Cavatina is: examples of the famous Cavatine from operas

Cavatina is a short aria in an opera performance or a play for an instrument.

What is Cavatina

In instrumental music, Cavatina is a short play. Usually such works have not too fast pace. They are performed very singing, like a song, only for a musical instrument. For example, Ludwig van Beethoven Adagio molto espressivo from the string quartet B-dur. But in instrumental music this term is still used rarely.

The word Cavatina has Italian roots. It is a diminutive form from the cavata , which comes from the cavare , which means "to extract . "

Mostly this term is used in opera music. Cavatina is an aria, small in size (usually one verse, preceded by a short instrumental introduction), light, having a lyrical character. It is performed, as a rule, contemplatively and thoughtfully. It differs from the usual aria in that it is simpler, much more modest in scale and it rarely uses text repetitions and coloratura. The pace of the Cavatina is usually not fast.

At the end of the 18th century it often became the output aria of the main character of the opera performance. Since the 19th century, the Cavatines have become widespread, virtuosic in performance, and moderately slow in pace. In addition, such tunes are more like a song. A vivid example of the latter type are the two Cavatines of Haydn from the oratorio "The Seasons," one of which belongs to the heroine Agatha, and the other to Antonida. Musical works of this genre, created in the 19th century, are more free in their construction and much larger than those that were adopted in the 18th century. There are also cavatins, which in form are arias.

"The Wedding of Figaro"

Cavatina Figaro from the opera of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - one of the most famous works of this genre. It is the output aria of this character. It reveals the character of Figaro. The musical portrait of the main character speaks of him as a man of temperament, boldness and self-respect. The size of the Cavatina is 2/4.

"The Barber of Seville"

Another famous character, whose mouth is a cavatina, is Rosina from the opera by Gioacchino Rossini. This aria is written in the form of a short song from 1 verse. Her character is virtuosic. Cavatina Rosina refers to those rare works of her genre in which coloratura is present. The heroine here talks about herself, how she is obedient and inferior to everyone, but if necessary, she will always be able to insist on her.