Beethoven was his enthusiastic admirer, and it is certain that, although the antiquated style of his recitative and arioso makes his music unpalatable now, he was sincere in his attempt at dramatic fidelity.
But the great bulk of the dialogue is in the true Verdian arioso style, that glowing recitation which is the chief means of expression in this master's last works.
His forms are very free, and the recitative is almost wholly in the arioso style with full orchestral accompaniment.
That German opera has gained in richness and dramatic power by the disuse of formality and the employment of all the resources of the modern declamatory arioso and orchestration cannot be denied.
That is, there are no set arias, duets, or ensembles in his later works, but all the dialogue is carried on in a free arioso form, and duets are simply the musical conversation of two people.
It approaches the modern arioso in style, and is really expressive.
After the tumult ends, Abadil very melodiously appeals to Don Munio, followed by a brief arioso in which the latter makes his terms, and a spirited chorus of gratitude to the Don, which close the first part.
The fifth number is a solemn chorale in unison, leading to a soprano solo in the arioso style, "Caro cibus," which is exquisitely beautiful.
Arensky's melody has not the sweeping lines and sustained power of Tchaikovsky's, but his tendency is lyrical and romantic rather than realistic and declamatory, and his use of arioso is marked by breadth and clearness of outline.
His continuous use of arioso becomes monotonous and ineffective, because, with him, the clear edges of melody and recitative seem perpetually blurred.
In arioso trills and graces Ye never stray; But gravissimo, solemn basses Ye hum away.
One of them was an arioso with variations for violon-celli, flutes, oboe, &c.
Between the fourth and fifth acts was a cantabile with recitatives for the English horn, and then the arioso again, which accorded very well with the sadness of the preceding scene and with the following act.
In ariosotrills and graces Ye never stray, But gravissimo, solemn basses Ye hum away.
Taneiev as soloist), and the Arioso from The Enchantress.
Still more impressively is this mastery of expression shown in the arioso recitatives.
In the "Seven Words" the utterances of Jesus and the other separate personages are given in arioso recitative, rising at times to pronounced melody.
He checked the Italianizing process by working the arioso recitative, the aria for one or more voices, and the chorus into one grand musical scheme, in which his intricate organ style served both as fabric and decoration.
