma Ingrata

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Eleanor Barton

8trings $la! a /e! role in the accom$animent for this aria& morethan the "ind. The first %eat of the first %ar is $la!ed %! the dou%le%asses& $la!ing the tonic& ,%& and %eats 2& 3 and 0 are $la!ed %!the violins and violas. The cellos $la! quavers at this $oint %ut the!onl! last for a fe" %ars. To"ards the + section& the cellos $la!

re$eated quavers on 6 and , natural , natural is the leading noteto 6 and so it is e$ected that the tonalit! "ould $rogress to"ards 6&and indeed it does. The violins often re$eat the scalic $assages thatthe soloist sings& though usuall! in a different /e! and inversion asthis is $art of the chord $rogression. These descending scales arealso $la!ed "hen the vocal line has rests. 5s "ell as that& the violinssometimes dou%le the voice. The cellos have a com$letel!inde$endent $art of the dou%le %ass& "hich is rather a ne" conce$tin Mozart’s time. The %ass strings %egin "ith $la!ing the root noteof the chord on the first %eat of the %ar& though after the first four

%ars things develo$ from there. This is essential in the role of$roducing strong cadences.

The clarinet also has an im$ortant role. #t is es$eciall! $rominent inthe second %ar – li/e the violins do later on& it re$eats the musicfrom the melod! %ut a tone higher& in 6 minor 9first inversion:instead of ,% ma-or. The %assoon -oins in "ith these quavers a %arlater %ut an octave and third lo"er. The flute is used less often thanthe clarinet it is used in the short transition from 5 to + and at the%eginning of & in ,% minor. ;e can hear the occasional scale in

%ut it is not used much. There are also t"o horns in ,% used&though these are rarel! used and are less $rominent than the otherinstruments& so do not stand out.

5s # mentioned %efore& the strings are used most often the! areused constantl! throughout. 5n! "ind $la!ers are soloists as thereis onl! one to a $art and the! are used more scarcel! than thestrings. The onl! time "hen all instruments are $la!ing together isthe coda "ith the sforzandos& to end "ith a loud and dramaticfinish.

The tune throughout is ver! melismatic and l!rical "ith severalchromatic notes. The $hrase length is ver! irregular "hich ma!sho" the range of feelings she has to"ards Don Giovanni.

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Eleanor Barton

still loves him& and so this is charming $iece is in ,% ma-or insteadof minor. #n section & "hen the tonalit! moves to"ards ,% minor&she sings =?uando sento il mio tormento> 9"hen # feel m!suffering:& "hich certainl! requires a minor tonalit!. The $hrases areshorter to sho" her distress& there is more chromaticism to conve!

confusion and there are a lot more large lea$s along "ith anetended melisma on the "ord =$al$itando> 9%eats:. #n the oda&Donna ,lvira sings a ver! long melisma on the "ord =$ieta> 9$ast:to em$hasise ho" she can never forget the $ast& and these eact"ords are re$eated several times %efore the aria comes to a close.

'verall& this aria has clearl! %een ver! "ell thought out. #t is acatch!& memora%le tune& ver! t!$icall! Mozart. The differing tonalit!throughout and all the su%tle techniques Mozart use vividl! e$ressDonna ,lvira’s conflicting emotions.