# "Cadential Phrase Repeats" in 18th Century Italian Opera Buffa



## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

They appear to be a prominent stylistic pattern in 18th century Italian opera buffa, found in as early as Pergolesi's La Serva Padrona (1733) www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FaHrId3Mk8&t=1m49s

I've found the use of the pattern in




(Che ne dici tu, Taddeo)
to be exceptionally adorable.

Are there any uses of the pattern you've found to be especially memorable?


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

piano, piano


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

What I find interesting is that this type of construction seems confined to opera. Does any composer of the period attempt to build insrumental or choral movements out of such phrase repetitions? I can't imagine finding that enjoyable, and frankly I don't much like it in opera either; it's one reason I haven't much fondness for Classical period opera.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Woodduck said:


> What I find interesting is that this type of construction seems confined to opera.
> it's one reason I haven't much fondness for Classical period opera.


I totally understand (where you're coming from). Btw, there's plenty of 18th century Classical stage music without such phrase repetitions. For example, Die Hochzeit auf der Alm (1768) and The Theme of Marital.... It's just not recorded yet.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Sa che sa, se sa


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Scorsi gia molti paesi


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Woodduck said:


> Does any composer of the period attempt to build insrumental or choral movements out of such phrase repetitions?


some contemporaries of Pergolesi-








I'm just joking


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