Quando le sere al placido – Luisa Miller

Oh! I wish I could deny my own eyes!

If heaven and earth, if mortals and angels

Were to swear to me that she is not guilty...

Lies! I should answer,

All lies...this is her hand!

So much treachery!  A black soul!

A liar! Well my father knew her!

But all the promises, the hopes, the joy,

the tears, the anguish?

Everything is a lie, betrayal, deception!

When in the evenings in the calm

Pale light of a starry sky

She gazed with me into the heavens

With a look of love,

And I felt this hand pressed

By her hand...

Ah! She betrayed me!

I was mute, ecstatic,

Hanging from her lips.

When she said in angelic tones

‘I love only you’,

It seemed like the world

Opened to my soul!

Placido Domingo sings the famous tenor aria from Verdi's Luisa Miller.

Covent Garden, 1979.

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.

Tu qui, Santuzza – Cavalleria Rusticana

Turiddu
You’re here, Santuzza?

Santuzza
I’ve been waiting here for you.

Turiddu
It’s Easter,
Aren’t you going to church?

Santuzza
I don’t want to.
I had to talk with you…

Turiddu
I’ve been looking for mother.

Santuzza
I had to talk with you...

Turiddu

Not here! Not here!

Santuzza
Where were you?

Turiddu
What do you mean?
In Francofonte!

Santuzza
No, that’s not true!

Turiddu
Santuzza, believe me...

Santuzza
No, don’t lie to me;

I saw you turn

Off the path...

And this morning, at dawn,
They saw you

At Lola’s door.

Turiddu
Ah! You were watching me?

Santuzza
No, I swear to you.
Alfio, her husband

Told us

A little while ago.

Turiddu
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...

Turiddu
Let me alone then, let me alone;
Vain attempt to quell

Your righteous indignation
With your pity.

Santuzza
Do you love her then?

Turiddu
No...

Santuzza
She’s much more beautiful.

Turiddu
Stop it, I don’t love her.

Santuzza
You love her...
Oh! damn!

Turiddu
Santuzza!

Santuzza
That awful woman
Stole you from me!

Turiddu

Control yourself, Santuzza,
I am not a slave
To your vain jealousy!

Santuzza
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.

Sono andati? - La Boheme

Mimi

Are they gone? I was pretending to sleep
So I could be alone with you
I have so many things that I want to say to you
Or just one, but it’s as big as the sea
As deep and infinite as the sea
You are my love and my whole life ...

Rodolfo
Ah, Mimì, my beautiful Mimì!

Mimì
Am I still beautiful?

Rodolfo
As beautiful as the dawn.

Mimì
You made the wrong comparison.
You meant: as beautiful as a sunset.
"They call me Mimì,
They call me Mimì
I don’t know why."

Rodolfo
He returned the swallow and the chirps to the nest.

Mimì
My bonnet, my bonnet!
Ah! Do you remember when
I came here, that first time, there?

Rodolfo
I remember it!

Mimì
The light had gone out…

Rodolfo
You were so upset!
And then you lost the key.

Mimì
You were looking so hard for it.

Rodolfo
Looking and looking.

Mimì
My dear sir,
I can tell you now:
You found it very quickly.

Rodolfo
I was helping destiny.

Mimì
It was dark and you could not see me blushing
"What a cold little hand
If you warm it up!..."
It was dark and you took my hand.

Placido Domingo and Mirella Freni in the final act of Puccini's La Boheme.

Mamma, quel vino è generoso – Cavalleria Rusticana

Mother, Mother!

That wine is ample, and of course

I have drunk

Too many glasses today.

I’m going out in the open.

But first I want  

You to bless me

Like the day

When I left to be a soldier.

And then, mother, listen ...
If I should not return,

You must be

A mother to Santa,
Whom I have sworn

To lead to the altar.

You must be

A mother to Santa
If I should not return.

Oh, never mind!

It’s the wine talking!

The wine suggested it!

Pray to God for me!
A kiss, a kiss, mother!
One more kiss, farewell!
If I should not return,

Be a mother to Santa.

One kiss, mother, farewell!

Placido Domingo as Turridu sings 'Mamma, quel vino e generoso' from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana.

Tokyo, 1976.

Ah, la paterna mano - Macbeth

O sons, o my children!
That tyrant has killed you all,
And together with you,
Your unfortunate mother!
Ah, in the claws of that tiger
Did I leave mother and sons?

Ah, the paternal hand didn’t shield you,
O my dears,
Treacherous killers have mortally
wounded you!
And as for me, I escaped, while I hid
You were calling in vain
With your last gasps, with your last breaths.
Ah! lead me to the tyrant,
Lord, if he should escape from me
May he, in Your open arms,
Find forgiveness.

Placido Domingo in great voice singing the tenor aria from Verdi's Macbeth.

Concert for Romania, 1990.

Nessun dorma - Turandot

Calaf

No one shall sleep! No one shall sleep!
Not even you, o, Princess
In your cold room,
Look at the stars
That tremble with love
And hope.

But my secret is hidden within me,
No one will know my name!
No, no, I will say it on your mouth
when the light shines!

And my kiss will melt the silence
That makes you mine!

Chorus

No one will know his name!...
And, alas, we must die!

Calaf

Vanish, o night!

Fade away, stars!

Fade away, stars!

At dawn I will win!

I will win, I will win!

Placido Domingo sings Nessun dorma from Puccini's Turandot. A different version to the one posted several times already.

La Scala, 1983. Conductor: Lorin Maazel.

Esultate - Otello

Esultate - Otello

Cypriots
He is saved! He is saved!

Inner Voices
Throw out the skiffs!
Hands to the ropes! Stop!

Cypriots
Stronger with the oars! To the shore!

Inner Voices
To the shore! To the shore!

Cypriots
Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

Othello
Rejoice! The pride of the Muslim’s
is buried in the sea; the glory is ours and the heavens!
First the army then the hurricane brought victory.

Cypriots
Hooray Othello! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
Victory! Victory! Victory!

Placido Domingo sings 'Esultate' from the first act of Verdi's Otello.
Paris, 1976. Conductor: George Solti.

Ah! lo vedi – Cavalleria Rusticana

Turiddu
Ah! you see,
What did you say...? 

Santuzza
What you wanted, and it was fine.


Turiddu
Ah! God! 

Santuzza
My heart is breaking! 

Turiddu
No! 

Santuzza
Turiddu, listen! 

Turiddu
No! 

Santuzza
Be still.
To leave me -
Is that what you want? 

Turiddu
Why are you following me,
Why are you spying on me
On the edges
Of the churchyard? 

Santuzza
Your Santuzza
Is crying and begging you;
To banish her
Is that what you want? 

Turiddu
Go away, I say
Go, don’t bore me,
Your repentance is worthless
After your offense! 

Santuzza
Watch yourself! 

Turiddu
I don’t care if you’re angry!

Santuzza
Have a miserable Easter, liar!

Fiorenza Cossotto and Placido Domingo in the second half of the great duet from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana.
Tokyo, 1976. 

Recondita Armonia - Tosca

Oh the mysterious harmony of diverse beauties!

Floria is dark, my ardent lover,

And you, unknown beauty,

Have a ring of blonde hair!

Your eyes are blue

Tosca’s are black!

Art in all its mystery

Mixes various beauties together:

But while I’m painting her

my only thought,

ah! my only thought is you!

Tosca, it’s you!

This is from a 1992 production in which Tosca was performed in the exact places of the libretto, in something close to real time. The orchestra was a few miles away.

1992, Conductor: Zubin Mehta. 

No, Pagliaccio non son – Pagliacci

Canio

No! I am not Pagliaccio;

If my face is pale,

It’s from shame, and lust for revenge!

This man is taking back his rights,

This bleeding heart wants blood

To wash away the shame, o cursed woman!

No, I am not Pagliaccio!

I am the idiot

Who picked this little orphan off the street

Almost dead from hunger,

And gave you a name,

And a love that was feverish and mad!

Peasant women

Clown, you make me cry!

This scene seems so real!

Peasant men

Be quiet down there! What the hell!

Silvio

I can hardly believe it!

Canio

I had hoped, I had been blinded by this delirium,

If not love, pity... mercy!

And my heart was glad for every sacrifice required,

And confidently believed

In you, more than God Himself!

But only vice lives in your neglected soul;

you have no feeling... only feeling for yourself!

Go away, you’re not worth my grief,

Wretched harlot,

You have my contempt

Just to crush you under my feet!!

The crowd

Bravo!

Nedda

Fine then! If you judge me unworthy of you,

You're driving me away.

Canio

Ah! ah!

You can ask nothing better

Than to run quickly to your dear lover.
You’re a clever one! No! by God!

You’ll stay…

You will tell me your lover’s name!!

Nedda

Come on, this is awful

I can’t really believe you!

There’s nothing tragic here.

Come and tell them or Taddeo,

The man sitting there,

Sitting next to me just now

It was... the fearful and harmless Harlequin!

Canio

Ah! you challenge me!

You still don’t get it

That I’m not giving in to you?...

The name, or your life! His name!

Nedda

Ah! No, my God!

Maybe I’m not worthy…

Not what you want, but I’m not vile, for God’s sake!

Peasants

Are they acting?

Is this serious?

Be quiet down there!

This is serious and dark!

Silvio

I can’t resist anymore!

Oh what a strange comedy!

Peppe

We must leave, Tonio. I’m afraid!...

Tonio

Shut up, idiot!

Nedda

You anger is stronger than my love!

I won’t talk! No! Even at the risk of death!

Canio

His name! His name!

Nedda

No!

Silvio

Holy hell! He’s serious...

The crowd and Peppe

What are you doing? Stop! Help!

Canio

To you! To you!

You will say it, in the throes of death!

Nedda

Rescue me! Silvio!

Silvio

Nedda!

Canio

Ah!... is it you?

So be it!

The crowd

Stop! Jesus and Mary!

Canio

The comedy is finished!

Placido Domingo in the final scene of Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. With Teresa Stratas as Nedda and Sherill Milnes as Tonio.
Metropolitan Opera, 1978. Conductor: James Levine.

Che gelida manina - La Boheme

What a cold hand,

Let it warm up.

What's the use of looking?

You won’t find it in the dark.

But fortunately

It’s a full moon tonight,

And here the moon

We have nearby.

Wait, Miss

I want to say some things

Who I am, and what I do,

How I live. Would you like to hear them?

Who am I? I am a poet.

What do I do? I write.

And how do I live? I live.

In poverty, my happiness

Lavished by a great Lord,

rhymes and hymns of love.

For dreams and chimeras

And castles in the air,

I have the soul of a millionaire.

One time, from my chest

They stole all my jewels

Two thieves, with sharp eyes.

They came in with you just now,

And both my used up dreams

And my good dreams,

Quickly disappeared!

But I won't take the theft to heart

Since, since you’ve been in the room

there's hope!

Now that you know me,

You talk, eh! Come on. Who are you?

Say whatever you like!

Placido Domingo sings this famous aria from Puccini's La Boheme.

Paris, 1977.

Vesti la giubba - Pagliacci

Act! While I’m going mad,

I don’t know what I’m saying anymore,

Or what I’m doing!

Yet I must, force yourself!

Bah! Might you be a man?

You are Pagliaccio!

Put on the jacket,

And the powdered face.

The people pay, and they want to laugh here.

And if the harlequin flies to you Colombina,

Laugh, Pagliaccio, and everyone will applaud!

Transform the spasms and the crying into jokes

The hiccups and the pain into a smirk, Ah!

Laugh, Pagliaccio,

At your shattered love!

Laugh at the sorrow that poisons your heart!

 
Placido Domingo as Canio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci.
Metropolitan Opera, 1978. Conductor: James Levine.

E lucevan le stelle - Tosca

And the stars shone,

And the earth was fragrant

The garden gate creaked

And a step brushed the sand.

Fragrant, she entered,

And fell in to my arms.

O sweet kisses, o lingering caresses,

While I, quivering, unveiled her beauty.

My dream of love has vanished forever.

Time is fleeing, I die despairing!

And I have never so loved life!

See Placido Domingo in a 1992 production in which Tosca was performed in the exact places of the libretto, in something close to real time. The orchestra was a few miles away.

 1992, Conductor: Zubin Mehta