La Traviata - N16 Coro baccanale

Description

In Act III of La Traviata, this carnival chorus drifts in through the window after Violetta's aria. Out in the street a festive procession carries a fatted ox, and the revellers' singing sounds from offstage. It is a short scene that sets the quiet of the sickroom against the noise outside.

The file gives D major. A cheerful choral tune over a bouncing rhythm is the core of it, and since it is meant to be heard from offstage, the music itself is written simply and plainly. Its role in the drama is the contrast with the weight of the numbers around it. At about one minute twenty seconds and 706 notes, it is the shortest piece in this group, with the fewest notes. The range from A2 to D7 goes above C7, so it does not fit a 61-key keyboard.

It is rated intermediate, and the task is to keep the rhythm light and clip the chords so they bounce. With so few notes, it is a comfortable length to practise straight through. Check how the short notes are released at a reduced playback speed before returning to tempo. Remembering that this is singing heard from a distance, finding how far not to push the sound is a lesson particular to this piece.

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