Cabaletta

What it means

The cabaletta is the quick, closing section of a multi-part opera scene of the nineteenth century. In the usual layout, a slow, lyrical section is followed by a connecting passage with a turn in the action, and then the cabaletta, which expresses the character's resolve or agitation at a fast tempo and with a virtuoso vocal line. It is often repeated, the singer ornamenting the repeat.

Musical use

This sequence is not a scheme for its own sake but a dramaturgical order: first the emotion, then the turn, then the action. The cabaletta therefore carries energy and determination, often with a striking rhythm, clear periodic structure, and a heightened ending. At the same time it offers an opportunity for the vocal brilliance that the audience expected. In the course of the nineteenth century the strict layout is loosened and finally abandoned in favour of through-composed scenes; the transition is gradual.

Performance practice

Plan your strength: the cabaletta stands at the end of a long scene and still demands full agility. Work out the ornaments of the repeat deliberately and agree them with the musical direction instead of taking them from recordings. Keep the rhythm taut; the piece lives from its drive, and too much rubato takes away its effect. Watch for clarity of text despite the speed. Settle cuts and repeats early, because editions differ and the length of the whole depends on it.

Bear in mind that between the slow section and the cabaletta there is usually a connecting passage in which the action turns; it is not a transition to be skated over but gives the reason for the change of character. Settle the relationship of the tempi with the orchestra, because too fast a tempo makes the coloratura unclean. Practise the repeat with the planned ornaments from the start instead of adding them later. Take care not to overdo the ending; the climax lies in the music itself.

Also check whether the edition provides for a repeat, since older prints often presuppose it tacitly.