Sunday, August 18, 2013
Addio, fiorito asil – Madama Butterfly
Yes,
all in an instant
I see
my mistake and I feel
That
from this torment
I
will have no respite.
Forever
that mild countenance
I
will see, with excruciating agony,
Forever
that sweet voice
I
will hear mourning.
Farewell
flowery refuge
Of
joy and love
I
cannot bear your misery
I
must run away, I must run away – I am vile.
Peter Dvorsky as
Pinkerton in Puccini's Madame Butterfly. With Richard Stilwell as Sharpless.
Chicago, 1985.
Chicago, 1985.
È la solita storia – L’arlesiana
It’s
the old story of the shepherd...
The poor boy that wanted
The poor boy that wanted
To recount
it
And
he fell asleep
There
is oblivion in sleep.
How I
envy him!
I
would like to sleep like that as well,
To at
least find oblivion in sleep!
I am
looking only for peace.
I
would like to be able to forget it all!
But
every effort is in vain.
I
have always before me
Her sweet
countenance.
Peace
is only taken from me.
Why
must I suffer so?
Her!
She is always speaking to my heart!
Irresistible vision, leave me!
You
hurt me so badly! Alas!
Jose Carreras sings
Federico's lament from Cilea's L'arlesiana.
Colon, 1987.
Colon, 1987.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Come paride vezzoso – L’elisir d’amore
As
the graceful Paris
Handed
the apple to the most beautiful woman,
my
beloved country girl,
I
offer you these flowers.
But more
glorious than him,
I am
happier than him,
Because
as a reward for my gift
I
will carry away your lovely heart.
I see
clearly in that little face
That
I am making my way into your heart.
It’s
not surprising;
I’m
gallant, I’m a sergeant;
There’s
no beauty that can resist
The
sight of a crest;
To
Mars, the god of war,
Even
the mother of love gives way.
Tito Gobbi as Sergeant
Belcore in a somewhat dated film version of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Stride la vampa – Il Trovatore
The blaze crackles!
The
unrestrained crowd
Runs
to that fire
happy
in appearance;
shouts
of joy
echo
all around:
Surrounded
by henchmen
A
woman approaches!
Menacingly
shines
On
those horrible faces
That
gloomy flame
That
reaches to the heavens!
The
blaze crackles!
Here
comes the victim,
Dressed
in black,
Dishevelled
and barefoot!
A
fierce shout
Of
death arises.
The
echo repeats
From
cliff to cliff!
Menacingly
shines
On
those horrible faces
That
gloomy flame
That
reaches to the heavens!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
No, no pazzo son – Manon Lescaut
No!
No! I’m crazy!
Look,
I’m crazy, look,
As I
cry and I beg...
As I
cry, look,
As I
ask for pity!...
Listen!
Take me
As a
cabin boy or a lower position,
And I
will come happily!... Accept me!
Ah! look,
I cry and I beg!
Take
my blood…my life!...
I
implore you, I ask you for mercy!
Ah!
mercy! I will not be ungrateful!
Placido Domingo as Des
Grieux in Puccini's Manon Lescaut. For me one of his best roles.
Milan, 1978.
Milan, 1978.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Sì, ritrovarla io giuro – La Cenerentola
Yes,
I swear I will find her.
Love,
love, move me:
If
she were in the lap of Jupiter
I
would find her.
Beloved,
dear proof
That
at least gratifies me
Ah! The
lip and the breast
How I
will cling to you!
We
will fly, we will ask,
We
will seek, we will find.
Sweet
hope, cold fear,
Inside
my heart
They
are fighting;
Love,
love,
Give
me guidance.
Ramon Vargas in
Rossini's Cenerentola.
Met,
1997
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Tu qui, Santuzza – Cavalleria Rusticana
Turiddu
You’re here, Santuzza?
You’re here, Santuzza?
Santuzza
I’ve been waiting here for you.
I’ve been waiting here for you.
Turiddu
It’s Easter,
Aren’t you going to church?
It’s Easter,
Aren’t you going to church?
Santuzza
I don’t want to.
I had to talk with you…
I don’t want to.
I had to talk with you…
Turiddu
I’ve been looking for mother.
I’ve been looking for mother.
Santuzza
I had to talk with you...
I had to talk with you...
Turiddu
Not
here! Not here!
Santuzza
Where were you?
Where were you?
Turiddu
What do you mean?
In Francofonte!
What do you mean?
In Francofonte!
Santuzza
No, that’s not true!
No, that’s not true!
Turiddu
Santuzza, believe me...
Santuzza, believe me...
Santuzza
No, don’t lie to me;
No, don’t lie to me;
Off the
path...
And
this morning, at dawn,
They saw you
They saw you
At Lola’s door.
Turiddu
Ah! You were watching me?
Ah! You were watching me?
Santuzza
No, I swear to you.
Alfio, her husband
No, I swear to you.
Alfio, her husband
Told
us
A
little while ago.
Turiddu
And this is how you repay
And this is how you repay
The
love that I have for you?
Do
you want to kill me?
Santuzza
Oh! I don’t mean...
Oh! I don’t mean...
Turiddu
Let me alone then, let me alone;
Vain attempt to quell
Let me alone then, let me alone;
Vain attempt to quell
Your
righteous indignation
With your pity.
With your pity.
Santuzza
Do you love her then?
Do you love her then?
Turiddu
No...
No...
Santuzza
She’s much more beautiful.
She’s much more beautiful.
Turiddu
Stop it, I don’t love her.
Stop it, I don’t love her.
Santuzza
You love her...
Oh! damn!
You love her...
Oh! damn!
Turiddu
Santuzza!
Santuzza!
Santuzza
That awful woman
Stole you from me!
That awful woman
Stole you from me!
Turiddu
Control
yourself, Santuzza,
I am not a slave
To your vain jealousy!
I am not a slave
To your vain jealousy!
Santuzza
Beat me, insult me,
I’ll love and forgive you,
But my anguish
Beat me, insult me,
I’ll love and forgive you,
But my anguish
Is
too much to bear.
Fiorenza Cossotto and
Placido Domingo in the first half of the great duet from Mascagni's
Cavalleria Rusticana. With Gabriella Novielli as Lola.
Tokyo, 1976.
Tokyo, 1976.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Ave Signor - Mefistofele
Hail
Lord.
Pardon me if my gibberish
Is not quite up to par with
The supreme hymns of paradise;
Pardon me if my face
Doesn’t carry the beam
That garlands the ringlets
Of high cherubim;
Pardon me if in speaking
I run the risk of
Being irreverent!
Pardon me if my gibberish
Is not quite up to par with
The supreme hymns of paradise;
Pardon me if my face
Doesn’t carry the beam
That garlands the ringlets
Of high cherubim;
Pardon me if in speaking
I run the risk of
Being irreverent!
The
God of the sweet little earth
Descends and wanders evermore,
And, like the cricket
Jumps, at random
Pushing his nose between the stars.
Then with superbly tenacious folly
Trills in the grass.
Arrogant dust! Haughty atom!
The phantom of man
Which makes
That inebriated illusion
That he calls: Reason, Reason.
Ah! Yes, Divine Master,
In utter darkness
The lord of the world degenerates,
And I have no heart left,
It is so weakened,
Than to tempt him to evil.
Descends and wanders evermore,
And, like the cricket
Jumps, at random
Pushing his nose between the stars.
Then with superbly tenacious folly
Trills in the grass.
Arrogant dust! Haughty atom!
The phantom of man
Which makes
That inebriated illusion
That he calls: Reason, Reason.
Ah! Yes, Divine Master,
In utter darkness
The lord of the world degenerates,
And I have no heart left,
It is so weakened,
Than to tempt him to evil.
Up
and coming star Ildebrando
d'Arcangelo surprisingly sings the bass part of Mefistofele from Boito's
opera.
Ravenna, 2005. Conductor: Riccardo Muti.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Oh quante volte – I Capuleti e Montecchi
Oh! How many times,
Oh! How many I ask you
Crying to heaven
With the ardour of waiting for you,
My desire is a trick!
The rays of your countenance
Are for me, the brightness of the day.
The aura that blows round
Seems to be one of your sighs.
Oh! How many I ask you
Crying to heaven
With the ardour of waiting for you,
My desire is a trick!
The rays of your countenance
Are for me, the brightness of the day.
The aura that blows round
Seems to be one of your sighs.
Katia
Ricciarelli sings 'Oh quante volte' from Bellini's I Capuleti e I
Montecchi.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Nemico della Patria - Andrea Chenier
An
enemy of the State?!
It’s
an old fable
That
people are still blissfully swallowing.
Born
in Constantinople? Foreigner!
Studied
at Saint-Cyr? Soldier!
Traitor!
Accomplice to Dumouriez!
And a
poet? Corrupter of hearts
And
mores!
I
once lived joyfully
Without
hatred or vengeance
Pure,
innocent and strong.
I
thought myself a giant
But
I’m just a servant
Who’s
changed masters.
An
obedient servant to violent passions!
Ah,
worse yet! I kill and tremble,
And
while I kill, I weep!
Me, a
son of the Revolution,
The
first to hear its cry
For the
world, I united that cry to my own.
Have
I now lost faith
In
that dream of destiny?
Oh
how my path
Shone
with glory!
The
heart’s conscience
Reawakening
the people,
Gathering
up the tears
Of
the vanquished and suffering,
Making
the world a Pantheon,
Changing
men into gods;
And
in one kiss,
In
one kiss and one embrace
To
love all mankind!
Juan Pons in Giordano's Andrea Chenier.
Met,
1996.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
O patria mia – Aïda
Radamès
is coming here!
What
does he want to tell me? I’m trembling!
Ah! If you’re coming to bring me, o cruel man,
The
final farewell,
The deep
whirlpools of the Nile
Will
give me a grave and maybe peace,
and
maybe peace and oblivion.
Oh my
country, I will never see you again!
Nevermore! Nevermore will I see you!
O blue
skies, o sweet native breezes
Where
my morning shone peacefully,
O green
hills, o fragrant shores,
Oh my
country, I will never see you again!
Nevermore!
Nevermore will I see you!
O cool
valleys, o this blessed refuge
That once
gave me a promise of love,
Now
that the dream of love has disappeared,
O my
country, I will never see you again.
O my
country, I will never see you again.
Leyla Gencer in Verdi's
Aida.
Verona, 1963.
Labels:
Aïda,
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O patria mia,
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