Cavatina

What it means

The cavatina is a short aria without the repetition of the first part that the da capo aria has. It is usually calm, song-like, and of manageable size. In the opera of the nineteenth century the term often designates the slow first part of a multi-part entrance scene, which, after a turn, is followed by the fast cabaletta. In addition the title is used for instrumental movements that have a singing, restrained character.

Musical use

Compared with the large da capo aria and its strict layout, the cavatina seems plainer and more direct; it suits a character's first entrance because it draws their character briefly and memorably without holding up the action. Musically the vocal line is in the foreground, the accompaniment stays restrained. In instrumental music the title means the same thing: a movement whose melody is led like singing and which dispenses with thematic development. The designation has never been applied strictly, and the boundaries with the aria and the arioso are fluid.

Performance practice

Shape the cavatina in one large arc and resist the temptation to mould each phrase individually. Keep ornaments sparing; the effect arises from calm and clarity. Watch for an accompaniment that carries without pushing, and for a tempo that leaves room to breathe. If a cabaletta follows, plan your strength and the contrast deliberately. With instrumental movements of this title, it is worth orienting the phrasing on a vocal line and thinking the breathing places.

Also check whether the cavatina stands on its own or is part of a larger scene, for the shaping of the ending depends on it: in the second case it prepares the following section and must not seem conclusive. Keep the tempo flowing, because too slow a tempo destroys the song-like character. Watch for a slim accompaniment that leaves room for the voice. With instrumental movements of this title, it is worth thinking breathing places and shaping the line in arcs instead of bars.