La Partenza Explained

"La partenza" is a 1749 canzonetta by Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782). It is among his most famous canzonettas and after being set by the poet himself was set again by many composers including Farinelli, Caffarelli, Giovanni Paisiello, Mozart, Beethoven himself and Beethoven's pupil Archduke Rudolph.^{[1] [2]}

The first stanza goes:^[3]

Ecco quel fiero istante:

Nice, mia Nice, addio.

Come vivrò ben mio,

Così lontan da te?

Settings

• Pietro Metastasio
• Farinelli
• Caffarelli
• Giovanni Paisiello
• Mozart as "Ecco quel fiero istante", K. 436
• Beethoven, as WoO. 124
• Carl Blum
• Friedrich August Bungert 1884
• Johann Wilhelm Hertel
• Friedrich Wilhelm Rust as "La Partenza di Nice", 1784
• Rossini
• Bortniansky

Notes and References

1. Susan Kagan Archduke Rudolph, Beethoven's Patron, Pupil, and Friend 1988 "Of primary interest among Rudolph's vocal works is his setting of "La partenza" for bass voice and piano, because... The text of "La partenza" is a canzonetta by Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782) which was popular among composers, ..."
2. Il Salotto musicale Mario Bizzoccoli, Roberta Frison, Free Ensemble - 1992 p101 "Le canzonette La Libertà, Palinodia, La Partenza, furono musicate dallo stesso Metastasio, Paisiello, Caffarelli, Farinelli, Rutini."
3. [The Lied, Art Song, and Choral Texts Archive]