Giacomo Puccini
Quando me'n vo'
Short instrumentation: 1 1 1 1 - 1 0 0 0, hp, str
Duration: 2'
Bearbeitung: Paolo Fradiani
Solos:
soprano
Instrumentation details:
flute
oboe
clarinet in A
bassoon
horn in F
harp
violin I
violin II
viola
violoncello
double bass
Quando me'n vo'
Sample pages
Audio preview
Work introduction
"Quando me'n vo'", also known as "Musetta's Waltz", is a soprano aria, a waltz in act two of Puccini's 1896 opera La bohème. It is sung by Musetta, in the presence of her bohemian friends, hoping to reclaim the attention of her occasional boyfriend Marcello.
This scene takes place at the Café Momus. Shortly after Mimì, Rodolfo, and their friends have taken seats for a drink, Marcello's former girlfriend, Musetta, shows up with her current patron, the elderly Alcindoro. They quarrel for a bit, then the episode begins as Musetta initiates her move on Marcello. She grabs the spotlight, musically speaking, for a short self-promoting aria (Quando me'n vo'). It is a song directed at the people in the café as much as at the audience in the theater.
What is necessary to perform this work?
Minimum instrumentation requirements:
1 Flute
1 Oboe
1 Clarinet in A
1 Bassoon
1 Horn in F
1 Harp (or Piano)
1 Voice
2 Violins
1 Viola
1 Violoncello
1 Doublebass