La donna è mobile is a tenor aria from Verdi’s Rigoletto. The first strophe describes a repeating, soaring melodic line sung by the Duke (the tenor), and its text begins with “La donna è mobile, qual piuma al vento, muta d’accento e di pensiero.” The description you’re asking for—“which describes the first strophe”—is typically answered as: it features a solo tenor singing a soaring melody, with the text delivered in a bright, memorable legato line that rises and then repeats with the characteristic pair of tercets, where the melody is repeated identically in each strophe. In standard listening guides, the focus is on the solo vocal delivery rather than a choral or multi-voiced texture. If you’re looking for a concise answer: the first strophe is a solo tenor’s soaring melody with the words beginning “La donna è mobile,” sung in a triumphant, memorable line. Notes you may find helpful when studying or teaching this:
- Form: two strophes, each sung to the same melody, making the refrain-like feel of the line “La donna è mobile,” with the sense of fickleness reinforced by the text.
- Textual imagery: the lyric contrasts a light, flighty image (a feather in the wind) with shifting accents and thoughts, underscoring the personality Verdi assigns to the character singing it.
- Musical character: bright timbre, declamatory yet lyrical line, typical Verdi tenor writing designed to project over orchestra and capture a character’s rakish charm.
If you want, I can tailor a short analysis or provide a quotation of the exact Italian text and its translation for your study notes.
