Thoughts on Falstaff and Gianni Schicchi

Giuseppe Verdi and his successor Giacomo Puccini rarely ventured into writing comic operas in their careers. Both composers were very dark composers for the most part in that their operas had very dark plots with lead characters dying at the end. Well, I suppose that is the case with a lot of operas, but Puccini and Verdi really stand out in this regard in that they preceded the verismo period of operas. I should say Verdi did, Puccini crossed into it with "Tosca", "Il Tabarro", and "Suor Angelica" specifically. My point in writing this is that even though "Falstaff", and "Gianni Schicchi" are comic operas, there are a lot of dark elements to both shows. Not only is this the case musically, but also in terms of the various characters. Falstaff and Gianni Schicchi are comical dark characters. They are not good people in my opinion. The subtle darkness of both shows are very apparent musically. When Schicchi is plotting his plan of how to change Buoso's will there is a march in the music similar to when Scarpia lies to Tosca about having a fake execution for Cavaradossi. In both cases the marching drum rolls signify a deception. Buoso's relatives do not know that there is a theft involved in Schicchi's plans. But, if the audience hears that drum roll, they know. Similarly Falstaff's supposed rendevu with Alice Ford has the 12 chimes which are very dark in nature. Both Gianni Schicchi and Falstaff are bums for lack of a better word. Falstaff gets what he deserves, but Schicchi runs free. Schicchi does love his daughter Lauretta. I don't know if Falstaff has any rejuvenating qualities. Schicchi justifies his behavior claiming he did it for his daughter. The end of the operas could not be more different. In "Falstaff" everyone gangs up on Falstaff. In "Gianni Schicchi" the relatives are screwed, and Schicchi gives a big speech. Verdi writes a big fugue in "Falstaff" with a moral. It is almost like the "Cosi fan Tutte" finale and "Don Giovanni" epilogue in that there is a moral. There are noticeable similarities between both operas. They are both dark comedies, they are both strong ensemble operas, and complex ones at that, they both have the lovers singing together, and things pass quickly musically. There are not many arias in either opera. Schicchi relies more on the ensembles than "Faldtaff". Verdi still includes duet scenes, including a large one between Falstaff and Ford. One interesting difference between the two plots is that "Falstaff" involves lack of trust. Ford does not trust his wife Alice. Jealousy is a huge theme in Falstaff. Verdi follows in Mozart's footsteps by using the horn section of the orchestra to signify jealousy. In "Gianni Schicchi" the relatives trust Gianni, and I do not understand why. Both sides are incorrect in both operas. Ford gets taught his lesson, as does the Count in "Le Nozze di Figaro." The relatives in "Gianni Schicchi" are a naive bunch, and they pay for it. Musically there are fast ensembles in both shows. In " Falstaff" the men and the women are singing about entirely different things. In "Gianni Schicchi" the relatives are singing about similar things, a lot of times at the same time. Puccini and Verdi are different musically. Puccini gravitated towards Wagner, whereas Verdi hated Wagner. There is a spot in "Gianni Schicchi" where three of the women are singing as if they are the Rheinmaidens in "Das Rheingold." Puccini's orchestration has more of an individuality to it, in that the orchestra could almost stand alone. Verdi's is strictly accompanying. This difference is much more obvious when comparing Verdi and Wagner, but it shows up in Puccini. Puccini liked Wagner, and sometimes used leitmotifs to identify characters. In Tosca he uses a strong leitmotif for Scarpia's entrance right smack at the beginning of the opera. Scarpia, Falstaff, and Gianni Schicchi all have similarities. They all have selfish motives. Scarpia's is sex, so is Falstaff's, and Schicchi's is materialistic. The ending of "Gianni Schicchi" is not happy like a typical comedy because Gianni Schicchi gets away with theft. Verdi ends "Falstaff" with an upbeat fugue, but Falstaff has only learned his lesson for the time being. There are a lot of dark comic characters in opera. Falstaff and Gianni Schicchi are only two of them. Bartolo, Mustafa, Basilio, Leporello, and Dulcamara are a few examples. It's the demeanor of these characters that make the audience laugh, not what they are all about. Bartolo is vengeful, Dulcamara is a hack job, and Basilio is a sleezy gossip who likes to cause trouble, Leporello is the comic version of Don Juan, but lower class. Most operas are dark, including comic operas.