Voi lo sapete – Cavalleria Rusticana

You know, o mother,    

Before he went to be a soldier,

Turiddu swore eternal faith

To Lola.                       

He returned, he found her married;

And with a new love.

He wanted to extinguish the flame

That was burning his heart:

He loved me, I loved him.

She, envious of my every delight,

Forgotten by her husband,

Burning with jealousy...

She stole him from me...

I am left devoid of honour:

Lola and Turiddu love one another,

I weep, I weep!

Fabulous Russian mezzo-soprano Elena Obraztsova sings Santuzza's aria from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana.

Tokyo, 1980.

Acerba Voluttà – Adriana Lecouvreur

Bitter pleasure, sweet torture,

Slow agony, quick offense,

Blaze, frost, tremor, restlessness, fear,

For the lover who waits expectantly!

Every echo, every shadow in the kindling night

Conspires against the impatient soul:

Everything is suspended between doubt and desire,

One moment is an eternity…

Will he come? Has he forgotten me? Will he hasten to me? Or will he turn back?

Here he comes!...No, it is the sound of the river,

Mixed with the sighs of a dormant tree….

O vagabond eastern star,

Do not set: smile on the universe,

And guard my love, if he does not mind the way!...

Elena Obraztsova sings the aria of Princess d'Bouillon from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur.

Tokyo, 1980.

Vissi d'arte - Tosca

I lived for art, I lived for love,
I never hurt a living soul!
With a secretive hand
I helped every misfortunate soul I encountered.

With sincere faith
My prayer always
Ascended to the holy shrines.
With sincere faith
I always gave flowers on the altar.
In the hour of pain
Why, why, Lord,
Why do you reward me like this?
I gave jewels for Madonna’s mantle,
And I gave a song to the stars, to the heavens,
that smiled full of beauty.
In the hour of grief
Why, why, Lord,
Ah, why do you reward me like this?

Mezzo Elena Obraztsova sings the soprano aria, "vissi d'arte" from Puccini's Tosca.

Tokyo, 1980.