Cuts accelerate the tempo
Here you can see a copyist's manuscript of Pizarro/Rocco's duet "Jetzt, Alter, jetzt hat es Eile" ("Come, old man, we must hurry") from Beethoven's only opera Leonore or Fidelio respectively. The copyist copied the duet from the 1806 version, which Beethoven corrected whilst reworking the opera in 1814. Whilst undertaking this last revision, Beethoven tightened up the plot by making certain cuts which heightened the effect and acccelerated its speed. The copy shown here also contains changes such as these; Beethoven shortened bars or whole phrases on quite a few leaves. This occurs right at the beginning on the first two pages of music. In the version from 1806 Pizarro begins, as written by the copyist, with the words "Jetzt, Alter, Alter, jetzt hat es Eile!". He sings almost without breathing - he is in a hurry - with breaks every so often over a course of five bars. Beethoven amended this by cutting out or rather erasing the two bars "Alter, Alter", thus shortening the phrase to three bars. It is only now that the impression is created that Pizarro is in a hurry - "Jetzt, Alter, jetzt hat es Eile." It might only be a small detail and not a great change in the manuscript but what a dramatic effect it creates! (J.R.)
