Tuesday 21 August 2012

Per Pieta and other breathtaking Mozart arias

The first day over, and suddenly one is back in the thick of it as if one has never been away! It is good to take up the reins again, even though it means the holidays are well and truly over.

Lots of choosing music, and making choices today. My song school friend K will be joining up with P to sing a couple of duets next year, and as I said in my last post I felt something amusing would fit the bill. We decided upon a beautiful Mendelssohn duet and the sister's duet from Cosi fan Tutte. I love Mozart's 'set in contemporary times' opera about the infidelity of two sisters. It has such sublime solos as much as anything else, and all my singing life I was desperate to sing Per Pieta, the unbelievably beautiful aria sung by Fiorgiligi, the more steady and solid of the two sisters. I have taught it many times, and the regret over never actually singing it myself never goes away.

It is the classic Mozart formula, slow section, faster middle section and a final furioso finale which, when sung well is breathtaking. The long slow phrases in the opening section are so full of yearning, and so exposing technically ! If you can't sing a strong legato these first sections are wicked to sing !

There are two mezzo arias from La Clemenza dinTito which I did sing, and like the Cosi aria, I would really recommend anyone who has never heard them, to give them a try. They are called Parto Parto and Deh per Questo.

Mozart was, for me, the greatest musical genius of all time, and should be compulsory listening in schools. I do remember from many years ago, a school of thought that Mozart has some magical properties in that it can help raise IQ in children, and some schools had certain movements from symphonies playing quietly in the classroom whilst children were working. They claimed all sorts of positive results which I imagine would be a kind of wonderfully lyrical brain washing!

You can wash my brain with Mozart gems any day of the week, and hopefully it will come up white scrubbed and consumately satisfied!


PS For a truly lovely performance go to YouTube and put in Miah Persson and Per Pueta !

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