Cherubino's Aria (Non so Piu)

Cherubino’s Aria

In this aria Cherubino, a teenage pageboy played by a female soprano voice, speaks to Susanna about his infatuation with almost every woman in the castle. This fast-paced aria comes towards the end of act one and is romantic in gesture and uses the higher part of the tessitura of the soprano.

MELODY  

o   Motif X is a descending 3 quaver motif, and this is immediately sequenced down a 3^rd which extends the melody.

o   The phrases are generally short to show a feeling of excitement and this is emphasised by the whispered singing style

o   Unexpected Octave leaps emphasise the excited youth of Cherubino

o   Phrases often begin with an anacrusis which pushes the melody forward

o   Upper appoggiatura emphasises “donna” and this is followed by a repeated b flat emphasising the appoggiatura further

o   X is augmented and inverted in the higher tessitura to show a growing animation (9) which is the emphasised by a disjunct melody showing passion and volatility (10-15)

o   Chromatic movement has a romantic feel (19-21)

o    The phrases start to use longer not values emphasising a more amorous feel compared to the previously immature excited one

o   (54)…