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REDUX ARRANGEMENTS
QUANDO M'EN VO REDUX
Original aria title :Quando m'en vo
From the opera La Boheme, by Giacomo Puccini
Musetta has come to a café and spots her ex-boyfriend Marcello. Despite having arrived on the arm of the wealthy but elderly Alcindoro, she sings of how everyone notices her when she goes out and how beautiful she is, to make Marcello jealous.
Translation:
When I go out all alone in the street,
People stop and stare at me.
And everyone looks at my beauty
From my head to my feet.
And so I taste the subtle desire
that comes from their eyes,
and knows how to appreciate
the hidden beauties
of my obvious charms.
And the flow of desire surrounds me
and makes me happy.
And you who know, who remember
and are consumed with love,
why do you flee from me?
You don't want to confess your sufferings,
but you feel like you're dying.
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TORNAMI REDUX
Original aria title: Tornami a vagheggiar
From the opera Alcina, by Handel
Alcina and her sister Morgana preside over an enchanted island, and turn the knights who come to woo them into animals, stones, and plants. However, Morgana has met and fallen in love with Ricciardo, who she doesn't want to see meet that end, begs him to leave the island, but asks him to come return to woo her someday.
Translation:
Come back to court me,
I wish to love only you faithfully,
my dear beloved.
I already gave you my heart,
my love will be true.
I'll never be cruel to you,
my beloved.
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MADAMINA REDUX
Original aria title: Madamina, il catalogo è questo
From the opera Don Giovanni, by Mozart
Leporello, Don Giovanni's servant, has kept a catalogue of all his master's past lovers. He reads the catalogue to Donna Elvira, who is one of those women, and who has come back for revenge. Leporello explains that she is not the only woman, by far.
Translation:
My dear lady, this is a catalog
of all the past lovers of my master.
It's a catalogue I've made myself;
Observe, read with me.
In Italy, 640. In Germany, 231.
100 in France, in Turkey, 91.
But in Spain, there are 1003.
There are country girls, city women,
countesses, baronessas, princesses,
women of every rank, shape, and age.
To blondes, he praises their gentleness,
To dark-haired ones, their constancy,
To the fair ones, their sweetness.
He wants large women in the winter,
and thin ones in the summer--
the large ones are majestic,
the lean ones so charming.
He seduces older ones,
just to put them on the list,
and his particular passion
is the young beginner.
He doesn't care if she's rich,
ugly, or beautiful,
if she wears a skirt,
you know what he does.
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RONDINE REDUX
Original aria title: Ch'il bel sogno di Doretta
From the opera, La Rondine by Puccini
Rambaldo and his mistress Magda are throwing a lavish party. Magda sings a song about a love affair from a more innocent time.
Translation:
Who could guess
the beautiful dream of Doretta?
How did its mystery end?
One day a student kissed her on the mouth,
and the kiss was a revelation:
it was passion!
Mad love, mad intoxication!
Who could ever describe
the subtle caress
of a kiss so ardent?
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E LUCEVAN REDUX
Original aria title: E lucevan le stelle
From the opera Tosca by Puccini
Mario Cavaradossi is in jail awaiting execution for aiding and abetting a political prisoner who escaped. He sings about his love Tosca, and about the end of his life.
Translation:
The stars were shining...
The earth was fragrant...
The garden gate creaked...
A footstep grazed the sand...
She entered, perfumed,
and fell into my arms.
Oh sweet kisses and languid caresses!
While I, trembling, freed the veils
from her lovely body.
My dream of love has vanished forever.
The hour is gone,
and I die in despair.
And I have never loved life so much!
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Dido Redux
Original aria title: When I am Laid in Earth
From the opera Dido and Aeneas by Purcell
Taken from Virgil's epic poem, Aeneid, this opera is about the love of Dido and Aeneas. Aeneas has been given orders to leave Dido to begin work creating a new Troy on Latin soil. Dido knows that this signals both the end of their love and her life. She laments her fate to her maid Belinda.
Text:
When I am laid in Earth,
may my wrongs create no trouble in thy breast.
Remember me, remember me,
but forget my fate.
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