Il duetto nei drammi di Metastasio: forma, funzionamento, affetti

Abstract

The duets in Metastasio's musical dramas have so far attracted little interest from musicologists. Of the twenty-six librettos written by the Roman poet, only thirteen contain a duet. Metastasio, however, wrote six duets for some his own dramas that originally lacked them, four of which have survived. This essay examines the structure of the poetic texts, identifying recurring patterns and solutions. Particular attention is paid to the musical function of the various sections.