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To: "VOCALIST" <vocalist>
Subject: Re: Cantique de noel: musicologists' answers to rhythm question (long-ish)
Date sent: Wed, 22 Dec 1999 16:52:30 -0500
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Dear Laura and list,

I have not heard of the convention of the dotted-quarter understood to
mirror the triplets. A composer would have to be insane to write dotted
quarter-sixteenth when he could easily have written this in triplets.

What does make sense to me is the fact that Adolphe Adam lived in the first
half of the 19th century and would have been strongly influenced by the
Italian invasion in Paris. If you look at works of Bellini and Donizetti
you will find several instances of triplet accompaniments against a dotted
duple vocal line. I'm a little tired right now to think up many examples,
but two Donizetti examples from my fach come to mind:

Enrico's Cavatina in Lucia di Lamermoor in Act 1 (Cruda funesta smania) and
Belcore's martial cavatina in Act 1 of L'elisir d'amore (Come Paride
vezzoso). Coaches who have made these works their expertise have insisted
upon bringing out the difference between the triplets and dotted duplets.
Attention to that detail gives greater fervor to "Minuit Chretien" (O holy
night), greater power to Enrico's anger, and the martial feeling to Sargeant
Belcore's military swagger.

I will look into it further, but I have not heard of the convention of
singing dotted duplets like triplets when they are written opposite each
other.

Hope this at least adds spice to the soup.

Cheers,

JRL.