Puccini's "O mio babbino caro" solo

[Eugene]

I don't think I've ever shared this here, so here remedied. It's a super-easy (but—I like to imagine—super-effective) duo-style arrangement of Puccini's popular aria. When the aria is extracted, some orchestras play a measure or few of the arpeggio accompaniment as an intro; I've opted instead to borrow the last few measures from the immediately preceding aria (as would occur in a staging of the opera) for dramatic, super-dissonant, attention-getting effect. I take almost all upstems of 8th note or longer duration in tremolo (strategize a bit for your own tastes and abilities); no tremolo on downstems, 16th, or staccato notes. 16th-note arpeggios are intended to give an occasional sketch-like impression of the harp part in the original accompaniment; I recommend those arpeggios be taken in rather strict rhythm. If you'd like, having an accompanist (guitar, piano, harp, etc.) play something like the original 16th note arpeggios throughout and then assume the melody when the mandolin is arpeggiating would also be very effective. I play that last bass G rather softly, tucking the plectrum and playing with the right thumb as the melody note decays. I hope you enjoy.

[Jim Imhoff]

I sing bass and play mandocello; maybe I'll try this 2 octaves lower!

[Eugene]

Cool.

- - - Updated - - -

. . . And there's something inherently funny about a basso profundo singing to his "dearest daddy."

[Jim Imhoff]

I can use my falsetto and play way up the neck. Kind of defeats the point of having an mandocello though.

[EdHanrahan]

This is the go-to encore for my 5-piece Italian music group, La Bella Musica (I mostly play bass guitar, but fill in elsewhere). Our arrangement is fairly soft & sparse, with the third quarter or so being solo flute. Takes my breath away every time.

Thanks!