Talk:Mefistofele (Arrigo Boito)
IMSLP (https://imslp.org/wiki/Mefistofele_(Boito,_Arrigo)) has four vocal scores:
- IMSLP 36493, published by Oliver Ditson & Co. in 1880
- IMSLP 116273, published by Ricordi in 1880
- IMSLP 332879, published by Ricordi in 1883 (referred to as "Milliet" below, after the translator)
- IMSLP 531774, published by P. Jurgenson in 1888
I have noticed the following differences between Ditson and Ricordi. (I have noted the version preferred by Milliet when possible, but I have not carefully compared my score with either.)
Preludio:
Ricordi ends the Preludio one measure earlier than Ditson/Milliet. Ricordi/Milliet carry the last note of the Preludio over to the Ave Signor.
I have followed Ditson/Milliet in length, but am leaving out the carry over because I'm leaving out the piano reduction.
Ave Signor:
In Measure 11, Ricordi has all of Choir II sing "gli an" on the first half note, and "ge" on the second half of the measure (half note or 4.(8)). Ditson has the sopranos delay the "an" to the second note. I have followed Ricordi.
In Measure 14, Ditson is missing a natural sign; I have followed Ricordi because I think this is more likely to be a missing accidental than an unintentional one.
In Ditson, the bass/tenor lyrics for Choir I and II are:
I T/B 26 27 dal -- l'e -- 28 ter -- na 29 ar -- mo -- 30 ni -- a e -- 31
II T/B 26 ar -- mo -- 27 nia del -- 28 l'U -- ni -- 29 ver -- so 30 ni -- a e -- 31
In Ricordi, they are:
I T/B 26 27 nia del -- 28 l'U -- ni -- 29 ver -- so 30 e -- ma -- na_e -- 31
II T/B 26 ar -- mo -- 27 nia del -- 28 l'U -- ni -- 29 ver -- so 30 e -- ma -- na_e -- 31
In Jurgenson, they are:
I T/B 26 27 dal -- l'e -- 28 ter -- na 29 ar -- mo -- 30 ni -- a e -- 31
II T/B 26 ar -- mo -- 27 nia del -- 28 l'U -- ni -- 29 ver -- so 30 e -- ma -- na_e -- 31
Jurgenson is clearly correct.
Siam Nimbi:
103: Piano has ff in Ditson, f in Milliet/Ricordi
Ricordi has repeat symbols in Measure 62 and 145. Since Milliet and Ditson don't, I've omitted them.
Measure 145 of "Siam Nimbi" is different in all three versions:
Ricordi: r r <c' e'>
Milliet: <cs' e> <cs' e> fs
Ditson: <cs' e> <cs' e> <cs' e>
I have followed Ditson (it is more or less the majority vote, and Ricordi is probably distorted because of the presence of the confusing repeat symbols).
Salmodia Finale:
33: Ricordi lacks a crescendo for the basses.
36: Ditson marks the final bass note as cf, not c.
53: Ricordi/Milliet mark the tenors as ff, Ditson does not.
55: Ditson/Milliet have a crescendo for the basses, Ricordi does not.
57–60: Ricordi has the Tenor Is sing "Ave, Ave" (same words as the basses) on d2. d2. d2. d2. Milliet and Ditson just have the Tenor Is sing the same thing as the Tenor IIs. I am following Milliet/Ditson.
65: Ricordi has the Tenor II sing G for all three notes of the measure; Milliet and Ditson have B-G-G.
91: the two Penitenti staves are marked (in Ditson and Milliet) as both being both Soprani and Contralti, that is, a two-choir division in the style of the Ave Signor. (Ricordi has no such markings.) However, in Measures 102 and 114, it makes much more sense if the sopranos sing the top staff and the altos sing the bottom staff. (Altos should not be singing A5 or G5!) I have typeset it accordingly.
93/103: Ricordi and Ditson disagree on the arrangement of lyric syllables with respect to notes. (Milliet has no valid opinion because Milliet doesn't include the Italian lyrics.) I have followed Ricordi.
98: Ricordi marks this measure as "accel.", but neither Milliet nor Ditson do so.
123: Milliet and Ditson have the tenors sing C/E, Ricordi has them all sing C.
127: Ricordi/Milliet has the basses sing A#, Ditson has A. I have followed Ricordi on the grounds that a forgotten accidental is more likely than an extraneous accidental.
128–9: Ricordi omits the crescendo, but Milliet and Ditson both have it, so I've included it.
137: Milliet and Ditson end on Bar 137. Ricordi has two extra bars of piano music.
Ariel Barton (talk) 16:17, 8 May 2024 (UTC)