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How Low Can You Go Podcast

This week on the Ether Game Weekly Music Quiz Podcast, the Brain Trust is exploring the depths! We're looking at music from the bass staff, in a show we're calling "How Low Can You Go?" Can you name this subterranean tune? (The answer is below) Remember to keep your ears out for a portion of Tuesday night's Teaser selection. And don't forget to tune into the full show on Tuesday, February 6th at 8:00pm for a chance to win a prize!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)

THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO: "O, wie will ich triumphieren"

Alan Ewing, bass; Les Arts Florissants; William Christie, conductor.

Mozart: Die Entführung Aus Dem Serail (Erato)



The basso profundo is a voice part that has a special place in operatic literature, and that place is way down low. Basso profundo characters are typically imposing figures: kings, villains, even the devil. In this case, the basso profundo character is Osmin, a Turkish Pasha in charge of a seraglio, or harem. In Turkish culture, a Pasha's political status was similar to that of a governor or knight. Mozart knew that Viennese audiences were drawn to the perceived exoticism of the Ottoman Turks, whom Austria had warred with for centuries. And Osmin's otherworldly low voice would have only heightened that exoticism for the contemporary audiences. This aria for Osmin is one of the most difficult in the bass repertoire. It not only features rapid runs, octave leaps, and trills, but also features a sustained low D-one of the lowest notes in all of the standard opera repertoire.

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Music Heard On This Episode

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