La Traviata - N12 Coro di mattadori spagnuoli

Description

Following the gypsy chorus of No. 11, this is the next entertainment at the same masked ball. This time the men appear dressed as Spanish matadors, and, led by Gastone, they tell the story of the matador Piquillo, who killed five bulls for the woman he loved. It is the men's turn, a counterpart to the women's chorus before it.

Over a strongly marked rhythm, the narrating melody and the chorus answer one another. Compared with the lightness of the previous number, the music puts male bravado and drive to the fore. At about six minutes and 2,375 notes, it has more notes than No. 11 at a similar length, and the chords are thicker. The range from C2 to G6 sits just within a 61-key keyboard (C2 to C7).

It is rated advanced and calls for crisp accents and for chords that sound full without turning heavy. Setting clearly different dynamic levels for the narrative passages and the full chorus helps the shape of the scene come across. Use the A-B loop to practise the changes between narrative and chorus, and check the chord layout in the score view so the thicker passages can be played with order.

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