Monteverdi vs Cesti
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Monteverdi vs. Cesti; Style of Opera Composition
Early opera is a genre of music that I had been relatively unexposed to in the past. Before studying these works at a more in-depth level, I would have been tempted to describe them all as being quite similar, having only minor variations. I now see the unmistakable differences in such things as the texture of the accompanying voices and the amount of text painting used to accentuate the lyrics. Also, a carefully balanced use of the recitative to focus on the text, compared to the use of aria to enhance the listening experience, is vital for a well-perceived opera.
The excerpt by Cesti is an aria. These melodically important sections of an opera have become quite elaborate over the years. The texture is unique in that the musical importance that an aria section is supposed to have comes from the depth of the harmonic chord, rather than from a unique melodic line. Monteverdi's aria section in L'incoronazione di Poppea, measure 343, is more melodically intense than Cesti's aria. The descending 8th notes, and the dotted 8th preceding a 16th's, played by an upper register woodwind instrument are signs of a more melodic line than the multi-textured aria of Cesti's Orontea scene...