I apologize to those who might find fault with my choice of Luciano Pavarotti as the singer of most of the arias I’m featuring this week. As I posted yesterday, my introduction to these songs came from a Pavarotti CD my parents owned, and therefore I will always make that association.
Based on comments I’ve read around the Web, some people are decidedly anti-Pavarotti, dismissing him as overrated because he’s one of the few opera singers who enjoyed a measure of crossover popularity.
While a rube like me is in no position to judge opera singers (I think all of these guys sing them songs real purty-like), I can’t imagine that Pavarotti is anything less than a master in his field. He’s freakin’ Pavarotti, for God’s sake.
My parents called my attention to today’s SOTD, ‘E lucevan le stelle.’ From Puccini’s opera Tosca, it is sung by the character Cavaradossi as he ascends a staircase on the way to his execution.
The twist is that his beloved Tosca has arranged for the execution to be faked, after which she and Cavaradossi will run off together. He’s not aware of this plan as he sings this aria, of course, so it is a genuine expression of his regret. The further twist is that Tosca has been duped, and the order to fake the execution was rescinded. Cavaradossi is killed, and Tosca throws herself off of the roof in despair.
E lucevan le stelle …
ed olezzava la terra
stridea l’uscio dell’orto …
ed un passo sfiorava la rena …
Entrava ella fragrante,
mi cadea tra le braccia.
O! dolci baci, o languide carezze,
mentr’io fremente le belle forme disciogliea dai veli!
Svanì per sempre il sogno mio d’amore.
L’ora è fuggita, e muoio disperato!
E muoio disperato!
E non ho amato mai tanto la vita,
tanto la vita!
English:
When the stars were brightly shining …
And faint perfumes the air pervaded,
Creaked the gate of the garden …
And footstep its precincts invaded …
‘Twas hers, the fragrant creature.
In her soft arms she clasped me..
With sweetest kisses, tenderest caresses,
A thing of beauty, of matchless symmetry in form and feature!
My dream of love is now dispelled forever.
I lived uncaring and now I die despairing!
Alas I die despairing!
And never was life so dear to me, no never,
So dear, no never!
Meet Me In Montauk 
Boy, that’s some dark twisted stuff going on in these operas:)
I too cannot judge if Pavarotti is “over-rated,” though, when I hear him, it’s not as if I think–“hmmm, a bit pitchy there.” Seems to me he had the chops as much if not more than your average tenor opera bear.
Another one of my favorite arias! We seen Tosca about 3 times and always thrill when this aria is sung. I used to brag that you blew out my Miata speakers on this aria, that is unless you were fibbing and it was really Dylan 🙂