It has been too long since I have devoted a posting to Callas. Therefore, here is a posting devoted to Callas. I think that she was one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. You can hear this especially in her early recordings. Callas underwent very strict Bel Canto training by her teacher, Elvira de Hidalgo, at the Athens Conservatory.
I have posted a couple of “popular” opera arias. I think that you will know which ones they are when you listen to them. I am not going to give any background on Callas. There has been so much written about her that any background material should be easy to find.
Bellini, La Sonnambula, “Ah, non credea mirarti”
Ah, non credea mirarti
si presto estinto, o fiore!
Passasti al par d’amore,
che un giorno sol durò.
Potria novel vigore
il pianto mio recarti
ma ravvivar l’amore
il pianto mio, ah no, non può…
Ah, non giunge uman pensiero
al contento ond’io son piena:
a miei sensi io credo appena;
tu m’affida, o mio tesor!
Ah, mi abbraccia, e sempre insieme,
sempre uniti in una speme,
della terra, in cui viviamo
ci formiamo un ciel d’amor…
Bellini, The Sleepwalker, “Ah, non credea mirarti”
Ah, I didn’t believe I’d see you
Wither so quickly, oh blossom!
You have faded away just like love,
Which only lasted a day.
Maybe my tears could
Lend you new life,
But to revive love
My tears oh no, they cannot do so…
Ah, human thought can’t manage
(To grasp) the depth of my happiness:
I can barely believe my own senses;
You do trust me, oh my darling!
Ah, hold me and, always together,
Always united in a single hope,
From this land in which we live
We shall build a Heaven of love…
Bellini, Norma, “Casta Diva”
Casta Diva, che inargenti
queste sacre antiche piante,
a noi volgi il bel sembiante
senza nube e senza vel.
Tempra, o Diva,
tempra tu de’ cori ardenti
tempra ancora lo zelo audace,
spargi in terra quella pace
che regnar tu fai nel ciel.
Bellini, Norma, “Chaste Goddess”
Chaste Goddess, covering with silver
these sacred ancient plants,
turn towards us your fair face
cloudless and unveiled
Harden, oh Goddess,
you temper the ardent hearts
temper still the audacious zeal,
spread on earth the same peace
that make you make reign in heaven.
Giordano, Andrea Chenier, “La Mamma Morta”
La mamma morta m’hanno
alla porta della stanza mia;
Moriva e mi salvava!
poi a notte alta
io con Bersi errava,
quando ad un tratto
un livido bagliore guizza
e rischiara innanzi a’ passi miei
la cupa via!
Guardo!
Bruciava il loco di mia culla!
Cosi fui sola!
E intorno il nulla!
Fame e miseria!
Il bisogno, il periglio!
Caddi malata,
e Bersi, buona e pura,
di sua bellezza ha fatto un mercato,
un contratto per me!
Porto sventura a chi bene mi vuole!
Fu in quel dolore
che a me venne l’amor!
Voce piena d’armonia e dice:
‘Vivi ancora! Io son la vita!
Ne’ miei occhi e il tuo cielo!
Tu non sei sola!
Le lacrime tue io le raccolgo!
Io sto sul tuo cammino e ti sorreggo!
Sorridi e spera! Io son l’amore!
Tutto intorno e sangue e fango?
Io son divino! Io son l’oblio!
Io sono il dio che sovra il mondo
scendo da l’empireo, fa della terra
un ciel! Ah!
Io son l’amore, io son l’amor, l’amor’
Giordano, Andrea Chenier, “They killed my mother”
They killed my mother
At the door of my room;
She died and saved me!
Later, in the dead of night
I was wandering with Bersi
When suddenly
A pale glow flashes
And it lightens ahead of me
The dark street!
I look!
My home was burning!
So I was alone!
And all around me, nothing!
Hunger and misery!
Deprivation, danger!
I fell ill,
And Bersi, so good and pure
Made a market of her beauty
For my sake –
I bring misfortune to all those who loves me!
It was in that grief
That love came to me!
A voice full of harmony and it says:
‘You have to live! I am life itself!
Your heaven is in my eyes
You’re not alone!
I’ll collect all your tears!
I’ll walk with you and support you!
Smile and hope! I am love!
Are you surrounded by blood and mud?
I am divine! I am oblivion!
I’m the God that descends on Earth
From the Empyrean, I turn Earth
Into heaven! Ah!
I’m love, I’m love, love!
Catalani, La Wally, “Ebben! Ne Andrò lontana”
Ebben! Ne andrò lontana
come va l’eco della pia campana,
là fra la neve bianca,
là fra le nubi d’ôr;
laddóve la speranza, la speranza
è rimpianto, è rimpianto, è dolor!
O della madre mia casa gioconda
la Wally ne andrà da te, da te,
lontana assai, e forse a te,
e forse a te, non farà mai più ritorno,
nè più la rivedrai!
Mai più, mai più!
Ne andrò sola e lontana,
là fra la neve bianca, n’andrò,
n’andrò sola e lontana
e fra le nubi d’ôr!
Catalani, La Wally, “Well then, I shall go far away”
Well! I’ll go far away
like the echo of a holy bell does,
there among the white snow,
there among the golden clouds,
there where hope, hope
is regret, is regret, is sorrow!
Oh from my mother’s happy home
Wally will go away from you, from you,
far far away, and perhaps to you,
and perhaps to you, she’ll return no more,
nor see you any longer!
Never again, never again!
I’ll go off alone and far away,
there among the white snow, I’ll go,
I’ll go alone and far away,
and to the golden clouds!