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Music Amuses Did you know that MOZART wrote the aria “Ch’io mi scordi di te? ... Non temer, amato bene” with an obbligato piano part so that he could sit close to the singer? Mozart’s concert aria “Ch’io mi scordi di te? ... Non temer, amato bene” is unusual in that it is scored with a delightful obbligato piano part. Different theories have been put forward to explain this special feature. Some writers allege that the aria was written for the beautiful singer Nancy Storace, whom they claim was romantically involved with Mozart. One such writer is Wolfgang Hildesheimer, who states in his biography that Mozart added the piano part so that he could sit and play close to Storace. Other writers, however, consider that Storace had never been involved with Mozart. They say it was Alfred Einstein - a noted Mozart expert - who imagined the love affair between Storace and Mozart and that many writers in the twentieth century have been influenced by Einstein. In any case, it is generally accepted that the text of the aria was not written specially for Storace but was first used in the opera Idomeneo. As such the text is probably not an outpouring of a great and unfulfilled love but an economical recycle of previously used material. Musically, the aria combines Mozart's exquisite piano and orchestra writing with heavenly vocal lines. All in all, the work affords wonderful opportunities for a soprano to display her technique and interpretative abilities. Canadian soprano Amelia Watkins will perform this aria by Mozart with Austrian pianist Gerda Struhal at the CCOHK’s upcoming Make it Mozart concert. Don’t miss the chance to hear this rarely performed aria!! |