An analysis of

Giuseppe Verdi’s
“Love Duet”
From “Otello”

Davide Catina
After the great success of Aida in 1871, Verdi probably felt his career of operatic composer
came to an end, as Gioacchino Rossini did after his Guglielmo Tell. Indeed, during the years
after the completion of Aida, the only large-scale composition of the Bussetian composer
was the Requiem, dedicated to Alessandro Manzoni. Verdi showed during this period (we
know it from his letters) to be in deep sorrow for the fate of Italian opera: the Ottocento
idioms, as he exploited them, were about to fade away, leaving space to music heavily
influenced by transalpine trends.

Nevertheless, Verdi was still the most famous and celebrated Italian composer at the time,
and his editor Giulio Ricordi probably felt the retirement of the composer from the scene as
a waste of still unexpressed talent and why not, of possible profits.

It took some years for Ricordi to convince Verdi of writing a new opera, and especially to
convince the Bussetian composer to collaborate with the librettist Arrigo Boito.

Boito, member of the forward-looking artistic group known as “Scapigliatura”, didn’t miss
the chance of heavily criticizing Verdi in the 1860s, accusing him of artistic conservatism:
“Alla salute dell’arte italiana, perche’ la scappi fuora un momentino, dalla cerchia del vecchio
e del cretino, giovane e sana” (“to a flourishing Italian art, may it run away from the
company of the old and the cretin, staying young and healthy”).

Verdi reaction to this statement was as strong, and for more than twenty years the two
artists had very bad relationships; nevertheless, as later became clear, they profoundly
admired each other, and they eventually became close friends in the last years of their lives.

The composition process took Verdi roughly two years (1884-1886), but the creation of the
libretto took even longer: the first letter correspondence between the composer and the
librettist dates 1881. After six years of continuous work, Otello was premiered at “La Scala”
in Milan on the 5th of February 1887, with great success.

Verdi’s Otello is an extremely progressive work; the composer in fact pushed formal
constructions well beyond the ‘Aida’ point: early Ottocento’s closed ‘numbers’ are
completely abandoned, in favor of an almost continuous stream of music where
orchestration, timbres of the orchestra and dramatically-connected scenes play a crucial
role.

Nonetheless, it is still possible to find classical structures in Otello: each act incorporates a
series of formal “pezzi” (which, in operatic terminology, define the entity which evolved
from the 18th century “aria”), and musical connectives which glue the “pezzi” together
(known as “scene”, which evolved from 18th century’s “recitativo accompagnato”).

We could then say, using different words, that the unstopped musical stream consists in an
alternation of “aria-like” and “recitativo-like” closed forms, connected by Verdi’s skilful use
of orchestral timbre and dramatic artifices.
Boito’s libretto represented a crucial contribution to this musical continuity: in fact, (still,
with some exceptions), Boito used for the “Pezzi” (or “aria-like” moments) versi lirici
(rhymed, regular verses) and for the “Scene” (or “recitativo-like moments) unrhymed
endecasillabi, settenari and quinari, which are necessarily translated in a freer musical
discourse.

Let’s now closely analyze the Duet regarding its form, key structure, use of motives and
dramatic artifices.

The scene starts off in F major, which is an heritage of the previous Pezzo (“Abbasso le
spade” – Scene II); it eventually becomes a dominant, and the first solo cello plays broken
chords on V9 harmony (in Bb M/m), ending on a long Eb, which is heard as 7th in the chord,
but is eventually reinterpreted as a 9th (of a Db dominant chord): we are in fact heading to
Gb Major, the key in which Otello will start off the duet.

The first two phrases (7 bars introduction and Otello’s “Gia nella notte densa…”) are thinly
instrumentated: only the warm sound of a solo cello quartet is sounding, first alone, and
then accompanying the first statement of Otello (maybe a “Rossini” tribute? The aesthetic
connection with his William Tell’s best-known cello quintet comes pretty spontaneous…)

Example 1.

Opening phrase of the

duet

The phrase has a somewhat sentential construction: the first two bars of the celli quartet
present and repeat the basic idea, third and fourth develop it further (harmonic rhythm is
speeding up); this four bars are then followed by a cadential progression, which ends on V in
Gb Major.

This motive will be found also at the end of the duet, giving to it a great sense of dramatic
unity.

Following this beautiful statement of the cello quartet, Otello enters on “Gia nella notte
densa”. The phrase starts and ends in Gb major, and is 16 bars long: the phrase construction
is sentential-like, with a statement, and further development of it; nevertheless, the Boitian
free use of verses strongly influences the musical structure: the first two verses have
different length in terms of syllables.

“Gia’ nella notte densa s’estingue ogni clamor” has 13, while “gia’ il mio cor fremebondo
s’ammansa in quest’amplesso e si rinsensa” has 18: that’s why, while listening to it, we feel a
certain formal irregularity within the presentation of the sentence. The repetition of the
basic idea (ending on an HC in Gb – “…e si rinsensa” ) gets one bar extra, in order to fit the
longer verse. The overall structure of the opening Otello phrase could then be summarized
as follows:

4 (presentation) + 5 (repetition) + 2 (somewhat developing statement) + 5

(cadential/4+downbeat).

During the two bars of fragmentation we assist to a sudden shift to the minor dominant key
(Db minor via Gb minor, which is reinterpreted as IV). These two bars are rhetorically
contrasting (because of the minor key, the powerful tremolo in the celli, and the sudden
change of mood in the lyrics “Tuoni la Guerra e s’inabissi il mondo”): concerning the
proportions, we could then better classify this opening statement as a “Lyric Form” (AABA):
in fact, after the two-bars contrasting middle (Db minor), the key of Gb is back, and Otello
sings a melody, whose shape recalls the one of the presentation (Nevertheless, is not the
same: therefore we could label the last A statement as A’).

The “lyric form” is a very interesting form type, since it enjoyed great popularity throughout
music history, from Italian Settecento and Ottocento opera till Jazz standards or modern pop
songs.

Interestingly enough, the lyric form shares its buildup with another well-known form type,
the “rounded binary”: In this particular case we see a presentation statement (Gb Major-4
bars), a repetition/development of it (Gb Major with a Bb minor brief incursion-5 bars), a
contrasting middle section (Db minor, change of text mood and harmony- 3 bars) and a
recapitulating A section, with its cadential progression (Gb Major – 4 bars + downbeat).

It would be interesting then, to further investigate on the possible influences vocal music
(and its text metric in particular) had on 18th-19th century instrumental music.

After the cadence in Gb, Desdemona answers to Otello (“Mio superbo Guerrier!”). Her first
statement is 12 bars long, and it has a somewhat looser construction than Otello’s.
Motivically, it has sentential features, but its harmony doesn’t support the hypothesis of a
classical buildup: the tonal center is pretty vague at first, and the employment of modal
harmony and a diatonic/chromatic faux bourdon give to the whole phrase a transitional
character. When looking closely to the motive, we notice an interesting detail: the material
strongly resembles the one found in the introduction (solo celli quartet), and it shares with it
the formal buildup, namely a sentence with triple statement (Example 2).
 Example 2.

Cello4et
introduction
and
Desdemona’s
first entrance

This recitativo-like phrase is followed by a faux bourdon (transition) and eventually ends on a
C Major chord, preparing the key of F major; we could consider this moment as the
structural beginning of the duet, since after this interruption the music will proceed
unstopped until the end of the act.

Furthermore, F (and its orbit – see following C major sections) is a central key in this piece,
together with Db Major and E major (the key of the “Bacio” theme).

Following her recitativo-like statement, Desdemona sings an 8-bars phrase in the key of F
major (“quando narravi l’esule tua vita”), which has a very clear construction: an AABC,
which is a very common variant of the original AABA model; instead of going back to A, the C
section tonicizes the dominant, ending with and PAC in C Major.

This time (unlike the first Otello aria-like statement) the construction is very regular
(2+2+2+2). The musical architecture is here matching the regularity of Boito’s verses, four
regular endecasillabi: each one gets two bars of music, without extensions or repetitions
(this phrase could also be seen as a sentence without fragmentation process – another case
of overlapping of vocal/instrumental terminology).

After Desdemona sung her love to Otello, remembering his turbulent life (“quando narravi
l’esule tua vita”), accompanied by the ecstatic timbres of harp and winds in an almost
Puccinian setting, Otello answers to her continuing the narration of his past wars and
struggles (”pingea dell’armi il fremito”): the brass section enters with fanfare-like figures,
and the high strings and harp play fast passages in 32nd notes.

The structure of Otello’s answer falls in the recitativo-like category, and it has a transitional
function: from a tonicised C Major, via g minor, c minor and f minor, we reach again a C
major chord, everything within 6 bars.
 Example 3.

Chord progression Keys: g-c-f

So, recapitulating what we just said, the overall structure up till this point would look like
this:

7(celli introduction) +16(Otello, aria-like) + 12 (Desdemona, recit-like) + 8 (Desdemona, aria-

like) + 6 (Otello, recit-like).

This simple scheme clarifies the clear contraposition and alternation between regular/aria-
like forms and freer/recitativo-like forms. Up till this point, Otello and Desdemona acted as
separate individuals, each of them narrating the story though his own eyes, and therefore
with very strong musical characterization (see the clear musical contrasts between the
above-discussed sections of the duet).

From now on a formal process of, we could say, dramatic fragmentation starts to unfold:
Otello’s and Desdemona’s entrances slowly start to merge, to be shortened, to
communicate, and to be part of the same musical atmosphere, as if from two entities they
would, in the course of the duet, become one; the culmination of this process is without
doubts represented by the fantastic “Bacio” theme, which also displays a motive of
tremendous importance for the whole opera (an almost wagnerian Leitmotive).

The next unit of the piece is then longer. It is still consisting of two phrases of 8 bars each,
one sung by Desdemona (“poi mi guidavi ai fulgidi deserti”) and the other by Otello
(“ingentilia di lacrime”). They are both aria-like, so not that contrasting in character when
compared with the preceding units; the first one starts off in Ab Major, and (via C minor) it
modulates and cadences in f minor (Desdemona), the second modulates to Db major from f
minor, via Ab major (Otello).

Desdemona’s “poi mi guidavi ai fulgidi deserti” has a clear periodical construction: since the
verses are once again regular endecasillabi, Verdi doesn’t struggle in matching this regularity
in musical terms (Example 4).
 Example 4.

Desdemona’s
“poi mi
guidavi”

In Otello’s “Ingentilia di lacrime”, endecasillabi are used, but the motivic content is not
clearly periodic, since Boito’s verses are composed here with an irregular placement of
metric accents; nevertheless, it is possible to trace motivic similarities between “antecedent”
and “consequent” (Example 5):

Example 5.

Otello’s “ingentilia
di lacrime”

The two bars after the IAC in Db major have a retransition function: Desdemona sings a fast
moving melody, supported by pizzicati in the strings and 32nd notes motions in the harp; In
the last two quarter notes of the second bar, we suddenly move back to F (Db acts as bVI in F
major), preparing a very important moment of the piece.

The aria-like phrase “E tu m’amavi per le mie sventure” can be considered the first musical
goal of the duet: in fact, it is the first time in which Otello and Desdemona actually sing a
closed phrase together, rather than answering to each other with multiple closed phrases.

Formally speaking, this 12 bars-unit is a clear sentence: 4 presentation + 4 repetition + 4 (and

downbeat) of fragmentation process and cadence. Important to notice that the PAC which
ends the unit, is the strongest cadence we have had so far: after having remembered past
stories and moments, the two lovers are thrown back into the present, and once again
realize the strength of the love which binds them together.

The next, looser section of the duet (the one that lies between “E tu m’amavi” and “un
bacio” – WW and YY in the Ricordi edition) has the following construction:

15 (Otello, recit-like) + 10 (Otello+Desdemona, aria-like) + 5 (Otello, recit-like)

It is quite surprising that Otello gets again a spotlight of 15 bars alone (especially when we
remember Verdi’s trick of speeding up of the “dramatic” rhythm): in fact it is quite an
exception. On the other hand, something very meaningful happens in this section: the
upcoming “bacio” theme is previewed, as in a way the whole final catastrophe. The text-
music relationship is also supporting this hypothesis; Otello says:

Tale è il gaudio dell'anima che temo, Such is my soul's joy that I am afraid.
Temo che più non mi sarà concesso I fear that I will never again be granted
Quest'attimo divino This divine moment
Nell'ignoto avvenir del mio destino. In the unknown future of my destiny

On the first “Temo” (“I fear”) we hear I6/4 in Dd minor; this cadential chord is eventually
neutralized by making it a 6-chord (second time “temo”), and then enharmonized as VI6 in E
major, the key of the “Bacio” (“I will never again be granted This divine moment In the
unknown future of my destiny”, statement which we could consider, knowing the opera, as
a pretty good guess from him).

Other characteristic features of the “Bacio” theme are the presence of a lament-like figure
(here is found in Otello’s line, while in the “Bacio” scene is found in the bass) and the
importance of bVI (here is the outcome of the deceptive cadence, in the “Bacio” scene it
starts the cadential progression).

Example 6.

Preview of the “Bacio” theme.

The following aria-like phrase (“disperda il ciel gli affanni”) displays a periodical construction
with a two bars extension, due to a text repetition of Desdemona, after Otello (“Amen
risponda”). The final cadence is an IAC in C major.

Example 7.

“disperda il ciel gli affanni”

After a brief transition of 5 bars (Otello’s “Ah! La gioia m’innonda si’ fieramente”), basically
all based on diminished chords, we enter into the last section of the duet, The one
characterized by the key of E major, and the “Bacio” theme. This theme represents, in the
opera, such a strong unifying dramatic element: It comes back more than once in the last
act, preannouncing and afterwards, commenting, Desdemona’s death.

The “Bacio” theme interestingly represents an almost perfect textbook example of sentential
construction (2 presentation + 2 repetition + 2 fragmentation + 2 cadential progression); it
might have some connection with the fact that it is purely instrumental, and the two
characters are only commenting (and flying) on top of it.

The chord labeled with “??” in example 8 is a very ambiguous one: we hear an half
diminished sound, that doesn’t resolve in a standard way: we can explain it only by means of
voice leading (see the Fx in the bass that resolves to G# - it is almost a #II in E major).
 As we said before, important to notice the use of bVI in the cadential progression, which
ends with a PAC (the third of the whole duet, the first was in C major – “Quando narravi”,
the second in F major - “Ed io t’amavo”).

Example 8.

“Bacio” theme

After the PAC music becomes very rarefied: violins and violas are playing sustained ppp high
notes, the harp is filling in the harmony with arpeggios that seem borrowed from the bass
clarinet after the previous PAC in F major (before ”Venga la morte”), and flute and English
horn play an ascending chromatic line, a reminiscence of the descending one of the “bacio”.

Thanks to the chromatic line, the harmony lands on VI6 in E major (c# minor - via IAug), and
very unexpectedly, after a Major/minor shift, we land in Db Major, the only main key of the
duet which still didn’t have its proper cadence. The duet quietly ends in Db major, with the
1st violins playing a soft trill on the tonic, and the celli solo quartet playing a short
recapitulated version of “Gia’ nella notte densa”.
Let’s now, with the help of a graph, recapitulate the form scheme of the whole duet.

Ex. 9

Form
scheme

The graph shows in a clear way the above-discussed topics, as the alternation of aria-like and
recit-like phrases, the intensification towards the end of the duet, the confirmation of the
main tonalities of the duet (F, Db, E, C).

Furthermore, it highlights the importance of bVI: the four main keys of the duet (the ones on
which we have cadences!) are F Major, Db Major, E Major and C Major. They are connected
two at the time by a I-bVI relationship: (F-Db and E-C). This connection is also displayed in
the micro-level (see for instance the use of bVI in an E major context – It happens both
times, and the continuous shift between F an Db in the central portion of the duet).

Harmonically, the duet has some exciting moments. The harmony is at times very chromatic,
but it never sounds artificial. Non-resolving dominant chains (for instance see the cello
introduction) or ambiguous half-diminish moments immediately call to our mind Wagnerian
models; nevertheless Verdi applies them with a very personal style.

Bibliography
James A. Hepokoski – Otello, Cambridge university press, 1987

David Lawton – On the “Bacio” theme in “Otello”, 19th-Century Music, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Mar.
1978), pp. 211-220 (University of California press)

Roger Parker/Matthew Brown - Ancora un bacio: Three Scenes from Verdi's "Otello”, 19th-
Century Music, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Summer, 1985), pp. 50-62 (University of California press)