What is Verdis duet form?
Closely related to the aria form of the “Code Rossini” is the duet form. This also contains a “cantabile,” “tempo di mezzo,” and “cabaletta,” but these parts are usually prefaced by a “tempo d’attacco.” The “tempo d’attacco” is often in “parlante” style, which means that the orchestra provides the musical continuity and the voices tend to exchange lines above it (sung, of course). This opening section prepares the dramatic situation, such that the voices can then be more expressive in the following slow section. Note that the example in the anthology (NAWM 119) only includes the first two sections of the duet form — the “tempo di mezzo” and “cabaletta” are not present, although Verdi composed them, and they can be heard in a complete recording of the opera.
