Abstract
AbstractThe extensive analytical literature on Rigoletto and Il trovatore is reviewed, and the issue of associative tonality is discussed. Authors differ on the significance of long-range key relations, including the question of whether Rigoletto has a tonic key and whether recurring keys in Il trovatore can be heard. Verdi’s idiosyncratic use of chords comes to fruition in Macbeth and Rigoletto. Gilda and Rigoletto have distinct focal pitches (sonorità) in their vocal lines. Different characters may inhabit different areas, or tonal fields, on charts of key relations. Contrasts between tonal fields exist in Rigoletto, but they are pursued more systematically in Il trovatore.
Publisher
Oxford University PressNew York