Marcelo Álvarez and Sondra Radvanovsky sing the Act II duet from Verdi's A Masked Ball at the Met, Dec. 8, 2012.
by Ken
In Friday's preview we heard answering soprano and tenor snippets from three great Verdi duets, and I hope you heard what causes them, as I noted, to blend in my head. I assume you also guessed that, although the act numbers (I, II, and III) were given correctly, they weren't from the same Verdi opera.
Today we're going to listen to a larger chunk from each duet -- still not the full scene, though perhaps one day we'll get to that. Even though the full duets aren't that long (the longest runs about nine minutes), that would have been just too much to tackle in one post. (We've actually heard the whole of the Ballo in maschera duet, but never mind.)
FIRST LET'S LISTEN AGAIN TO FRIDAY'S SNIPPETS . . .
. . . now properly identified.
Act I
VERDI: La Forza del destino: Act I, from Leonora-Alvaro duet, "Ah, seguirti fino agl'ultimi confini della terra" ("Ah, to follow you to the furthest confines of the earth")
LEONORA: Ah! To follow you to the furthest
confines of the earth;
fearlessly to defy with you
the assaults of evil fate,
let these be for me an ever renewed joy
of heavenly delight!
I follow you. Let us go. No, no,
fate will be powerless to divide us.
Maria Caniglia (s), Donna Leonora; EIAR (Italian Radio) (Turin) Symphony Orchestra, Gino Marinuzzi, cond. Cetra, recorded 1941
VERDI: La Forza del destino: Act I, from Leonora-Alvaro duet, "Sospiro, luce ed anima di questo cor che t'ama" ("Breath, light, and life of this heart that loves you")
ALVARO: Breath, light, and life
of this heart that loves you;
while I have breath,
to satisfy your every wish
will be my one sole
and immutable desire.
Follow me. Let us go. No, no,
fate will be powerless to divide us.
Richard Tucker (t), Don Alvaro; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Fritz Stiedry, cond. Live performance, Nov. 29, 1952
Act II
VERDI: Un Ballo in maschera: Act II: from Amelia-Riccardo duet, Riccardo, "Oh, qual soave brivido l'acceso petto irrora!" ("Oh, what sweet throbbing thrills my burning breast!")
RICCARDO: Oh, what a delicious thrill
inundates my burning heart!
Ah, let me hear you
answer me thus once more!
Star of this darkness
to whom I dedicate my heart,
flood me with love
and let day dawn no more!
Plácido Domingo (t), Riccardo; Vienna Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan, cond. DG, recorded Jan.-Feb. 1989
VERDI: Un Ballo in maschera: Act II: from Amelia-Riccardo duet, Amelia, "Ahi, sul funereo letto ov'io sognava spegnerlo" ("Ah, on its deathbed, where I dreamed of stifling it"
AMELIA: Ah, on the funeral bed
where I dreamed of stifling it,
gigantic within my heart returns
the love that wounded me!
Oh, why may I not pour out
my heart's content to him,
or at least, at least
here fall asleep?
Leontyne Price (s), Amelia; RCA Italiana Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf, cond. RCA-BMG, recorded June 1966
Act III
VERDI: La Traviata: Act III, from Violetta-Alfredo duet, Violetta, "Ah! Gran Dio, morir si giovine, io che penato tanto" ("Ah! Great God, to die so young, I who have suffered so much")
VIOLETTA: Ah, great God! to die so young,
I who have suffered so much!
To die when the end
of my long weeping is so near!
Oh, my fond hope
was delusion then!
I shall have fortified my heart
with constancy in vain!
Victoria de los Angeles (s), Violetta; Rome Opera Orchestra, Tullio Serafin, cond. EMI, recorded June 1959
VERDI: La Traviata: Act III, from Violetta-Alfredo duet, Alfredo, "O mio sospiro e palpito, diletto del cor mio" ("O my breath and pulse, delight of my heart")
ALFREDO: O my breath and pulse,
delight of my heart!
My tears I must
mingle with yours!
But more than ever, do believe it,
I have need of constancy.
Ah! do not shut hope
quite out of your heart!
Luciano Pavarotti (t), Alfredo; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Richard Bonynge, cond. Live performance, 1970
NOW, AS PROMISED, LET'S HEAR A BIT MORE
I
VERDI: La Forza del destino: Act I, from Leonora-Alvaro duet, "Domani si partira" ("Tomorrow we'll leave") . . . "Ah, seguirti fino agl'ultimi confini della terra" ("Ah, to follow you to the furthest confines of the earth")
[At night in a hall outside her bedroom, Donna Leonora di Vargas has been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Don Alvaro for their planned elopement. But when he finally arrives, she gets cold feet and tells him that they will leave not tonight but tomorrow.]
LEONORA: Tomorrow we'll leave.
One more time my father,
poor father, I wish to see;
and you are happy, aren't you, about it?
Yes, because you love me . . . and mustn't oppose it . . .
I too, you know it . . . I love you so much!
I am happy . . . oh heaven, how much!
My heart is filled with joy! Let's stay . . .
Yes, my Alvaro, I love you! . . . I love you!
Alvaro, I love you! I love you! Alvaro, I love you!
[Her sobs choke her.]
ALVARO: Your heart is filled with joy . . . and you weep!
Your hand is cold as a grave!
I understand everything . . . everything, madam . . .
LEONORA: Alvaro! Alvaro!
ALVARO: Eleonora!
I will know how to suffer alone. God forbid
that you should follow my steps through weakness.
I release you from your oaths. The nuptial torch
would be a death signal for us.
If you don't love like me . . .
if you don't love like me, if you regret . . .
LEONORA: I am yours, I am yours with my heart,
yours with my heart and my life.
Ah! To follow you to the furthest
confines of the earth;
fearlessly to defy with you
the assaults of evil fate,
let these be for me an ever renewed joy
of heavenly delight!
I follow you. Let us go. No, no,
fate will be powerless to divide us.
ALVARO: Breath, light, and life
of this heart that loves you;
while I have breath,
to satisfy your every wish
will be my one sole
and immutable desire.
Follow me. Let us go. No, no,
fate will be powerless to divide us.
LEONORA: I follow you; etc.
ALVARO:Ah, no, fate etc.
[They are going toward the terrace when suddenly an opening and shutting of doors is heard.]
LEONORA: What noise!
CURRA: Someone's coming up the stairs!
ALVARO: Let's leave!
LEONORA: Let's leave!
LEONORA and ALVARO: I follow you/you follow me;
let's go; no, no,
fate will be powerless to divide us.
Gabriella Tucci (s), Donna Leonora; Franco Corelli (t), Don Alvaro; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Nello Santi, cond. Live performance, Feb. 6, 1965
Leontyne Price (s), Donna Leonora; Richard Tucker (t), Don Alvaro; RCA Italiana Orchestra, Thomas Schippers, cond. RCA-BMG, recorded July-Aug. 1964
II
VERDI: Un Ballo in maschera: Act II: from Amelia-Riccardo duet, Riccardo, "Mia vita, l'universo per un detto" ("My life . . . the universe for one word") . . . "Oh, qual soave brivido l'acceso petto irrora!" ("Oh, what a delicious thrill indundates my burning breast!")
[Riccardo, count of Warwick and governor of Boston (or, if you prefer, Gustavo II, king of Sweden), is madly in love with Amelia, the wife of his closest adviser and best friend, Renato (or Count Anckarström), and in Act II has followed her to "a desolate plain" outside the city, where she is trying a sorceress's remedy to root out her own love for him. Heedless of the consequences, he presses her to confess her feelings for him.]
RICCARDO: My life . . . the universe
for one word.
AMELIA: Merciful heaven!
RICCARDO: Say that you love me.
AMELIA: Go, Riccardo!
RICCARDO: A single word! A single word!
AMELIA: Well then, yes, I love you.
RICCARDO: You love me, Amelia!
AMELIA: But you, noble man,
save me from my own heart!
RICCARDO [overlapping]: You love me, Amelia!
AMELIA: Save me from my own heart!
RICCARDO: You love me! You love me! Oh let remorse
and friendship be destroyed
within my breast, let everything
cease to be, save love!
Oh, what a delicious thrill
inundates my burning heart!
Ah, let me hear you
answer me thus once more!
Star of this darkness
to whom I dedicate my heart,
flood me with love
and let day dawn no more!
AMELIA: Ah, on the funeral bed
where I dreamed of stifling it,
gigantic within my heart returns
the love that wounded me!
Oh, why may I not pour out
my heart's content to him,
or at least, at least
here fall asleep?
RICCARDO: Amelia!
You love me, Amelia? You love me?
AMELIA: Yes . . . I love you.
RICCARDO: Flood me with love!
AMELIA: But you, noble man . . .
RICCARDO: You love me, Amelia?
AMELIA: . . . save me from my heart,
you save me etc.
RICCARDO: Ah, what a delicious thrill etc.
AMELIA: Ah, on the funeral bed etc.
Maria Callas (s), Amelia; Giuseppe di Stefano (t), Riccardo; Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala, Antonino Votto, cond. EMI, recorded Sept. 4-9, 1956
Josephine Barstow (s), Amelia; Plácido Domingo (t), Riccardo; Vienna Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan, cond. DG, recorded Jan.-Feb. 1989
III
VERDI: La Traviata: Act III, from Violetta-Alfredo duet, Violetta, "Ah, non più, a un tempio" ("Ah, no more, to a church") . . . "Ah, gran Dio morir si giovine, io che penato tanto!" ("Ah, great God, to die so young, I who have suffered so much!")
[The Parisian courtesan Violetta Valéry has been swept off her feet by the innocent love of a young country gentleman, Alfredo Germont, and gave up her city life to live happily with him until his father persuaded her to give Alfredo up for the sake of his sister's hoped-for marriage. Already ill in Act I, by Act III, she is at death's door as she awaits the return of Alfredo promised in a letter from his father. When he finally does return, she briefly regains some strength, then collapses, but tries to reassure him that she's okay, when it's clear that she's anything but.]
VIOLETTA: Ah, no more,
to a church, Alfredo, let's go,
let's give thanks for your return.
ALFREDO: You turn pale
VIOLETTA: It's nothing, you know?
Unexpected joy never visits
a sad heart without affecting it.
ALFREDO [as she sinks down exhausted]: Great God! Violetta!
VIOLETTA: It's my illness.
It was just weakness.
Now I'm strong,
you see? I'm smiling.
ALFREDO: Ah, cruel fate!
VIOLETTA: It was nothing . . .
Annina, give me something to wear.
ALFREDO: Now? . . . wait.
VIOLETTA: No, I want to go out.
[Trying to put on the dress ANNINA has brought]
Great God, I can't.
ALFREDO: Heavens! What I see!
[To ANNINA] Go for the doctor.
VIOLETTA [To ANNINA]: Ah, tell him . . .
tell him that Alfredo has returned to my love.
Tell him that I want to live again.
[ANNINA goes out. To ALFREDO]
But if by returning you haven't saved me,
then to no one on earth is it given to do so.
Ah, great God! to die so young,
I who have suffered so much!
To die when the end
of my long weeping is so near!
Oh, my fond hope
was delusion then!
I shall have fortified my heart
with constancy in vain!
ALFREDO: O my breath and pulse,
delight of my heart!
My tears I must
mingle with yours!
But more than ever, do believe it,
I have need of constancy.
Ah! do not shut hope
quite out of your heart!
VIOLETTA: Oh, Alfredo, the cruel ending . . .
ALFREDO: Ah, my Violetta, pray calm yourself . . .
VIOLETTA: . . . in store for our love!
ALFREDO: . . . Your suffering is killing me!
Teresa Stratas (s), Violetta Valéry; Fritz Wunderlich (t), Alfredo Germont; Bavarian State Orchestra, Giuseppe Patanè, cond. Orfeo, recorded live at the Bavarian State Opera, Mar. 28, 1965
Virginia Zeani (s), Violetta Valéry; Ion Buzea (t), Alfredo Germont; Orchestra of the Romanian Opera, Bucharest, Jean Bobescu, cond. Electrecord-Vox, recorded 1968
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