THE EMBODIMENT OF NEGATION IN THE SCHERZO STRUMENTALE FROM THE OPERA MEFISTOFELE BY ARRIGO BOITO

Abstract

This article examines the musical and dramaturgical characterization of Mephistopheles in Arrigo Boito’s opera Mefistofele (1868), with particular focus on the Scherzo strumentale from the Prologue. Drawing on Boito’s own writings and the Disposizione scenica, the study explores how the composer constructs the figure of Mephistopheles as the embodiment of universal negation — the eternal No opposing Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. The analysis traces the musical means by which Boito portrays this spirit of denial: the disruptive rhythmic patterns, the major-minor harmonic dualism, the staccatissimo articulation, and the sarcastic vocal writing that together define the character’s identity. The article also addresses the philosophical and literary dimensions of the Faust-Mephisto relationship, arguing that Boito conceives Mephistopheles not merely as an external force of evil but as an organic counterpart to Faust, whose denial paradoxically generates knowledge and moral growth. The study situates Boito’s opera within the broader European cultural context of the second half of the 19th century, highlighting the composer’s innovative synthesis of music, text, and stagecraft in his representation of the Mephistophelean archetype.