Description
The first of its kind, this is a much more readable and sight-playable piano/vocal reduction of "Ah, scostati!...Smanie implacabili,” Dorabella’s first aria from Mozart’s Così fan tutte (1790). The sextuplets in the right hand found in most standard reductions have been condensed into triplets with a grace note, emphasizing that the gestural shape is what needs to be heard rather than every individual note, and the result is a much clearer and less note-filled score for the audition pianist. Some large spans in the left hand have also been reduced out and redistributed for more ergonomic playing on long audition days. When a grace note has an accidental that is then repeated later in the gesture, I’ve rewritten that accidental on the full-size note containing it for ease of reading (so the cue-size accidental is not the only indication of said accidental in the measure, which would make it too easy to miss). The recitative “Ah, scostati!” is also included with slight alterations and courtesy accidentals in the melodic minor scales.
As with any Accessible Accompaniments edition that’s not also an audition/solo cut, I suggest bringing two copies to each audition: one Accessible Accompaniment and one copy of a standard edition. Audition pianists who don’t know the aria will almost always choose the cleaner look of the Accessible Accompaniment, but those who know “Smanie” well might prefer to play from the edition they learned it from. This will provide singers and their audition pianists every chance of a successful collaboration.