A Study of the Systematic Use of Themes and Motives

Abstract

Antonio Carlos Gomes (1836-1896) is considered one of the most important Brazilian composers and was the first New World composer whose work was accepted in Europe. His opera Fosca, though, was never discussed in depth and should be recognized as an important work in the history of the nineteenth century Italian opera for its skillful use of themes and motives. The Brazilian composer and musicologist Mario de Andrade presented a study of the principal themes in 1936, in commemoration of the centennial of Carlos Gomes' birth, but there is no record of a thorough study that shows the magnitude of Carlos Gomes' application of his motivic and thematic technique in this work.In this document, the author identifies the principal themes and motives, and demonstrates how the composer systematically used them to enhance the drama and lend coherence to the work as a whole. Gomes, in Fosca, used the technique to such extent that every major character in the opera has a minimum of one theme related to him or her. The leading role Fosca has many themes to represent her different feelings throughout the opera. There are also themes representing specific feelings between two people, and themes related to the chorus as well. Gomes uses his themes to contribute to the drama as active psychological elements and not simply as ornamentation.The recurring themes in Fosca are easily heard and recognized, but this does not mean that Gomes used them in a rudimentary or merely mechanical manner. Gomes' simplicity proves to be a useful tool in ensuring musical and dramatic continuity, offering us an idea of his broader goal as a musical dramatist.