Page:Rolland - A musical tour through the land of the past.djvu/168

156 that is, the accompagnati, he indicates where and how they should be employed in his drama.

"In the first act I perceive two places where the instruments may assist me. The first is Attilio's harangue to Manlius, in the second scene, from the line:


 * A che vengo! Ah sino a quando…

"After the words a che vengo the instruments may begin to make themselves heard, and, sometimes silent, sometimes accompanying the voice, and sometime rinforzando, give warmth to a speech which is already in itself impassioned. I should be glad if they did not desert Attilio until the line:


 * La barbara or qual è? Cartago, o Roma?

"I think, moreover, that it is well to be on one's guard against the mistake of making the singer wait longer than the accompaniment itself demands. All the passion of the speech would be chilled; and the instruments, instead of animating, would weaken the recitative, which would be like a picture cut into sections and thrust into the background; in which case it would be better that there should be no accompaniment."

The same recommendation is made in respect of the seventh scene of Act I.: "I insist once again that the actor should not be compelled to wait for the music, and that the dramatic passion of the play should not be chilled in this way; I wish to see it increase from scene to scene."

A little farther on, after Manlius' words:


 * T'accheta: si viene. …

"… a brief symphony seems to me necessary to give the Consul and the Senators time to take their seats, and in order that Regulus may arrive without haste and take time to reflect. The character of this