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When I started this newsletter, I aimed to help you find your greatest hits. 

It was simple—I wanted to introduce you to new pieces that you loved so you could build your collection.

However, after years of doing this, I realized that what I was really trying to share with all of you was how music, specifically opera, taught me how to listen.

In a world with so much going on—where we’re creating and accessing more content than ever and our lives are filled with infinite scrolling—there is an opportunity to stop and listen.

If you spend time with a piece of art and give it some effort, it will provide you with things that you could take into your own life without even realizing it. 

American composer Aaron Copland wrote about this idea in his book What to Listen for in Music:

There are three levels of listening to music: sensuous, expressive, and sheerly musical.

The sensuous level is the most basic but pleasurable level of enjoyment. This level of listening requires the least amount of brain power; therefore we usually engage this level when we use music as background music—to fill the silence in the room.

The expressive level requires some concentration, for we can feel some emotion from the music. Copland stresses that we may not be able to specify what we feel, but we know it is there.

Then there is the third level, the sheerly musical level. Most people do not reach this level, which consists of “the notes themselves and their manipulation”.

Professional musicians are aware of this level, but so much so that they lose the ability to enjoy it on the sensuous level. These levels are not used separately; instead all three levels of listening to music contribute to the musical experience.

He writes that we should be “not someone who is just listening, but someone who is listening for something”.

Before we get to our selections for today, I wanted to share with you that Opera Daily is going to be pausing for the summer. I hope to return in August (or sooner!) with more selections.

I thought today we might listen to the most loved pieces we’ve covered throughout our journey.

As a reminder, you can find all 378 selections we’ve shared since we began in one easy-to-access playlist on YouTube.

Can you please share your most loved pieces with us in the comments? I will add links to all of them in this post.

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Here’s to our greatest hits and so much more. 🥂

Franco Corelli, “Vittoria! Vittoria!” from Tosca, Puccini

Renée Fleming, Christine Schäfer, Susan Graham, Trio from Act 3, from Der Rosenkavalier, Strauss

Tito Schipa, “Com'è gentil”, from Don Pasquale, Gaetano Donizetti

Mirella Freni and Luciano Pavarotti , “Suzel, buon dì…Tutto tace,” L’amico Fritz, Pietro Mascagni

Victoria de los Ángeles, “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle”, Carmen, Georges Bizet

Maria Callas, “Inneggiamo, il Signor non è morto” (The Easter Hymn, Cavalleria Rusticana, Mascagni

Shirley Verrett, Nicolai Gedda, “Nuit d'ivresse et d'extase infinie”, Les Troyens, Hector Berlioz

Cecilia Bartoli, “Agitata da due venti”, Griselda, Antonio Vivaldi

Maria Callas, “Ebben? Ne andrò lontana”, La Wally, Alfredo Catalani 

Lawrence Brownlee, “Ah! mes mis, quel jour de fête!”, La Fille du Régiment, Gaetano Donizetti

Patrizia Ciofi, Véronique Gens, “The Letter Duet”, Le Nozze di Figaro, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Luciano Pavarotti, “Che gelida manina”, La bohème, Giacomo Puccini

Joan Sutherland, “Bel raggio lusingier,” Semiramide, Gioachino Rossini

Jussi Björling & Robert Merrill, “O fond du temple saint”, Les pêcheurs de perles, Georges Bizet

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I wish you all a wonderful summer, and thank you again for reading (and commenting) every week. It's a pleasure to press "send" every Sunday. 

Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured two arias from the Italian opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini.

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Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers reading this post, especially to mine!

If you are looking for something wonderful, you came to the right place.

Today we’re listening to two arias from the Italian opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini. Both of these arias define the bel canto style of composing and singing.

While you will hear many interpretations of bel canto, there is no such thing as a bel canto opera. Bel canto is a style or way of singing in opera from the mid-18th to early 19th centuries, although it can be traced back to opera’s birth in the 15th century. During this period, composers made it clear that the singer was to take over in any way they pleased. The composer would often note this preference in the score using the phrase “col canto,” which instructed the accompanist to follow the soloist’s tempo (time). The literal translation is “with the melody.”

Specific singers and composers became known for this style (Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Vincenzo Bellini have been called the “three kings of bel canto”). Unlike our modern understanding that a composer includes all the notes a singer should sing, singers were expected to add to the written music.

The title role in Norma calls for an authentic bel canto soprano voice, one that can be both “mercurial-birdlike and witchy-dramatic”. While there have been many exciting interpretations of this role, Maria Callas and Montserrat Caballé remain unmatched to this day.

“An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down. It starts in my imagination, it becomes my life, and it stays part of my life long after I've left the opera house.”

— Soprano, Maria Callas

🎧 Listening example #1 (7 minute listen)“ Casta diva” from Act 1 of the Italian opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini, Maria Callas, Paris, 1958

Soprano Maria Callas is singing the aria here, but some would say that Maria Callas is not just singing the role of Norma, rather she is Norma.

The character of Norma is the lover, the leader, the goddess and the woman suffering. There is nothing one-dimensional about the Norma character, and Callas is uniquely capable of revealing this in her performance. We are listening to the live recording from Paris in 1958. While Joan Sutherland’s interpretation of Norma represents more of a standard bel canto vocal style and technique, I don’t think there is much disagreement in the opera world that Maria Callas delivered the best interpretation of “Casta diva” we’ve ever heard.

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Sung in the opera’s first act, this aria is the calm before the storm (well, actually not a storm, but a war). Norma (soprano), the head priestess, leads her people in prayer to the goddess of the moon (“Casta diva” translates as “chaste goddess”).

Chaste goddess, who dost bathe in silver light,
these ancient, hallowed trees,
Turn thy fair face upon us, unveiled and unclouded...

“Casta diva” is the perfect example of the long, elegant vocal phrases we equate with the bel canto style. It is one of the most challenging pieces ever written for soprano (the great Wagnerian soprano, Lilli Lehmann, said that she found it easier to sing all three of Wagner's Brunhilde roles than one Norma). It requires agility in the high vocal register (aka, the voice moving fast - like fireworks 💥), plus the ability to sing the dramatic emotional passages that the role demands.

Norma

Norma is a tragedy in two acts that take place in 50 B.C. Gaul. It premiered at La Scala in Milan in 1831. It is the story of the Druid High-Priestess (Norma), who has broken her vows by getting involved with the Roman Pollione (pohl-lee-OH-nay). Pollione has fallen out of love with Norma and now loves the priestess Adalgisa (ah-dahl-JEE-zah). The two women come together over their shared (doomed) love after Norma reveals that she has had children with Pollione. Norma is torn between her love for her sons, and a desire to release them from a future of disgrace and shame by murdering them in their sleep. She spares them and instead asks Adalgisa to take them to Rome and raise them as her own. The druids call for Pollione to be sacrificed. When Norma volunteers to sacrifice herself to the Druid rites (asking her father, Oroveso, to care for her children), Pollione sees Norma’s true spirit.

🎧 Listening example #2 (3 minute listen) “Ah! padre, un prego ancor” from Act 2 of the Italian opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini, Soprano Leyla Gencer

This is one of my favorite moments from Norma and some of the most beautiful music you will ever hear.

In this aria Norma is pleading with her father to have mercy on her children and take them into his care. At first he refuses, but then he agrees.

For many experts this scene served as a role model for Richard Wagner for Tristan & Isolde.

“Of all Bellini’s creations, Norma is the one which, besides the richest melody, unites the innermost embers with the deepest truth”.

— Wagner wrote in a letter about Norma

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Want more Norma?

• Pasta alla Norma, a combination of eggplant, tomatoes, basil, and ricotta, is a popular traditional Sicilian recipe. It was so popular in 19th-century Sicily that it was named after (Sicilian) composer Bellini's Norma to honor both the dish and opera.

• In the 2011 movie, The Iron Lady, about British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (played by Meryl Streep), “Casta diva” (sung by Maria Callas) is played as she leaves Number 10 Downing for the last time.

• The opera has one of the greatest mezzo-soprano and soprano friendship duets in Act 2 called “Mira, o Norma.” Norma, dagger in hand, tries to bring herself to murder her children in their sleep to protect them from living without a father. She changes her mind and calls for Adalgisa, advising her to marry Pollione and take the children to Rome. Adalgisa refuses: she will go to Pollione, but only to persuade him to return to Norma. Overcome by emotion, Norma embraces her, and the women reaffirm their friendship and sing “Mira, o Norma.” Here is a performance of Joan Sutherland singing Norma and Marilyn Horne singing Adalgisa.

• Norma was the opera that Maria Callas sang the most, and it shows. Of her 500 opera performances, 89 were the role of Norma.

• If you are looking for a full recording of Norma, I highly recommend the Callas/Corelli/Ludwig/Serafin recording here.

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured a soprano aria from Act 1 of the German opera, Die Tote Stadt by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

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Today we’re listening to…

“Glück, das mir verblieb” (popularly known as “Marietta's Lied”) a soprano aria from Act 1 of the German opera, Die Tote Stadt (Dee-TOE-teh-shtaht) by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

If you’ve seen the movie The Big Lebowski, you might have heard this piece.

Renée Fleming is singing the role of Marietta here and every time I hear her sing it, I don’t have words that describe how it makes me feel. Her singing is warm, pure and effortless.

🎧 Listen here (6 minute listen): Renée Fleming singing “Glück, das mir verblieb” (popularly known as “Marietta's Lied”) a soprano aria from Act 1 of the German opera, Die Tote Stadt by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, The Met 125th Anniversary Gala, 2009

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Die Tote Stadt (German for “The Dead City”) is the story of Paul who greatly misses his wife, Marie, who recently died, but finds himself attracted to Marietta, who resembles her. When Marietta and Paul meet for the first time, Marietta sings “Marietta's Lied’ to him which is about lost love. The opera delves deeply into themes of memory, mourning, and illusion, reflecting the complexities of human emotions and relationships.

Come to me, my true love. 
Night sinks into the grove. 
You are my light and day. 
Anxiously beats heart on heart. 
Hope itself soars heavenward.

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• Korngold composed this opera at 22 (he also composed a ballet at 11 years old!). He was considered a musical prodigy, much like Mozart. By the age of 10, he had already composed original music for piano and had orchestrated and conducted these works.

• While Die Tote Stadt features prominently in The Big Lebowski, the opera itself has a cinematic feel, which is no surprise since Erich Wolfgang Korngold later became one of the pioneers of film music. He won two Academy Awards for his scores and was instrumental in the development of the lush, symphonic sound that characterizes so much of Hollywood film music.

• Korngold's score for Die Tote Stadt is notable for its use of leitmotifs (recurring musical themes associated with a particular person, place, or idea, much like those used by Wagner). Korngold’s use of this technique helps to create a dense, tapestry of sound that enhances the opera’s dream-like, sometimes surreal quality.

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured a tenor aria from the French opera La Fille du Régiment by Gaetano Donizetti.

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You may have missed this incredible performance if you're new around here.

Let’s get to it.

“Ah! mes mis, quel jour de fête!”, La Fille du Régiment

🎧 Listen here (4 minute listen): Tenor Lawrence Brownlee singing live “Ah! mes mis, quel jour de fête!” a tenor aria from Act 1 of the French opera La Fille du Régiment by Gaetano Donizetti.

This aria requires the tenor (the highest naturally occurring voice type in adult males) to sing nine high C’s in only two minutes!

I am confident in saying that there are only a handful of tenors who can sing them perfectly. And Larry Brownlee is one of those tenors.

He is singing the role of Tonio here, and as I’ve mentioned in the past, opera is a sport, and Brownlee is a world-class athlete. Larry’s voice is undeniably beautiful, and he’s hands down one of the best bel canto tenors alive. Bel canto (which means “beautiful singing” in Italian) is a style that has two main features: 1) very fast melodies that highlight the agility and flexibility of the singer’s voice, 2) slower, more sustained passages that highlight the singer’s stamina and control. You will hear both of these in this aria.

The Daughter of the Regiment (La Fille du Régiment in French) takes place in Tyrol, a region in the Alps, in the early nineteenth century. The story is about Marie, who has fallen in love with Tonio from a rival nation. Tonio joins the regiment to marry Marie, and at the beginning of this aria, he approaches some of the members and explains that he has joined because he loves the regiment’s “daughter”.

In the cabaletta “Pour mon âme”, after asking the members of the regiment to allow him to marry Marie and receiving a resounding “yes!”, Tonio sings about his happiness of finally being united with his love. He promises to take care of her and protect her forever.

What a prospect lies before me!
Her heart is mine and so is her hand!
On happy day!
Here I am, enlisted and engaged!
I am a soldier, I am a soldier,
I can claim her now!

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• The Duchess of Krakenthorp is a speaking role in opera. Several non-singing celebrities have played the part, including Kathleen Turner at The Metropolitan Opera in 2018 and Ruth Bader Ginsburg at Washington National Opera in 2016.

• La Fille du Régiment is an example of “opéra comique,” a genre that features spoken text between individual songs. Unlike recitative (the spoken-like singing used for dialogue in opera), this spoken text is not accompanied by music. Despite the name “comic opera,” these pieces didn’t necessarily have to be funny; Bizet’s Carmen, a famously tragic opera, originally featured spoken dialogue and was labeled an opéra comique. The term is also the name of an opera house in Paris where operas of this genre were performed and La Fille du Régiment premiered in 1840.

• I think the La Fille du Regiment is one of Luciano Pavarotti's greatest recordings. While I prefer Larry(!), here’s Pavarotti singing the aria:

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured Cecilia Bartoli singing “Lascia ch'io pianga” from the Italian opera Rinaldo.

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It is impossible to talk about Baroque Opera and not say Handel.

Handel’s music follows the Italian opera style in Europe from the 1710s to about 1770, known as “opera seria”. If you want to learn about the state of opera during the Baroque period (also where opera was headed), you are in the right place.

Handel was the king of the da capo aria (this loosely translates from Italian to “from the top”). One of the characteristics of a da capo aria is a piece in three sections. The first section is usually repeated with variations at the end, with the outside and middle sections contrasting, usually by pace (tempo). In the repeated section, you will observe embellishments by the singer and/or the orchestra. This vocal form is something that Handel used very often as a composer.

Today we’re listening to Cecilia Bartoli sing “Lascia ch'io pianga”, one of Almirena’s arias from the Italian opera Rinaldo by Handel. Written in the da capo style, the original aria has the structure of A-B-A (with a theme and then I think eight(?!) variations!)

We are listening to Christopher Hogwood’s 1999 Decca recording with the countertenor David Daniels as Rinaldo and Bartoli as Almirena.

🎧 Listen here (5 minute listen): Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli singing “Lascia ch'io pianga”, one of Almirena’s arias from the Italian opera Rinaldo by Handel.

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I love Bartoli when she sings Handel. I find myself feeling incredibly peaceful when I listen to her singing this piece. Stunningly beautiful and simple. She touches my soul every time.

Loosely based on the 16th century poem Gerusalemme liberata (“Jerusalem Delivered”), Rinaldo has a plot that can sometimes be difficult to follow. This may be due to the fact that Handel composed the music within fourteen days (I assumed it helped that he used many melodies from earlier operas and oratorios). 

Rinaldo takes place in the late 11th century Jerusalem set at the time of the First Crusade and is a story of love, war and redemption.

In “Lascia ch’io pianga”, Almirena, who has been kidnapped (and loves Rinaldo), sings to her captor, Argante, for freedom and mercy.

Let me weep
My cruel fate,
And that I should have freedom.

The duel infringes within these twisted places,
in my sufferings,
I pray for mercy.

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• The aria’s melody is first found in Act 3 of Handel’s 1705 opera Almira. Handel then used the music for the aria “Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa” in his 1707 oratorio Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno. Four years after that, in 1711, Handel used the music again, this time for Rinaldo.

• This is a beautiful interpretation of the aria by the well-known cellist Hauser.

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured the Habanera from Act 1 of the French opera Carmen by Georges Bizet.

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In today's edition, we are featuring an OD throwback — Carmen!

Probably the most performed opera in the world, Carmen is an opera in four acts set in Seville during the 1820s. The opera deals with the love and jealousy of Don José (tenor), who is taken away from his role as a soldier, and his love Micaëla (soprano) by a gypsy named Carmen (mezzo-soprano). He is later lured into joining Carmen’s crew, but gets insanely jealous when she is around others. This all comes to a head when Carmen makes clear her passion for the bull-fighter Escamillo (baritone). The opera's last act is set outside the bull ring in Seville, where Carmen is stabbed to death by Don José. 😳

Today we’re listening to the Habanera, or “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” from Act 1 of the French opera Carmen by Georges Bizet.

While there have been great interpretations of the title role over the years, we’ve decided to share Victoria de los Ángeles with you today.

Even if you don’t know the opera, you will know this tune!

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The Habanera is sung by the title character, Carmen in Act 1 after she and the other women workers exit the cigarette factory and gather in the town square. Groups of soldiers already in the square begin flirting with the women, including Carmen. They ask her when she will love them, and she replies with this aria.

Love is a rebellious bird that nobody can tame,
and you call him quite in vain if it suits him not to come.

Nothing helps, neither threat nor prayer.
One man talks well, the other’s mum; it's the other one that I prefer.
He's silent but I like his looks.

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• Bizet was a heavy smoker and unfortunately died of a heart attack at 36, three months after Carmen’s premiere. Like many of the great operas, it wasn’t a success when it was first performed in 1875. But despite that, it appears Bizet knew he’d written something special. In a letter to a friend, he wrote the feeling of “absolute certainty of having found my path”.

• Sesame Street created a stop-motion film of an orange singing the Habanera.

• While a mezzo-soprano traditionally performs Carmen’s title role, it’s impossible not to include Maria Callas singing this aria.  Callas never performed the role on stage, but when she sings Carmen, she becomes Carmen.

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured a post about one of my favorite films ever made — Big Night.

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In today's edition, we are featuring an OD throwback where we delve into the intersection of art and commerce, a topic that has forever sparked numerous debates in the creative world.

To illustrate this point we are going to take a slight right turn and listen to some music from one of my favorite films ever made — Big Night. Directed by Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci, it offers an exploration of this dilemma.

As we discuss the trials and tribulations of the two Italian-immigrant brothers at the center of the story, we’ll also celebrate and listen to some of the film’s music, which has captivated audiences just as much as its narrative.

(Timpano, aka timbale, was the starring dish in the 1996 film, and based on a family recipe of co-star, co-writer, and co-director Stanley Tucci. The “big night” in question is a dinner prepared in anticipation of the singer Louis Prima, the main course of which is the timpano.)

Big Night tells the story of Primo and Secondo, two brothers who run a struggling Italian restaurant in 1950s New Jersey.

Primo, a culinary genius, is uncompromising in his pursuit of authentic Italian cuisine. Secondo, the more pragmatic brother, understands the need to cater to American tastes to keep their business afloat. This conflict between artistic integrity and financial survival serves as the central theme of the movie, and it’s a struggle that many artists grapple with daily.

Just as Primo and Secondo face difficult decisions about whether or not to “sell out”, opera artists and companies must navigate the treacherous waters of public taste and commercial demands.

Should they stay true to their artistic vision, even if it means dwindling audiences and financial struggles with the hope that they will one day find a theater (or a restaurant) full of their “true fans”? Or should they adapt to market trends, potentially sacrificing their artistic integrity for the sake of revenue?

My gut is it’s probably a bit of both, but this ongoing conversation is as relevant today as it was during the time of Big Night.

There are so many incredible moments in the movie, but I loved this scene where the brothers hash out their different philosophies over a cigarette:

PRIMO
If you give people time, they learn.

SECONDO
Well, I don’t have time for them to learn.
This is a restaurant, not a f**king school.

The movie’s soundtrack is a beautiful mix of jazz, classical, and Italian folk music that transports us to the world of the two brothers.

Let’s listen to some favorites from Big Night that so perfectly encapsulates the heart and soul of the film. In doing so, we can reflect on the difficult choices that artists face, and the role that we, as an audience, play in shaping the future.

🎧 Listen here (5 minute listen): Claudio Villa singing “Stornelli Amorosi”

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"Stornelli Amorosi" is an Italian folk song characterized by its “stornelli” format, a type of traditional, improvised Italian poetry or song (think of it as a precursor to rap!). The term “stornelli” refers to these short, simple, and often humorous verses, which are typically centered around themes like love, daily life, and regional pride. "Stornelli Amorosi" in particular focuses on the theme of love, as the name "amorosi" suggests.

E' SCRITTO NEL TUO CUORE
It’s written on my heart
IL MIO DESTINO
My destiny (My destiny is written on your heart)
ANCHE SE L'ESISTENZA M'AVVENENO
Even if my existence poisons me
VOGLIO RESTARE SEMPRE A TÈ VICINO
I always want to be close to you

🎧 Listen here (3 minute listen): Louis Prima singing “Buona Sera”

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“Buona Sera” is a popular song performed by Italian-American singer and trumpeter Louis Prima. The song was written by Carl Sigman and Peter DeRose and released in 1956. It became one of Louis Prima's most well-known hits and a classic of Italian-American music.

The title itself means “good evening” in Italian, and the lyrics describe a couple enjoying a night out, dancing and having a good time. The song’s melody and infectious rhythm convey a sense of celebration and joy.

🎧 Listen here (3 minute listen): Matteo Savatore singing “Mo Ve’la Bella Mia Da La Muntagna”

“Mo Ve'la Bella Mia Da La Muntagna” is an Italian folk song performed by Matteo Salvatore, a singer and songwriter known for his interpretations of traditional music from the Apulia region of Southern Italy. The song title can be roughly translated to "Now I see my beauty coming down from the mountain."

The song tells the story of a man who is waiting for his beloved to come down from the mountain, expressing his love and admiration for her. The lyrics describe the beauty of the woman and the anticipation the man feels as he waits for her arrival.

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured The Easter Hymn from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana.

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We’ve made it to another Easter at Opera Daily.

For those around the past several years, we cover one of my favorite pieces on this day — The Easter Hymn from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. It’s now officially a tradition!

No matter what we believe in, it’s hard to deny the beauty behind this piece — in its music and meaning.

It is Easter morning in a 19th-century Italian village. Santuzza’s character sings the Easter Hymn in this excerpt, also referred to as both “Regina Coeli” and “Inneggiano”. She is singing to herself as her Sicilian village takes part in Easter festivities.

“Inneggiamo, il Signor non è morto” — “We rejoice that our Savior is living!”

We rejoice that our Savior is living!
He all-glorious arose from the dead;
Joys of heaven the Lord to us giving,
All the sorrows of darkness are fled!

🎧 Listen here (4 minute listen): Maria Callas as Santuzza, singing “Inneggiamo, il Signor non è morto” (The Easter Hymn) from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana

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Cavalleria Rusticana has so much goodness packed in such a short time.

Its first performance in 1890 was a huge success, with Mascagni taking forty curtain calls! 

This opera is most frequently staged together with another verismo work (verismo was a realist style of opera that emerged in Italy in the 1890s), Pagliacci, composed in 1892 by Ruggero Leoncavallo. These two operas are often associated with one another, often being referred to by the abbreviation “Cav/Pag”.

More context?

It is Easter morning in a Sicilian village. Turiddu sings of his love for Lola, wife of Alfio. Lolo and Turiddu had been a couple before he joined the army, but when he returned, he found her married to Alfio. Distraught about losing Lola, he seduces Santuzza but now has abandoned her and rekindled his relationship with Lola.

Santuzza’s heart is broken, and she tries to win back Turiddu. Crazy jealous, she tells Alfio about Lola and Turridu. Alfio challenges Turridu to a duel. They both run off to battle, and a couple of moments later, a villager screams out that Turridu has been murdered.

Santuzza is sadly viewed negatively by the village because of her time with Turiddu and considers herself unworthy to enter the church for the Easter service.

At this point in the opera, the famous Easter Hymn is sung by the villagers and by Santuzza.

I like to think that we can take away some meaning from this piece given Santuzza’s situation — that no matter what we’ve done in the past, it does not define who we are now. And that Santuzza and the villagers are a community when celebrating Easter together, even if only for a brief moment.

Does this sound familiar? If yes, you might have heard this music in The Godfather Part III.

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Buona Pasqua a tutti!

Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured “Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben” a soprano aria from Act 1 of the unfinished German opera Zaide by Mozart.

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Today we’re listening to…

“Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben” a soprano aria from Act 1 of the unfinished German opera Zaide by Mozart.

Eight years after Mozart died in 1791, his widow Constanze came across a manuscript without a title that he had written when he was 23. Constanze sold it along with several other Mozart manuscripts to a publisher, and in 1838, the publisher named it Zaide after the principal character. The opera was first performed in 1866.

Lucia Popp is singing here, and as always, it's delicate, beautifully phrased, and filled with silvery tones.

🎧 Listen here (6 minute listen): Soprano Lucia Popp singing “Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben” a soprano aria from Act 1 Zaide by Mozart

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Mozart had finished two of the three acts of Zaide before abandoning the opera but left the second act with a cliffhanger ending.

To give context to the (unfinished) libretto, a popular theme of the period symbolized the poor relationship between the West and the East.

The opera takes place in Turkey, and Zaide (soprano) falls in love with Gomatz (tenor), a slave, which causes jealousy in the Sultan (tenor), who also happens to love her. Zaide chooses a free life with Gomatz rather than a good life with the Sultan. The final quartet suggests that Zaide and Gomatz are given extreme punishment or execution. This is where Mozart's manuscript stops.

“Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben” appears in Act 1 when Zaide first discovers Gomatz, asleep under a tree. She admires him and leaves him jewels, money, a photo of her, and a letter asking him to meet her later in that same spot. She hopes that her tears will bring his wishes to reality.

Rest peacefully, my beloved,
Sleep until happiness dawns,
My portrait I give you,
See, how kindly it smiles upon you.
Sweet dreams rock him to sleep,
And grant his wish at last,
That the things of which he dreams 
May ripen into reality.

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• "Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben" is one of Mozart's most beautiful arias. It is deceptive in that it seems like a sweet lullaby, but it is incredibly hard to sing for the soprano.

• As I have said (many times before!), if you talk to any trained opera singer, they will tell you that Mozart is like medicine for the voice. If you find yourself getting away from your vocal technique and the voice needs a couple of good training sessions or a "tune-up," Mozart is where to turn, as it will help show you where to focus.

• Lucia Popp, a Czech-born soprano had a high, light, and focused voice that became heavier over the years. Mozart is what she is most famous for. The world lost her too soon (at 54). If you want to hear more Lucia Popp, I recommend this piece "L'amero, saro costante" from "Il Re pastore."

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured “Come in quest’ora bruna”, Amelia’s opening aria from Simon Boccanegra.

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Today we’re listening to…

“Come in quest’ora bruna”, Amelia’s opening aria from Act 1 of the opera Simon Boccanegra by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. Like Il Trovatore, the plot is complicated, with several characters appearing at different times under different names (for example, Amelia is, in reality, Maria Boccanegra, the doge’s daughter and Fiesco’s granddaughter, but neither man knows her true identity).

I love listening to Mirella Freni sing this piece. Her bright, joyful, lyric soprano voice is perfect for this role, and her phrasing makes my heart sing. In contrast to many other Verdi heroines, this role requires a lyric soprano rather than a dramatic (spinto) soprano.

🎧 Listen here (4 minute listen): Soprano Mirella Freni singing “Come in quest’ora bruna” (“How in this morning light”) from Simon Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi.

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What is the context? Amelia sits and remembers her childhood as an orphan. The sight of the moon and the sea brings back the memory of the woman who raised her. She doesn’t want to forget her past. That memory is coupled with a happier one when she thinks of her love, Gabriele. You can hear a distinct lightening of mood in the score, and Verdi’s orchestration feels appropriate to a young woman in love. Her long, smooth phrases hint at her warm, sincere, and kind-hearted nature. The piece's orchestration – slow tempo, upper strings, and woodwinds – suggests an atmosphere of tranquility and peace.

How brightly shine the stars and sea
at this dark hour!
How your shimmering light, o moon,
unites with the waves —
as if it were a loving embrace
of two chaste hearts!
Yet what memory
do the stars and sea
bring to the mind of a poor orphan girl?
A cruel, black night,
when a good woman, dying,
cried out: “Heaven protect you”.
O noble house, home
of an even nobler family,
you cannot make me forget
my former humble refuge!
In your austere splendor
love alone smiles on me…
Day is breaking, yet still I do not hear
his song of love!
The song that every day
dries the tears on my cheek,
as the dawn dries the dew on the flowers.

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Despite Verdi being the king of opera then, the opera flopped at its 1857 premiere (for reference, Il Trovatore was 1853) but came back to life when Verdi revised the opera in 1881. In Italian, the title character's name is Simone (three syllables, “see-MOAN-ay”), and it’s popular today, but only when a star is willing to sing the title role. Verdi excelled at writing for the baritone voice (Rigoletto, Falstaff, Macbeth, Nabucco), and Boccanegra is one of the most rewarding for singers.

The plot is difficult to follow.

Set in 14th-century Genoa, Italy, Genoa is ruled by opposing groups of working-class and aristocrats. From the working class, Simon Boccanegra has fallen in love with Maria, the daughter of aristocrat Jacopo Fiesco, and they have a child. Fiesco has forbidden his daughter to marry someone of lower rank, and he has kept her in his palace. The baby girl (Amelia) was taken by Boccanegra and raised by a nurse. Twenty-five years later, Boccanegra meets an orphaned woman named Amelia Grimaldi and discovers that she is his long-lost daughter. 

In addition to the “Verdi baritone,” another Verdi trademark focuses on the father-daughter relationship. The duet “Orfanella il tetto umile” from Boccanegra's first act, when Simon Boccanegra realizes Amelia is his daughter, can be emotional 🥺.

Here are some other interpretations of “Come in quest'ora bruna”:

LISTEN Anna Moffo, “Come in quest’ora bruna”, RCA Italiana Orchestra, Franco Ferrara, conductor, 1977

WATCH & LISTEN Kiri Te Kanawa, “Come in quest'ora bruna”, Royal Opera House Orchestra & Chorus, George Solti, conductor, Covent Garden 1991

LISTEN Leyla Gencer, “Come in quest'ora bruna”, Mario Rossi, conductor, Napoli, 1958

If you are looking for a solid recording of the full opera, this is a good one (Claudio Abbado, La Scala Opera House Orchestra and Chorus & Piero Cappuccilli, Mirella Freni, Gianni Raimondi, Nicolai Ghiaurov).

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured “No word from Tom" from The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky.

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Today we’re listening to…

“No word from Tom" a soprano aria from Act 1 of the English opera The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky.

Renée Fleming is singing the role of Anne Truelove here. While this role was originally written for a lighter (and higher) voice type, I love Renée’s version. Her voice is lush and has just the right amount of shimmer and drama.

While this opera was written in 1951, Stravinsky’s was heavily influenced by Mozart (that becomes clear via the structure and use of orchestra). If you listen closely to the orchestra, you will be able to hear classical elements and more modern elements stitched together to form the neoclassical style that Stravinsky was known for — creating a bridge between the past and his contemporary musical style.

The Rake’s Progress is the only full-length opera that Stravinsky wrote.

🎧 Listen here (8 minute listen): Soprano Renée Fleming singing “No word from Tom" a soprano aria from Act 1 of the English opera The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky.

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In this aria, Anne Trulove has been waiting for Tom Rakewell’s return from London where he traveled to claim an inherited fortune from his uncle. She is worried about him because she has not heard from him since he arrived. Torn between going after him and caring for her father, she finally decides that her love for him is too much to ignore, and she must go to him.

No word from Tom.
Has love no voice?
Can love not keep a May-time vow in cities?
Fades it as the rose cut for a rich display?
Forgot!
But no! To weep is not enough.
He needs my help.
Love hears, love knows,
Love answers him
across the silent miles and goes.

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• This piece is divided into three distinct parts that dramatize Anne’s decision to venture to London to find Tom. The first is the recitative (No word from Tom), the second is the aria (Quietly Night), and the third is the cabaletta (I go, I go to him).

• W.H. Auden and Chester Kallman crafted the opera’s libretto, marrying Stravinsky's musical genius with their poetic brilliance.

• The word “rake” here means someone who behaves immorally. “A rake can be found wasting his inherited fortune on gambling, wine, women, clothes or other entertainment in gross excess.”

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured “In quelle trine morbide,” a soprano aria from Act 2 of the Italian opera Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Puccini.

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Today we’re listening to…

“In quelle trine morbide,” a soprano aria from Act 2 of the four-act Italian opera Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Puccini. This opera is a work of art, and I promise you, little prior knowledge of opera is required to appreciate its greatness.

A subscriber once asked me which aria I thought was the most beautiful.

This is highly subjective, but for the most part, I see beautiful as different from great. Di Quella Pira from Il Trovatore is not beautiful, but it is great. Beautiful, to me, means melodic, agreeable, and lyrical.

However, “In quelle trine morbide,” to me is an exception in that it is beautiful and great.

I will leave you with one anecdote on this point: When I was in high school, I would go to the opera with my mother, and at intermission, she would ask me, “Was that good?” And I would answer: “If you liked it, then it was good.”

🎧 Listen here (2 minute listen): Soprano Mirella Freni singing “In quelle trine morbide,” a soprano aria from Act 2 of the four-act Italian opera Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Puccini.

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Manon Lescaut is a love story full of sensuality and explores the struggle between vice and virtue.

In eighteenth-century France, a student, Des Grieux (tenor), falls in love with Manon (soprano), who has arrived from the country with her brother Lescaut (baritone). A wealthy older gentleman called Geronte (bass) is obsessed with Manon and plans to abduct her 😳, but she escapes to Paris with Des Grieux.

In Act 2, we see that Manon has left Des Grieux and goes to live with Geronte. While she enjoys the cushy life that Geronte offers her, she remembers Des Grieux’s love and sings how she is not sure she made the right decision to live with Geronte.

In those soft lace hangings, in that gilt alcove, there is a silence, a mortal chill
there is a silence, a coldness that turns me to ice!
And I who was accustomed to a voluptuous caress of ardent lips and passionate arms
now have something quite different.
Oh, my humble dwelling, you again appear before me – cheerful, secluded, white-walled, like a sweet dream of peace and love.

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• Manon Lescaut is the third opera of Puccini (rhymes with “Pants on, let’s go!”)

• This opera is different from Manon by Jules Massenet. Nine years before Puccini began writing Manon Lescaut, Jules Massenet premiered Manon, based on the same novel (The Story of the Chevalier des Grieux and Manon Lescaut by Antoine François Prévost). Puccini reportedly said, “Manon is a heroine I believe in, and therefore she cannot fail to win the hearts of the public. Why shouldn’t there be two operas about her? A woman like Manon can have more than one lover.”

• If you are looking for a full version of the opera, I recommend this recording with Mirella Freni and Placido Domingo. Also, while Maria Callas never sang this role on stage, her interpretation is perfection.🙏🏼

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured “Soave sia il vento,” a trio from Act 1 of Così fan tutte.

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Mozart wrote his first opera when he was 12 years old and composed 22 operas in his lifetime. He has given us so much incredible material that we could feature a piece of his every week for the next three years and still have parts left over.

Today we are listening to “Soave sia il vento,” a trio from Act 1 of the Italian opera Così fan tutte (KOH-zee-fahn-TOOT-eh) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

This piece might be one of the most beautiful trios that Mozart ever wrote.

It is sung by the characters Fiordiligi (soprano), Dorabella (mezzo-soprano), and Don Alfonso (bass).

Renée Fleming, Anne Sofie von Otter, and Michele Pertusi are singing here in a London recording of Così fan tutte from 1994 conducted by Sir Georg Solti.

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The subject of loyalty pervades this opera, and its overall meaning is ambiguous and open to various interpretations.

The story begins with two men (Ferrando, tenor and Guglielmo, bass) bragging about their lover’s fidelity. Don Alfonso, a cynical bachelor, mocks their certainty and suggests they bet on it. Determined to prove Don Alfonso wrong, the two men pretend to go off to war, return in disguise, and attempt to seduce the other’s lover.

This moment comes during Act I when Fiordiligi and Dorabella wish their lovers well as they go off to war.

If you listen closely, at the start of the trio, the strings imitate the sound of the sea. 🌊

May the wind be gentle,
may the wave(s) be calm,
and may every one of the elements
warmly fulfill our (your) wishes.

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Want more?

• Così fan tutte premiered on January 26, 1790 and when translated is literally “So do they all,” using the feminine plural (tutte) to indicate women. You will see it translated into English as “Women are like that” or “That’s what all women do.”

• The “voice” required to sing Mozart is often different from the “voice” that sings, let’s say, Verdi. Verdi’s music has a chunkier orchestra than Mozart’s music does. Mozart wrote music to be sung in a smaller theater (under 1,000 seats) with a smaller orchestra, meaning heavier voices like full lyrics or dramatic sopranos often sing Verdi’s music. Many singers can sing both, but the approach to the music can sometimes be very different.

• As I have said before, when we featured an aria from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart is medicine for the voice. If your vocal technique is weak, Mozart reminds you of that while singing! He is sneaky. Mozart may appear “easy” to sing, but don’t let that fool you - it’s deceptively hard.

• The playwright Arthur Miller said, “Mozart is happiness before it has gotten defined.” I couldn’t agree more. What do you think? Do you have a favorite Mozart opera?

Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured Leontyne Price and Carlo Bergonzi singing the final scene from Aida, “O terra addio”.

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One of Giuseppe Verdi's most significant works and the grandest of grand operas, Aida, had its premiere at the Cairo Opera House on Christmas Eve 1871.

Aida tells the story of a love triangle in ancient Egypt: Radames, a captain of the Egyptian guard, is secretly in love with Aida, daughter of the king of Ethiopia and a slave at the Egyptian court. Aida returns Radames love, but he is also loved by Amneris, the daughter of the king of Egypt.

Tricked into revealing military secrets, Radames is sentenced to be buried alive. Aida joins him in a tomb beneath the temple, determined to die with him.

Radames and Aida are faced with saying goodbye to earth as the air supply in their underground tomb brings on death by suffocation.

Today we are listening to Leontyne Price, and Carlo Bergonzi sing the final scene from Aida, “O terra addio” (“Oh earth, farewell”).

Like Maria Callas, Leontyne Price has an immediately recognizable sound.

As many of you know well (I have repeated this one a coupe of times 😉), I think it’s the most exquisite “O terra addio” ever recorded. 

I could listen to this piece all day long.

🎧 Listening Example (5 minute listen): “O terra addio”, from Verdi’s Aida, Leontyne Price (Aida), Carlo Bergonzi (Radames), Rita Gorr (Amneris), Metropolitan Opera, 1963, Georg Solti, conductor

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This post by Glenn Winters does fantastic job of explaining the genius of Verdi, finding meaning under the hood, and how his work has influenced others:

In an inspired bit of orchestration, observe that, as Aida introduces the melody of the finale, the strings are playing a thread of softly sustained notes in their highest register; this is a metaphor for the thinning-out of oxygen as death approaches.

But the tune itself features an upward leap of an octave, approached from the half-step below, obviously a gesture of reaching upward for the eternal life all Egyptians expected:

For the second time in this post, I wonder if any aspect of the theme strikes you as familiar from another context. It should. “O terra addio” has three grandchildren; one each in music theater, film and opera.

• The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy's iconic “Somewhere over the rainbow” begins with its own upward leap of an octave. I need not point out that rainbows are “up there” - in the sky.

• West Side Story: The song “There's a place for us”, sung by Consuelo is an anthem for the Puerto Rican teens who feel alienated in New York. The melody follows the pattern of a “reaching” gesture, this time falling one step short of an octave, only to make it all the way up on a second effort. Bernstein likely had Beethoven in mind more than Aida, as the opening phrase is a clone of a portion of the slow movement of Beethoven's “Emperor” piano concerto. But the symbolism matches that of Verdi.

• Susannah: The title character of Carlisle Floyd's American opera sings the aria "Ain't it a pretty night" in Act I, in its affect and declaration of hopes and dreams, it has always struck me as a forerunner of Ariel's song “Part of their world” in the animated musical The Little Mermaid. Both characters feel trapped in the confines of their limited environments and long to explore new horizons. But only Susannah’s solo contains the Aida-like leap from "do" to "ti", one half-step short of the octave. Unlike "O terra addio", which then continues on up to the full octave, "Pretty night" falls a full-step down from its highest note. Here's a facile but possibly valid interpretation of the difference in meaning: Aida and Radames, in their minds at least, make it to eternal life above the "vale di pianti" of earthly sadness; thus, they "make it" up to the octave. Susannah, as events unfold, ends up a permanent prisoner of her isolated cabin, a lifetime of bitterness stretching out in front of her. She doesn't make it all the way up.

Aida is an opera that embodies Verdi’s music wholeheartedly, from high-octane orchestration, a suspenseful and engaging libretto, and some of the most beautiful lyricism Verdi ever wrote for the human voice.

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured “Suzel, buon dì…Tutto tace,” (popularly known as “The Cherry Duet” ) from Act 2 of the Italian opera L’amico Fritz by Pietro Mascagni.

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Today we’re listening to…

“Suzel, buon dì…Tutto tace,” (popularly known as “The Cherry Duet” ) from Act 2 of the Italian opera L’amico Fritz by Pietro Mascagni.

Mirella Freni and Luciano Pavarotti are singing the roles of Suzel (soprano) and Fritz (tenor) here. Sweet, delicate, charming—these words come to mind when I hear this duet. If you listen closely, you can hear the cherries being plucked from the tree 🍒

🎧 Listen here (8 minute listen): Mirella Freni and Luciano Pavarotti singing “Suzel, buon dì…Tutto tace,” from Act 2 of the Italian opera L’amico Fritz by Pietro Mascagni

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L’amico Fritz is a simple but beautiful love story, and this duet is the heart of the opera both musically and structurally.

You often hear this duet on the concert stage; the whole opera is rarely performed. You might attribute that to its simple storyline (viewed by some as lacking depth), but I think the light-hearted nature makes it charming.

What’s happening?

Fritz Kobus is an affluent landowner who has vowed to remain a bachelor. However, Fritz’s friend, David, bets him his vineyard that he will get married within a year. On Fritz’s birthday, Suzel, the daughter of Fritz’s tenant, arrives with flowers.

Suzel is out picking cherries one day, and Fritz joins her, and they sing this duet, which marks the beginning of the love (or at least the awareness of love) between Suzel and Fritz. (Eventually, with the help of David, Fritz and Suzel are married)

Want more?

• The singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright uses the melody from “The Cherry Duet” in his piece Greek Song. Can you hear it? 🍒

• While Freni and Pavarotti's rendition remains iconic, other performances offer unique interpretations worth exploring, including Tito Schipa and Mafalda Favero, and if you are curious, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli recorded this duet with Pavarotti in 1997.

• If you are looking for a full version of the opera, the EMI recording with Pavarotti, Freni, and Vincenzo Sardinero as David with the Covent Garden Orchestra is fantastic. It was recorded in 1968, and Pavarotti and Freni are in amazing voice.

• Mascagni was an Italian composer who died in 1945. In 1890, he wrote the one-act opera, Cavalleria Rusticana (often paired with Leoncavallo's Pagliacci). In 1891, L’amico Fritz premiered in Rome (the opera is short and also sweet—1 hour and 30 minutes).

Which “Cherry Duet” 🍒 is your favorite?

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured Maria Callas singing “Ebben? Ne andrò lontana” a soprano aria from Act 1 of the Italian opera La Wally by Alfredo Catalani.

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Today we’re listening to…

“Ebben? Ne andrò lontana” a soprano aria from Act 1 of the Italian opera La Wally by Alfredo Catalani. La Wally contains your basic operatic premise of girl loves boy, girl’s father promises her to someone else, true love wins briefly, and then lovers die tragically! 

Maria Callas is singing the role of Wally, and she lets her soul flow into the music. Heartbreakingly beautiful and otherworldly. She inhabits roles like very few singers in the past or present have done —conveying a sense of vulnerability and strength simultaneously.

🎧 Listen here (5 minute listen): Soprano Maria Callas singing “Ebben? Ne andrò lontana”, a soprano aria from Act 1 of the Italian opera La Wally by Alfredo Catalani.

La Wally (La-vah-LEE) is about a woman named Wally from a small town in the Austrian Alps.

Composed in the late 19th century, La Wally represents a transitional period in Italian opera, bridging the gap between the grandeur of Romanticism and the emergence of verismo. It reflects the shifting tastes of the era, blending traditional Italian drama with a more realistic depiction of human emotions.

Wally is secretly in love with a man from another town who is also the son of her father’s enemy. Her father catches wind of her feelings and demands that she marry his friend or be forced to leave his house. Wally defies her father, leaves for the mountains and sings “Ebben? Ne andrò lontana”.

I will go alone and far
As far as the echo of the church bell,
There, through the white snow;
I will go, I will go alone and far
Through the golden clouds.

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• La Wally was first performed at La Scala in Milan on January 20, 1892. It is seldom fully staged in opera houses due to the difficulties of recreating the avalanche(!) in Act 4.

• Maria Callas (rhymes with “palace”) was a Greek-American soprano. She was one of the most famous and controversial opera singers of the 20th century. Her fans called her “La Divina” (“the divine one”).

• Callas was an innovator and transformed her pain into something beautiful for the world to experience. She influenced the opera world more than any other person during the 20th century.

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured “Je crois entendre encore” (“I still believe I hear”), Nadir’s aria from Georges Bizet's French opera Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers).

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Today we’re listening to…

American tenor Lawrence Brownlee singing “Je crois entendre encore” (“I still believe I hear”), Nadir’s aria from Georges Bizet's French opera Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers). If you watched the film The Father with Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, you would have heard this piece sung by French tenor Cyrille Dubois.

Larry’s singing here sneaks into your soul—you will feel like you are floating.

The Pearl Fishers

The Pearl Fishers tells the story of a love triangle between Zurga, the leader of a fishing village (on the coast of Sri Lanka), his old friend Nadir, and the priestess Leïla.

In the famous friendship duet from the opera, “Au fond du temple saint”  (which we’ve covered previously) Zurga and Nadir recounts how their relationship had been strained in the past because they both were in love with the same woman (Leïla) but how they pledged to remain eternally friends. Fast forward, Leïla arrives as an anonymous priestess whose face no one can see, who comes every year to provide spiritual protection for the tribe. Leïla recognizes Nadir and is shaken up by his presence.

After everyone leaves, Nadir is alone and reflects that he recognized Leïla’s voice. He feels he should have told Zurga who she was, but he is so happy to see her again despite his earlier vow.

As he sings, you can hear the sadness in his heart.

The aria has a haunting quality, and the text speaks of an almost unbearable feeling of nostalgia.

I still believe I hear
hidden beneath the palm trees
her voice, tender and deep
like the song of a dove

oh enchanting night
divine rapture
delightful memory
mad intoxication, sweet dream.

In the clear starlight
I still believe I see her
half drawing her long veil
to the warm night breeze.

Oh enchanting night
divine rapture
delightful memory
mad intoxication, sweet dream.
Charming memory.

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Here are some other interpretations of the piece:

Alfredo Kraus

Alain Vanzo
Jussi Björling
Javier Camarena
Jerry Hadley
Matthew Polenzani

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured Roberto Devereux (the final of the Tudor Trilogy) where Queen Elizabeth I is forced to sign the death warrant of the man she loves, Roberto Devereux!

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Today we are listening to Roberto Devereux (the final of the Tudor Trilogy) where Queen Elizabeth I is forced to sign the death warrant of the man she loves, Roberto Devereux.

After great success with the “Three Queens”, Donizetti’s operas were shelved until the revival of bel canto music in the mid-20th century. Since then, several women are known for their interpretation of all three queens, including Leyla Gencer, Montserrat Caballé, Mariella Devia (an extraordinary Italian bel canto specialist), Sondra Radvanovsky, but above all “America’s Queen of Opera”, Bubbles herself, Beverly Sills.

While there are many nuanced interpretations of the role of Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux, Beverly Sills became Elisabetta during this role.

She committed herself 100%, taking you on her emotional journey from a queen in love to one betrayed to one overwhelmed and desperate with grief. Not every note sounds beautiful, but that’s because Sills has committed to interpreting the character and channeling what her voice can do in whatever way is necessary to convey the emotional intent. Reminds me of Callas!

She is just like no other in this role. As you will see in the examples below, every movement Sills makes has intention and meaning, and she never breaks character.

Elisabetta was full of shrill sound and unbridled fury, Beverly Sills once explained. She’d lost the only man she’d ever loved, and she knew it all too well. The Queen of England had suddenly become a bitter, heartbroken old lady. She’d continue to be the most powerful woman in the world, but the rest of her days would be filled with frustrated, relentless rage.

(If you want to learn more about the amazing Beverly Sills, this is a great interview.)

Roberto Devereux

The opera Roberto Devereux (1837) portrays the sad relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and the Earl of Essex. Towards the end of Elizabeth’s life, she is tired of the facade of royalty and nobility, and she doesn’t want it anymore. The role of Elizabeth is notoriously tricky. The American soprano Beverly Sills, who we are profiling today, once said it took five years off her career.

It is a long journey from the Elisabetta at the beginning of the opera, who is filled with love for Roberto and eagerly looks forward to seeing him. “The role of Elisabetta, I think, is the most taxing in the entire soprano bel canto repertoire,” said Beverly Sills.

Our listening examples today all come from a 1975 production of Roberto Devereux from Wolf Trap for New York City Opera with Beverly Sills (Elizabeth, Queen of England), John Alexander (Roberto Devereux), Susanne Marsee (Sara, Duchess of Nottingham), and Richard Fredricks (Duke of Nottingham), Julius Rudel, conductor, and Tito Capobianco, director.

🎧 Listening Example (5 minute listen): In her Act I opening aria, “L’amor suo mi fe beata” (“His love made me so happy”), Elisabetta tells Sara (secretly in love with Roberto herself) of her great love for Roberto. She said if someone stole his love from her it would be like “stealing her crown” and that his love was like a gift from heaven. 

🎧 Listening Example (7 minute listen): In this Act II trio, “Alma infida ingrato core” (Part 1 below, Part 2 here), it is revealed to Nottingham that Roberto is in love with his wife Sara, and he vows revenge. The Queen demands that he reveal who her rival is or she will sign his death warrant…he does not and she does!

🎧 Listening Example (7 minute listen): The Final Scene of Roberto Devereux. [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**] Elisabetta is still hoping Roberto Devereux will show repentance by sending her the ring and realizes she would rather he lived, even if he no longer loves her “Vivi ingrato” (Live, ungrateful one). Sara and the Duke enter with the ring, and Elisabetta begs her men to stop the execution. At that moment, however, a cannon shot announces Devereux’s death. The Duke declares he is responsible for Devereux’s demise “Sangue volli e sangue ottenni” (I wanted blood and blood I have obtained), and Elisabetta loses her mind. As she sings the aria “Quel sangue versato” (The blood you have spilled), she imagines she sees Devereux’s headless ghost and her throne turning into a tomb.

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If you'd like another interpretation of Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux's finale, here it is performed by Sondra Radvanovsky at The Metropolitan Opera in 2016.

Occasionally, the soprano playing Elisabetta will remove her wig and reveal a historically correct bald head while singing the final verse of “Quel sangue versato” during the last scene of the opera. This moment was made famous by Edita Gruberova.

Many sopranos make it a goal to sing as many operas in Donizetti’s Tudor trilogy as possible. However, very few managed to sing all three: Leyla Gencer, Edita Gruberova, Beverly Sills, Sondra Radvanovsky, were some. On the other hand, Joan Sutherland and Maria Callas sang Maria Stuarda and Anna Bolena, but neither attempted Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux.

Nearly all of Donizetti’s works have been overshadowed by his operas Lucia di Lammermoor and L'elisir d'amore (Elixir of Love). The main reason why Roberto Devereux has been almost completely forgotten is that the role of Queen Elizabeth I is nearly impossible to sing. As hard as Maria Stuarda and Anna Bolena are for the soprano, this opera takes it to the next level.

This is even more of a reason for us to bow at the alter of these sopranos who not only attempted these roles but mastered them.

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured the English opera Peter Grimes by the contemporary British composer Benjamin Britten.

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There is no clear answer as to why Peter Grimes is so popular. Some people believe that the opera’s popularity is due to its complex and suggestive storyline, while others believe that it is the result of Britten’s masterful composition.

Regardless of what you believe the reason is, there is no denying that the “Embroidery Aria” for soprano from Act 3 is one of the most beautiful moments in the opera.

Peter Grimes is about a small fishing community on the East Coast of England.

Peter Grimes (the title role sung by a tenor) is a fisherman, but the locals in the village see him as an outsider and don’t trust him. Renée Fleming is singing the role of Ellen Orford here, along with an excerpt of Nicole Car singing the same aria during a rehearsal from The Met.

This aria is a perfect example of word painting (a musical technique Britten used in his compositions that reflects the literal meaning of a song’s lyrics). Like embroidery work, the meandering tune you hear Renée (and Nicole) singing will feel like a needle and thread in motion.

🎧 Listening Example (6 minute listen): Renée Fleming singing “Embroidery Aria”, Benjamin Britten, Peter Grimes, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti, 1997

🎧 Listening Example (1 minute listen): Soprano Nicole Car singing an excerpt from Ellen Orford’s Act 3 aria, “Embroidery Aria” in an early dress rehearsal of Britten’s Peter Grimes at The Met, Nicholas Carter, conductor

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On June 7th, 1945, Peter Grimes premiered at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London and is one of the greatest English operas of the 20th century.

The opera is set in a fictional village which is loosely based on Britten’s home town of Aldeburgh, a Suffolk seaside town. It is based on the narrative poem “Peter Grimes”, in George Crabbe’s book The Borough. Crabbe was also a native of Aldeburgh.

Peter Grimes is on trial in his village for the mysterious death of his apprentice. He is found not guilty but socially excluded by the villagers, except for a school teacher, Ellen Orford. Against the village’s advice, Peter Grimes takes on a new apprentice who accidentally falls over the edge of a cliff.

This aria above happens after Ellen finds the outfit she made for Peter’s apprentice washed up onshore. She knows what this means—that the boy is dead and the community will blame Peter for it. Ellen infers that the boy has died by singing, “Now my embroidery affords the clue, whose meaning we avoid.”

Want more?

• “(Peter Grimes) is very close to my heart—the struggle of the individual against the masses. The more vicious the society, the more vicious the individual.” — Benjamin Britten

• Britten’s music is modern, often dissonant sounding but always filled with beautiful melodies. Britten started composing as a child, and by 18, he’d written more than 700 pieces.

• Many tenors have sung the title role in Peter Grimes, but Peter Pears and Jon Vickers are the most well-known for this incredibly complex character.

• Tenor Peter Pears performed in the premiere in 1945. Below is the BBC telecast from 1969 of Peter Grimes with Peter Pears and the original Ellen Orford (Heather Harper) with Benjamin Britten conducting.

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured “Com'è gentil”, a tenor aria from Act 3 of the Italian opera Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti.

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Today we’re listening to…

“Com'è gentil”, a tenor aria from Act 3 of the Italian opera Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti.

In the garden, Ernesto sings of his love for Norina, as he waits for her arrival (Com'è gentil – "How lovely"). He describes the beautiful night and that he wishes to be with her.

🎧 Listening Example: (4 minute listen): Tenor Tito Schipa singing “Com'è gentil”, from Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti.

I find Schipa’s interpretation of this piece so calming and satisfying. No big sounds, just one beautiful singing line after another. I love the way Edmund St. Austell describes the beauty of Tito Schipa and the secret of his success:

The answers are not hard to find, and they are a great lesson to all who aspire to sing: first, he was a superb musician. No endless fermatas, no invented notes. Even more importantly, he was a master of style: the precise reason for any song or aria he sang was always clear to the audience, and, more importantly, to him. His diction was crystal clear, and one can understand every single word he sings. He possessed, in abundance, a musical and stylistic understanding sufficient to make him an absolute master of the musical line. Line is perhaps the greatest of all the artistic attributes necessary to sing beautifully and—all too often—one of the rarest.

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Don Pasquale’s straightforward story and lightness make it highly accessible to any audience.

• An older man decides to find a young bride.

• His friend wants to teach him a lesson, so he arranges for a young woman to pretend to agree to marry the older man, which makes his life miserable.

• The plot gets a bit more complicated because the young woman (Norina) is engaged to another man, the older man's nephew (Ernesto), and they use the trick to get his blessing for their marriage.

The old bachelor Don Pasquale plans to marry to punish his nephew, Ernesto, who is in love with the young widow Norina. Dr. Malatesta (mah-lah-TEST-ah) agrees to help the couple. The wealthy old bachelor, Don Pasquale, has decided to find a wife to help him produce an heir, cutting out his nephew, Ernesto, from his inheritance. Refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, Ernesto (ehr-NEST-oh) is devastated to think of a life without Norina. Dottore Malatesta, a friend of Ernesto and Don Pasquale (pahss-KWAHL-ay), helps the couple develop a plan to trick Don Pasquale into giving the couple permission to be married with Ernesto’s inheritance. Disguised, Norina (no-REE-nah) is married to Don Pasquale in a fake ceremony and then wreaks havoc on Don Pasquale’s life. After a series of hilarious moments, the plan works, and Don Pasquale allows Ernesto to marry Norina, stating that marriage is not suited for an older man such as himself.

Gaetano Donizetti was the master of bel canto. Bel canto is a style of singing in Italian opera from the mid-18th to early 19th centuries (we discussed this in a previous post when discussing Joan Sutherland). Donizetti had quite a life. At the age of nine, he started his musical training and, throughout his life, composed 70 operas. His most prominent operas include Anna Bolena (1830), L’elisir d’amore (1832), Maria Stuarda (1835), Lucia di Lammermoor (1835), La fille du régiment (1840) and Don Pasquale (1843). Donizetti wrote his fair share of comedies throughout his career.

While L’Elisir d’Amore remains his most popular comedy, Don Pasquale is always a favorite.

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Here are some other interpretations of “Com'è gentil”:

LISTEN Alfredo Kraus
LISTEN Enrico Caruso
LISTEN Luciano Pavarotti

Want to listen to the full opera?

LISTEN Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti, EMI with Mirella Freni, Sesto Bruscantini, Gösta Winbergh and Leo Nucci conducted by Riccardo Muti and the Philharmonia Orchestra and Ambrosian Chorus, 1988

LISTEN Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Nuccia Focile , Gregory Kunde, Lucio Gallo, Claudio Giombi, Director: Ricardo Muti, Teatro alla Scala, 1994

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Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured “Pourquoi me réveiller” from the French opera Werther by Jules Massenet.

❤️ Enjoyed this piece? Hit the heart to like it. It helps others find Opera Daily.