Tonality in Mozart's Don Giovanni

In Mozart’s "Don Giovanni" the use of keys is important in describing the dramatic situation in the plot, the personalities of the characters, and their emotions at particular moments in the opera. First of all the use of keys indicates the characters’ social classes. For example the key of F major is used for lower class characters such as Leporello, Masetto and Zerlina. The noble key of B flat major is Don Giovanni’s key because he is a nobleman, and also because he generates a lot of excitement. The key of B flat major also indicates when the women in the opera are in distress. Donna Anna’s key is d minor because she is mourning her fathers death, and because she is a cold person. Donna Elvira’s key is E flat major which indicates her passion for Don Giovanni. Key changes occur in Don Giovanni to indicate that the emotions of the characters have changed. The use of tonality is important in several of Mozart’s operas which precede "Don Giovanni"; such as "Idomeneo", "Die Entfuhrung aus den Serail", and "Le Nozze di Figaro". As Mozart developed as a composer the use of keys became more and more important as far as describing the dramatic situation in the plot, the characters’ personalities, and their emotions at particular moments in the opera. Mozart’s use of tonality was already evident when he was very young. When Mozart was nine years old he wrote a piece in A major which is a love song. Daniel Heartz says “More within Mozart’s powers, as far as sustaining a piece from beginning to end, was an aria d’affetto, or love song, such as Mandane’s first aria in Metastasio’s Artaserse ‘Conservati fedele,’ for which Mozart chose 2/4 time, Andante grazioso , and the key of A major(K. 23). Already evident is his later preference for this key when it came to amorous outpourings, such as love duets.” This is an important example because the use of A major in love duets is significant in "Le Nozze di Figaro", "Don Giovanni", "Idomeneo" and "Cosi fan Tutte". The key of A major is used for the same reason in all four of these operas to indicate an outpouring of love. Mozart began using keys as a descriptive tool at an early age. As a result his use of keys became more and more significant as he got older. The use of keys is important in Mozart’s opera seria "Idomeneo", which was premiered January 29, 1781 in the Court Theater in Munchen. The use of tonalities is important in "Idomeneo" because of the way it describes the action and the characters. A good example of how the use of keys is significant in Idomeneo is the love duet Principessa "a’ tuoi sguardi affirmi" between Illia and Idamante. In this duet Illia and Idamante are expressing their love for each other, which is is a problem because Illia is not Greek. Idamante is the son of Idomeneo, the King of Crete and Illia is the Princess of Troy. This foreshadows the tragic ending. Another important use of keys in Mozart’s works is the foreshadowing of what is to come. The importance of foreshadowing is especially significant in Don Giovanni. There is an interesting switch to a minor in this duet. Daniel Heartz discusses this in Mozart’s Operas. He says “Particularly effective is Illia’s rejoinder, in which duol and lamenti are rendered by passing from A major to a minor. (The composer has two options when the text says ‘no more grief’- either to paint the grief or to convey its absence. Mozart chose the first.”) This shows how the use of keys indicates an emotional change for the characters. Illia is saying that she had grief. Therefore the change to a minor occurs to describe her grief. In "Idomeneo" the use of tonality describes the personalities of each character. Unlike Don Giovanni each character does not get a specific key for an identification tag. However the keys do indicate the emotions that the characters are feeling at particular moments in the opera. Also the tonal schemes used by Mozart are really effective in describing the plot. Illia’s opening aria Padre, germani, addio! is a good example because it is in g minor. She is upset because she loves Idamante but feels grief for Troy at the same time. The problem she is facing is that Idamante is the son of the King of Crete and she is Trojan. Idamante is a noble character, so therefore he is associated with B flat major. The key of B flat major is associated with noble characters in Mozart’s operas. For example, The Count and Don Giovanni sing in the key of B flat because they are noblemen. The tonic chord in B flat major is significant for Idamante’s character as far as indicating his presence. Daniel Heartz says “Not only does he enter Act I, Scene 2, with a chord on B-flat and sing his first aria, “Non ho colpa” (No. 2), in the same key (which is adumbrated already in the second section of Illia’s ‘Padre, germani’ when she dotes on his image- thus there is a symbolic relationship between them in tonal terms even before he appears in person), but he also enters the scene with his father (act I, Scene 10) to the same chord, and likewise Act 3, Scene 2.” This tonal relationship is an indication of Idamante and Illia’s love for one another. Even when Idamante is not present in the action, the key of B flat indicates his presence and links the two characters together. The key of g minor has the same key signature as the key of B flat major. Therefore, Idamante’s presence can be felt in Illia’s aria when it switches to B flat major. Mozart takes this even further with Tamino and Pamina, and Papageno and Papagena in "Die Zauberflote". In "Die Entfurung aus den Seraglio" the use of keys is also important as far as describing what is going on in the plot and describing the characters and their emotions at particular moments in the opera. One interesting point is the fact that there are two keys that rival each other in this opera. The key of the overture is C major, which is the key in which the opera is centered on. The rival key is D major, which is the key of joy. In this case it is a key of joy for the villain Osmin. Osmin sings in D major when Belmonte, Blonde, Constanze and Pedrillo are captured. This is similar to the Count’s aria "Vedro mentrio sospriro" in "Le Nozze di Figaro" . The use of rival keys is important in "Le Nozze di Figaro" and "Don Giovanni" as well. In "Die Entfurung aus dem Seraglio" Mozart also begins to use the key of F major to indicate rage. When he uses F major for rage it is often associated with lower voices. In this opera it is associated with Osmin’s rage in Solche hergelaufne Laffen. In this aria he wants Pedrillo put to death. The half step trill between E and F is especially significant in describing his rage. Thomas Bauman says “By sliding down from F at the end of the first coda to the E beginning the second, Osmin echoes the important half-step which had opened the aria.” This half-step can also be hear in arias from Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni. The tonal scheme in this opera is important because it begins and ends in C major. Thomas Bauman says “Mozart has clearly organized the opera around the colour of his ‘Turkish’ key, C major, heard in a full third of the opera’s numbers. He deploys it in much the same way he had used D major in Idomeneo. As in all his mature operas, both of these works begin and end in the ‘home’ key, and additionally the first act (comprising thedramatic exposition) also begins and ends in this key.” This is important because it shows how Mozart organized keys. In Mozart’s next opera, Le Nozze di Figaro, this becomes even more significant. There are several similarities between "Le Nozze di Figaro" and "Don Giovanni" as far as the use of tonality. In "Le Nozze di Figaro" each character does not have a specific key. However the keys serve the same purpose as far as describing the action, the characters personalities, and their emotions at particular moments in the opera. This is because the two operas were premiered within a year of each other. The significant change in "Le Nozze di Figaro" as far as tonality is concerned is the concerted finale. This opera has the first example of the use of the concerted finale. The term concerted finale means that every character is on stage. The tonality in the Act II finale of "Le Nozze di Figaro" is organized in a specific way which is designed to describe the action. The breakdown of the tonality of the Act II finale is as follows: E flat, B flat, G, C, F, B flat and E flat major. In the Act I finale of "Don Giovanni", Mozart’s use of tonality is basically the same. The tonality of the Act I finale is as follows: C, F,(d minor), B flat, E flat and C major. Both finales begin and end in the same tonality for the same reason. Both finales end in the rival keys of the overtures because the characters are rivaling each other in both of these finales. Mozart does this because it shows the listener that there are unresolved conflicts that need to be resolved. Also these two finales are identical to the tonal structure of "Idomeneo" and "Die Entfuhrung aus den Serail" in that they begin and end in the same key. In "Don Giovanni" Mozart’s brilliance becomes more evident as he becomes more complex as far as tonality. Mozart uses tonality brilliantly as far as describing the action and the characters. In "Don Giovanni" the characters have specific keys, which tell the audience about their personalities and their emotions at particular moments in the opera. There are several musical examples that show why the use of keys is so important in "Don Giovanni". The beginning of the opera has several examples of why the use of keys is important in terms of the characters. Following the overture Leporello begins singing Notte e giorno in F major which is his main key. He is complaining about having to serve Don Giovanni. In the orchestra there is a march rhythm which indicates Leporello’s frustration. This march rhythm can be heard in several places throughout the opera. This can be compared to Figaro’s cavatina Se Vuol Ballare in "Le Nozze di Figaro". He also sings in F major and is complaining. Following Leporello’s complaining the tonality changes to B flat major in the trio "Non di Sperar" because Don Giovanni and Donna Anna enter. Don Giovanni is trying to seduce her, therefore B flat major is used. The tonality then changes to g minor when the Commendatore enters in Lasciala indegno. The key of g minor represents Don Giovanni’s anxiety, and it is the relative minor of B flat major. He is feeling anxiety because Donna Anna’s father enters the scene. Don Giovanni and the Commendatore duel and the tonality is constantly moving. The harmony in this passage represents Mozart going ahead because it moves a lot. In the other operas mentioned, the tonality does not move as much. When Don Giovanni stabs the Commendatore there is a b diminished seven chord. The tonality then ends up in f minor to indicate the darkness of the rare trio for three low male voices. For Don Giovanni this indicates regret, Leporello is terrified, and the Commendatore is mortally wounded and dying. The key of f minor is brilliant in describing the action. Charles Gounod says “Here occurs a short Trio of incomparable majesty, a masterpiece of tragic expression, and one of the most imposing pages of musical drama that it is possible to concieve.” This trio not only describes the action effectively. It also foreshadows the death of Don Giovanni. In "Ma qual mai s’offre, o Dei" the tonality is unstable in the recitative. Although there are no flats or sharps in the key signature at this point one can hear the tonality moving by fourths from g minor to c minor to f minor. The duet is in d-minor. In the duet the key switches between d-minor and the relative major. The switch to the relative major occurs when Don Ottavio expresses his love for Donna Anna and promises to be a good husband. The tonality changes to d minor to indicate vengeance. But it also indicates Donna Anna rejecting Don Ottavio. There is no tonality that is shared between Donna Anna and Don Ottavio. This is because he loves her, and she does not love him. The scene ends with the two characters seeking vengeance on Don Giovanni. The aria and trio Ah! chi mi dice mai is the introduction to Donna Elvira’s character. In the orchestral introduction Mozart really tells the listener how Donna Elvira is feeling. Charles Gounod describes this in "Mozart’s Don Giovanni". He says “Indignation, jealousy, rage all of these are expressed by the orchestra from the first bar of the symphony which precedes this marvelous number.” The running string passages are especially effective in describing her attitude. This aria and trio is in E-flat major, which is Donna Elvira’s key. Donna Elvira’s emotions are caused by her passion for Don Giovanni. Leporello’s catalogue aria Madamina closes the scene. To me D major is used here for sarcasm. In different music a lot of composers use D major as a heroic key. In this aria Leporello is telling Donna Elvira how many women Don Giovanni has been with. There are a couple of interesting tonal passages in this aria. Hermann Albert discusses this aria in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He says “As there are no modulations at all in this first section, the sudden move now into A major is all the more stricking. It affects everything; the whole melodic line surges upwards, accompanied by a glittering concertino of flutes and horns against oboes and bassons, until the almost brutal ‘d’ogni forma, d’ogni eta.” This excitement in the music at this point is an indication that Leporello is like Don Giovanni. There is even a B flat chord towards the end of this aria which indicates Don Giovanni’s presence. Hermann Albert says “Already by the eight bar the music has diverged significantly, an interrupted cadence leading to B flat major.” This proves that Leporello is somewhat proud of Don Giovanni’s conquests. The scene changes to where Zerlina and Masetto are celebrating the fact that they are going to get married and the tonality is G major. Mozart often used G major as a key for celebrating. Mozart also does this in Act III of Le Nozze di Figaro when the two couples are getting married. Masetto’s aria Ho Capito is in F major and can be compared to Se Vuol Ballare. In both of these arias the characters are angry, and are peasants. Figaro and Masetto are angry for the same reason. The Count and Don Giovanni both want to seduce their fiancees. The duet La ci darem la mano between Don Giovanni and Zerlina has Mozart using A major because it represents a false outpouring of love from Don Giovanni. Don Giovanni is trying to seduce Zerlina. Therefore A major represents his urgency to seduce her. In this duet Mozart uses the V key of E major to make Don Giovanni sound even more urgent. Hermann Albert says “Now Don Giovanni follows up his attack in the more intense key of E major, supported by the wind in an expansive, glowing melodic style; her reply is a touching, though brief, thought for poor Masetto.” This duet is similar to Crudel perche finora, which is the duet between the Count and Susanna in Act III of Le Nozze di Figaro. Mozart uses A major as an outpouring of love in both of these examples. Notice the similarity between Susanna and Zerlina, and Don Giovanni and the Count. The scene ends with Don Giovanni’s aria Finch’han dal vino. This is in B flat major to indicate Don Giovanni’s sexual drive. One interesting modulation occurs relatively early in the aria. The modulation is to b flat minor. Hermann Albert says “A fascinating effect is achieved by the appearance of the minor key at ‘Ed io frattanto’: here speaks all the daemonism of a mastermind.” The use of the parallel minor is a brief passage that describes what kind of man Don Giovanni is. It tells the audience that his main intention in having the party is to seduce Zerlina or whoever else might come along. In the finale of Act I the use of keys is important for describing the dramatic situation in the plot. The finale begins in C major with Presto, Presto, pria ch’ei venga. The first fifty bars indicate Masetto’s agitation toward Zerlina. He thinks that Zerlina is going to be unfaithful to him. The key of C major is important because it is the rival key in Don Giovanni. Dramatically at this point Masetto is trying to get Don Giovanni because he has been flirting with Zerlina. Don Giovanni then fasely welcomes the peasant guests who are in the garden. Of course he is having this party in order to seduce women, especially Zerlina. The tonality then changes to a minuet in F major. The key of F major is used to indicate that Don Giovanni is dancing with a peasant and dancing in the peasant style. At this point Masetto is hiding. When Don Giovanni discovers Masetto the key changes briefly to d minor to indicate the surprise. This is not a modulation because the change is so brief. The key quickly changes back to F major, and the three of them go inside. The three maskers enter and the tonality changes to d minor because Donna Anna begins singing about vengeance. Protegga, it giusto Cielo is in B flat major because the three maskers are praying that they will be avenged. Act I ends with Riposate, Vezzoze ragazze in E flat major. Up to this point Mozart has used a specific pattern as far as the use of tonality. He has structured it so that the first key has become the dominant of the second key. For example C major is the dominant of F major. The purpose of this is to make the scene change smooth. When the maskers enter the pattern changes. Julian Rushton says “This progression into flat keys covers the scene change, whose possible disruptiveness is thus minimized (its dramatic signifigance is slight). But when the maskers enter, the pattern changes; the music goes down a third, from E flat to C, which inevidably sounds bright because it involves sharpening the previous key-note to E natural within the new tonic chord.” This indicates the shock of their entrance to Don Giovanni and Leporello. Zerlina sings coloratura passages because she is nervous that Don Giovanni is going to try to seduce her. After the maskers enter the same minuet is heard but it is in G major instead of F major. Don Giovanni then tries to seduce Zerlina, and she screams. At this point the key is still C major but the singing is in b flat minor, c minor, and d minor as a result of Zerlina’s scream. Julian Rushton says “But the asymetry is more important, and is created by the abrupt shift from E flat to C, with its reminder of the tonic sound, and the only passage of tonal instability(13.9), a break in musical decorum exactly matching the action.” This shows Mozart going ahead. It is interesting that Le Nozze di Figaro was premiered just one year earlier. Although the Act II finale of Figaro is better because of the way it flows, the tonality is more complex in Don Giovanni. Don Giovanni is then confronted by the guests. In order to escape he threatens Leporello. Act I ends in the rival key of C major, and Don Giovanni barely escapes. At this point all of the other characters except Leporello are confronting Don Giovanni. That is why the rival key is used. The first important musical number in Act II as far as the importance of tonality is concerned is the trio "Ah taci ingiusto core". By this time Don Giovanni has disguised himself as Leporello in order to get rid of Donna Elvira so he can seduce her maid. The key of A major represents urgency for Don Giovanni and Donna Elvira. Donna Elvira thinks that Don Giovanni has come to be with her. It is a false outpouring of love from Don Giovanni. There is a modulation to E major which is similar to La ci darem la mano. This modulation is used to increase the urgency. This duet is also an outpouring of love on Donna Elivira’s part. Hermann Albert says “Now that Elvira believes herself to be alone and undisturbed by the stresses of the outside world, she gives voice to her most intimate emotion: her love for Don Giovanni which, as an immediate witness of his unfaithfulness, she has so far only been able to show in the form of hatred.” Masetto and other peasants then enter the scene with muskets looking for Don Giovanni. Don Giovanni sings Meta di voi qua vadano disguised as Leporello. This is interesting because the aria is in F major. Therefore Don Giovanni and Leporello switch keys. There is an interesting switch to C major in this aria which indicates the fact that Don Giovanni is describing himself. Hermann Albert says “Then, in C major, comes Don Giovanni’s ironic description of himself in which, as throughout the aria, the lion’s share falls to the orchestra.” The half step trill in the passage “e spada al fianco e gli ha” is similar to the E to F passage in Osmin’s rage aria . The Act II sextet "Sola, sola inbuio loco" represents Mozart going ahead in his compositional style, because he explores more complex harmonic areas. Donna Elvira begins the ensemble in her key of E flat major. In the book Mozart’s Operas Daniel Heartz says “Elvira begins the piece in E flat, singing rather simply of her hopes and fears, with well-founded misgivings about the man(the disguised Leporello, whom she takes for Giovanni) who has lead her to the darkened courtyard.” In addition, she is singing in the key of E flat because she still has hope that she will marry the Don. At this point, Leporello is looking for the door so he can escape. The tonality then moves to the dominant which is B flat major while Leporello is singing his lines. When Don Ottavio and Donna Anna enter the key changes to D major because he is singing about his love for her. She interrupts him in d minor because she is mourning the loss of her father and because she is once again rejecting him. Daniel Heartz says “ Anna cuts off Ottavio’s beuatifully delayed cadence. At the same time, she turns the music from D major to d minor, a gesture that already tells us her answer is another refusal.”204 At measure forty nine the key moves to an even darker c-minor. There is a Neapolitan harmony on “il mio pianto.” The switch to c minor can be compared to Electra’s first aria in Idomeneo. Daniel Heartz once again describes the use of tonality effectively. He says “In the course of Anna’s lament the music moves from d-minor down to the darker realm of c minor. At the first ‘il mio pianto’ Mozart resorts to a half bar of neopolitan harmony as Anna works her way up to the melodic peak note, high A-flat.” Masetto and Zerlina enter and C major is used to indicate their arrival. However the key is still c minor and it switches right back. Mozart then uses chromaticism in Donna Elvira’s vocal line because she is pleading for him to be spared. This is foreshadowing Don Giovanni’s death because chromaticism is used at the end of the opera. The tonality moves a lot in the next few passages. There is a cadence to a III chord when they say “morra.” Leporello pleads for mercy in a very dark key of g minor. This passage is about as dark as Mozart ever got musically. Albert Hermann says “Then as Leporello raises his voice, the music moves at last into the key of G minor, prepared long before but delayed again and again by interrupted cadences. And now he too is in such desperate straights that, like Elvira, his inmost nature is revealed.” Remember Don Giovanni and Leporello have switched keys. The sestet ends in E flat major. The focus becomes more on Don Giovanni and less on Leporello at this point. Albert Hermann says “Leporello, who created the whole situation, becomes less and less important, while their sense of disillusionment and impotence in face of this new and uncanny example of Don Giovanni’s scheming breaks through all the more strongly.” There are so many emotions in this number that cause the tonality to change constantly. The finale of "Don Giovanni" begins in D major with "Gia la mensa e preparata". First of all D major is used because it is a celebration. It is also used because it is a comic scene. Hermann Albert says “From the very beginning a glittering D major envelopes us in the festive atmosphere of a grand banquet of the time.” The key switches to B flat major in order to keep the scene comic. At this point Leporello takes some of Don Giovanni’s food. The aria "Non piu andrai" is sung a step lower. This is an inside joke because the person who premiered Figaro also premiered Leporello. Elvira enters in "L’ultima prova dell’amor bio" because she loves Don Giovanni. This changes the tone of the finale. The key of B flat is used to indicate Elvira’s distress. The statue of the Commendatore then knocks at Don Giovanni’s door. Elvira and Leporello both scream when they see the Commendatore. When the Commendatore knocks at the door the b diminished seven chord that was heard when he was mortally wounded can be heard here. Except in this scene there is a G sharp instead of an A flat in the chord. Albert Hermann discusses the Commendatore’s rise from the dead. He says “The death-blow for the Commendatore was a powerful diminished seventh of a B natural, leading to F minor(Ex. 6B). That same diminished seventh chord, but with G sharp for A flat, brings him back from the dead.” The key then changes to F major and in a march rhythm Leporello describes the statue. The statue of the Commendatore then comes in with Don Giovanni! a cenar teco m’invasti. This section is in d minor and echoes the overture. The key of d minor is the vengeance key and the Commendatore has come for vengeance. Don Giovanni’s interjections are in g minor at this point because he is nervous. Leporello is so terrified that he is hiding. There is chromaticism through out this whole scene to show how dark it is. The keys move a lot especially when Don Giovanni takes the statues hand. There are many points of unsteadiness in the tonality of this section. Julian Rushton says “As the statue refuses mortal food his modulation from D to A minor seems to traverse the tonal universe(Ex. 10 A); after going first to G minor(Harmonized), the line takes the simple step to an implied E flat, but treats it as the Neopolitan of D, in which key C sharp stands as dominant.” This finale shows Mozart experimenting with tonality like he never has before. In his previous operas modulations were very straight forward in Don Giovanni they are more obscure. This is especially true in this finale. These musical numbers from "Don Giovanni" show how Mozart’s use of keys is important in describing the dramatic situation in the plot, the characters personalities and their emotions at particular moments in the opera. The operas preceding Don Giovanni show how Mozart developed as far as his use of tonalities in describing the dramatic situation in the plot, the characters personalities and their emotions at particular moments in the opera. The use of keys for the characters indicates the social status of the characters. For example Masetto, Leporello and Zerlina all sing in F major because they are peasants. Don Giovanni sings in B flat major because he is a nobleman and because of his energy. The key of B flat is also used for when the women are in distress. Donna Anna’s key is d minor because she is grieving the death of her father, and because she is a cold person. The key of E flat major is used for Donna Elvira because of her passion for Don Giovanni. In Mozart’s mature operas he centered the action around the keys. Every opera composed in Mozart’s later years begins and ends in the same key. The finales are organized in the same way. Mozart did this intentionally, and as a result stood in a class by himself. Mozart’s use of tonality would influence composers that would follow such as Beethoven, Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Verdi, Weber, Wagner and many more. Therefore, Mozart’s use of tonality in these operas changed the course of Western Music. Daniel Heartz, Mozart’s Operas(London: University of California, 1990), 38-39. Ibid., 48 Ibid., 59-60 Thomas Bauman, W.A. Mozart: Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail.(New York, Cambridge University Press, 1987), 68 Ibid., 73-74 Charles Gounod, Mozart’s Don Giovanni.(New York, Da Capo Press, 1895), 8 Ibid., 21 Hermann Albert, Mozart’s Don Giovanni.(London, Eulenburg Books, 1976) 73 Ibid., 74 Ibid., 77 Ibid., 84 Julian Rushton, Mozart’s Don Giovanni.(London, Cambridge University Press, 1981) 111 Ibid., 111 Hermann Albert, Mozart’s Don Giovanni.(London, Eulenburg Books, 1976) 99 Ibid., 103 Daniel Heartz, Mozart’s Operas(London, University of California Press, 1990), 204 Ibid., 204-205 Ibid., 109 Ibid., 109-110 Ibid., 121 Julian Rushton, W.A. Mozart: Don Giovanni( Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1981) 119 Ibid., 119-120 PAGE PAGE 5