Discography

Track 1: Sempre Libera
Track 2: E forse Lui
Track 3: Stairway to Heaven

Works Cited

Brown, Jimmy. "Shred Zeppelin: How to Play Like Jimmy Page." Shred Zeppelin: How to Play Like Jimmy Page. Guitar World, 21 Mar. 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.

Colb, Tom. "Soloing Strategies: The Most Electrifying Riffs of Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page." Soloing Strategies: The Most Electrifying Riffs of Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page. Guitar World, 21 Feb. 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.

Easly, David B. Tonality and Drama in Verdi's La Traviata. Thesis. Louisiana State University, 2005. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Gozzola, Luis. "Opera In Depth - La Traviata." Opera Forum at Opera Lively. N.p., 18 Dec. 2011. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.

La Traviata Study Guide. Winnipeg: Manitoba Opera, 2008. PDF.

Plant, Robert. Perf. Jimmy Page, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones. Stairway to Heaven. Led Zeppelin. 1971. Web.

Plumley, Gavin. "Accesible Arias: Sempre Libera from La Traviata." Royal Opera House. Royal Opera House, 5 Dec. 2011. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.

Stilo, Rocco. "Hard Rock 1969-73." The History of Rock Music. Piero Scaruffi, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.

Sutherland, Joan. La Traviata. Giuseppe Verdi, 1853. Web.

Verdi, Giuseppe. Sempre Libera. N.p.: Petrucci, n.d. PDF.

Harmonic Elements: Tonality

Romantic opera and hard rock also share harmonic features. The harmonic language of both genres is relatively straightforward and tonal. Led Zeppelin and Verdi both use the techniques of adding dissonance, and utilizing expressive tonality to add drama to their compositions.

In La Traviata, several recurring musical themes undergo transposition, a device that Wagner scholar Robert Bailey calls expressive tonality, which is the repetition or recall of a passage transposed by semitone or tone, either up or down to underscore dramatic intensification or relaxation. Similar in dramatic value are reactive shifts, which are abrupt modulations or tonicizations, depicting a direct response to a statement or thought. In Romantic opera, within many arias, the soloist is often accompanied by the orchestra. The motifs and themes sung by the soprano are repeated by the orchestral accompaniment. This may be seen in the Sempre Libera aria at 1’ 34”, as the woodwinds repeat the motif as seen in the fourth bar in the figure below.

According to Verdi scholar, Joseph Kerman, there are three types of recurring themes in Verdi’s operas: “identifying,” “recalling,” and the “tema-cardine.” Kerman asserts that “these recurring themes do more than recall or identify: they provide, in a single musical gesture, a compelling focus for the dramatic action."

The use of themes and their modulations is evident in the opera Rigoletto. Within this opera, there is a "tema-cardine" of the curse theme. It is first introduced in the opening bars of the C minor Prelude to the opera where it occurs without accompaniment, and the doubledotted rhythms are memorable. In addition, the first harmony, an enharmonically spelled dominant seventh chord on A-flat moving to a C minor chord, also becomes strongly associated with the theme seen in the figure below.

 

The curse returns later in Act I when Monterone curses the Duke and Rigoletto. The theme has been changed in this reiteration, as the tone is moving to D flat and the rhythms are slightly altered, but the dotted rhythms remain.

 
 The curse affects Rigoletto greatly and he reflects on it throughout Act I, repeating the theme in A flat with a dominant seventh. The theme begins on middle C, and the line moves into a dominant seventh chord on A-flat, enharmonically the same as found in the Prelude, and then to C major before cadencing in F major.

 The curse theme reappears several more times and culminates in the death of Rigoletto’s daughter, Gilda, in Act III: the fulfillment of Monterone’s words.

The curse is considered  to be the central focus of the drama in Rigoletto, and the structural placement and recurrence is evidence of this.The curse theme is the tema-cardine, as its use occurs not as a reminder to the audience, but to Rigoletto as he recalls it at climactic points in the opera, including Gilda’s abduction in Act I as well as her death.

 Verdi's compositions often utilize the enigmatic scale, containing elements of major, minor, and whole tone scales, in many of his compositions. A version of this scale is represented in the figure below, starting on C. Its scale is composed of the following steps: semitone, Tone and a half, Tone, Tone, Tone, Semitone, Semitone.

The bassist's role is important to the structure of hard rock music; the bass-line outlines the harmony of the music being performed while simultaneously indicating the rhythmic pulse. As with the rhythm guitarist, bassists may also provide backup vocals. The bass in Led Zeppelin shadows the clear tonal changes in the lead guitar. Led Zeppelin utilizes a multitude of scales in their works, including pentatonic, major, minor, and modal into their songs, akin to how Verdi used his enigmatic scale.


The figure below is an E minor pentatonic–based (E–G–A–B–D) sextuplet figure played on the top string pair. Perhaps the most famous example of this lick comes at the end of the “Stairway to Heaven” solo .













 
The next figure below shows how Led Zeppelin mixes triplets with straight 16ths in a hammer-on/pull-off flurry of E minor pentatonic notes, a demonstration of their use of different scales and rhythms,

In the following figure, it is clear that Jimmy Page mixes A major (A–B–C#–E–F#) and A minor (A–C–D–E–G) pentatonics in the same pattern Page uses to cap his solo.

Similar to Verdi, Led Zeppelin also uses a form of expressive tonality, as the same themes are repeated in different keys to express and portray drama in songs. These key changes may be heard in "Stairway to Heaven," as the song progresses in intensity reflected in the lyrics.

Although the exact key changes are indistinguishable in name, they are unmistakable by ear. From the beginning of the song, there is a clear key set by the guitar. At 3' 00" they key modulates away from the tonic key, seemingly adding dissonance and discomfort for the listener. Again, at 4' 00" they key modulates again and additional notes are added to the original theme. Later at 4' 50" another modulation with drum accompaniment adds to the intensity of the song. at 5' 40" another key is introduced as the tempo additionally increases in the song. The lyrics are interrupted by a guitar solo at 6' 15" lasting until 9'20" which is highly modulatory and full of virtuosity. Beginning at 9' 20" the original theme comes back in another key, but is predominantly composed of chords, and not the arpeggios of the original theme in the beginning of the song. The final key is played at 10' 00" as the song comes to a close, the guitar does not return to the tonic key and the song closes with a vocal fade.

The modulations in "Stairway to Heaven"  are accentuated by the repetition of the original guitar theme, making this song similar to the opera, Rigoletto, in that the main theme is repeated in different keys to add drama and tell a story.

Melodic Elements: Virtuosity

Melodic elements that “In my time of dying” and “La Traviata” include virtuosity, and ornamentation. Virtuosity is defined as having great technical skill and performance ability (Webster). This is evident in the guitar solo from 6’ 15” to 9’ 20” in “Stairway to Heaven” and virtuosity is also apparent in the Sempre Libera aria of “La Traviata.” Both excerpts feature notes in a high tessitura which requires both skill and strength to successfully play and sing. Particularly in the Sempre Libera aria, there is little rest time for the coloratura soprano before performing this aria, requiring a strong singer with powerful high notes and endurance. Woodwinds introduces her aria at 1' 21", reflecting the girlish glee of the aria. Its trilling tune and bouncing accompaniment stop abruptly and Violetta starts her carefree bright stream of vocal fireworks. Joan Sutherland hits the consonants, creating bounce and bravura in the vocal line. The high tessitura E flat at 2’ 51” in “Sempre Libera” reflects the necessary strength of the soprano.

Opera is often written to showcase the primadona of the show. Arias and their inclusion of cadenzas are the perfect medium to display one’s virtuosic abilities. The cadenza in Ah Fors'e Lui starting at 3' 49" likewise exemplifies the virtuosic elements in La Traviata.

Joan Sutherland, the primadona, interpreted Verdi's composition to express the character Violetta's inner confusion and turmoil through her use extensive use of rubato and trills.The descending chromatic figure is articulated for ten seconds, displaying the strength and skill of Joan Sutherland. This extensive figure is followed by a long trill lasting over seven seconds on the "delizia" and she interpolates three extra notes at the "al cor."



Virtuosity is shown in Jimmy Page’s lick, a short melodic motif, in his guitar solo in “Stairway to Heaven” as he utilizes pull offs, sounding 2 notes within only one pluck of the string.

Shown below is the standard method to play triplets

The figure below show's Jimmy Page's adaption, breaking the passage into 16th notes, removing the first two notes, and beginning the lick with the last note of the grouping.

Jimmy Page effectively uses his own skill to increase the tempo at which he plays, a sign of virtuosity.
 

Romantic Opera and Hard Rock

The Hard Rock band Led Zeppelin shares musical characteristics with the Romantic Opera composers Giuseppe Verdi. The Led Zeppelin was created in the 1968 out of the demise of the Yarbirds. Jimmy Page, the lead guitarist of Led Zeppelin, was the driving force of the band’s early days, as he was one of the most demanded guitarists in England. Led Zeppelin’s music may be described as a fusion of blues, English folk, and a more modern take on rock n’ roll. This mixture is widely considered as the basis of hard rock music and was furthered by Jimmy Page’s strong guitar riffs, and Robert Plant’s piercing vocals. As Led Zeppelin altered rock n’ roll into a new form, so too did Verdi adapt traditional Italian opera, integrating scenes and unifying acts (A&E). Verdi’s lack of schooling and refinement have given him criticism, but also accentuates the intricate simplicity of his pieces. His ear for melody and knack for drama are what set his music apart from that of others. Despite their different influences and backgrounds, similarities may be found between Led Zeppelin and Verdi in respect to melody, and harmony. These similarities are most evident when comparing Led Zeppelin’s “In my time of dying” and “Stairway to Heaven” with Verdi’s “La Traviata” and “Rigoletto.”