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Mar 28, 2021Liked by Opera Daily

Opera Daily knows what they're talking about! (I said "they" because I don't know if "Michele" is masculine or feminine.) I once took a course by a well-known opera expert at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, on great opera singers. He taught that the best opera singers could not only stand and sing the arias, they could also show the emotions of the characters they were singing. The best examples: Maria Callas and Placido Domingo. In the Opera Daily wording, "Callas IS Tosca!" The professor proved his point by showing Callas singing the exact aria that Opera Daily provided today. Outstanding choice, Opera News. Brava to Callas!

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Mar 30, 2021Liked by Opera Daily

Tosca's "Vissi d'arte" has officially knocked Norma's "Casta Diva" off the pedestal as my favorite soprano aria. I can't say yet who, among our five divas, is my favorite. That will require more listens and seeing the last two full operas (and perhaps more).

Choosing favorite singers, male or female, is like trying to decide which is your favorite wine - some are sweet, some are dry, some are a little tart, some sparkle like champagne. If you know enough about different wines, choosing a favorite just might depend on your experience and your mood. Today I felt that Shirley Verrett's rendition of "Vissi d'arte" hit the right notes. To have seen her and Luciano Pavarotti in rehearsal, and then perform "Tosca" at The Met (1978) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vog5qEClTT), really lifted my spirits. She was so beautiful, so expressive and they seemed to bring out the best in each other.

I also realized today that "Vissi d'arte" is not a love song, but a profoundly sad lamentation. I felt the full weight of Floria Tosca's anguish, loss of faith, despair, disillusionment and self-pity. To hear this aria, during the seasons of Passover and Easter, heightened its meaning for me. Who among us has not asked of God or human: Why have you forsaken me? What have I done to deserve this?

At any rate, here are the Italian lyrics I stumbled across, for anyone who likes karaoke opera.

Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore,

non feci mai male ad anima viva!

Con man furtiva

quante miserie conobbi, aiutai.

Sempre con fe' sincera,

la mia preghiera

ai santi tabernacoli salì.

Sempre con fe' sincera

diedi fiori agli altar.

Nell'ora del dolore

perché, perché Signore,

perché me ne rimuneri così?

Diedi gioielli

della Madonna al manto,

e diedi il canto

agli astri, al ciel, che ne ridean più belli.

Nell'ora del dolore,

perché, perché Signore,

perché me ne rimuneri così?

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