Beethoven, Ludwig von

• “Ha, welch ein Augenblick!” (Ah! What a good moment!) FIDELIO, Act I, 1805.  (Pizarro)

Bellini, Vincenzo.

• “Casta diva” (Chaste goddess) NORMA, Act I, 1831 (Norma)
• —“Mira, o Norma…Sì, fino all’ore estreme” (See, oh Norma…Till all our days are over)  duet, ibid.,  Act III (Adalgisa & Norma)
• “A te, o cara” (To you, my dear), I PURITANI, Act I, 1835  (Arturo)
• —“Qui la voce sua suave…Vien, diletto” (It was here his voice so tender…Come, my dearest- Cabaletta) ibid., Act II (Elvira)

Berlioz, Hector

• “Devant la maison” (Outside the house) Mephistophele’s “Serenade,” LA DAMNATION DE FAUST, Part II, scene 6, 1846
  

Bizet, Georges

• “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (Love’s a bird who obeys no master) Habanera, CARMEN, Act I, 1875 (Carmen)
• —“Près des ramparts de Séville (Near by the gates of the city), ibid., Act I (Carmen)
  
• —“La fleur que tu m’avais jetée” (Here is the flower) ibid., Act II (José)
• —”Là-bas, là-bas”( Away, away) ibid., duet, Act II ( José; Carmen)
• —“Au fond du temple saint” (Within the holy shrine) LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES, duet, Act I, 1863 (Nadir; Zurga)
• —“A cette voix… Je crois entendre encore” (At that voice…I think I still can hear”) ibid., Act I ( Nadir)

Boieldieu, François-Adrien

• “Ma Fanchette est charmante” (My Fanchette is charming) Trio, ANGÉLA, 1814 (Fanchette,Thibaut, Frontin)

Borodin, Alexander

• —“Uletay na kryl’yakh vetra” (Fly, my lonely song) Polovtsian Dances,” PRINCE IGOR, Act II, 1890 (Chorus of Slave Girls)  ADAPTATION FROM THE RUSSIAN

Catalani, Alfredo

• —“Ebben, n’andrò lontana” (Well then, I shall go off yonder) LA WALLY, Act I, 1892 (Wally)
  

Charpentier, Gustave

• —“Depuis le jour” (Since that bright day) LOUISE, Act III, 1900  (Louise)

Cilèa, Francesco

• —“Ecco..respiro appena…Io son l’umile ancella” (Listen—I’m scarcely breathing…I’m only the humble servant), ADRIANA LECOUVREUR, Act I, 1902 (Adriana)
• —“Acerba volutta”(Bitter pleasure) ibid., Act II  (La Principessa)

Debussy, Claude

• “Mes longs cheveux” (My long hair) PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE, Act III, 1902 (Mélisande)

Delibes, Léo

• “Prendre le dessin d’un bijou…FantaIsie des divins mensonges” (If I make a sketch of these jewels…Oh, chimera of divine untruths) ) LAKMÉ, Act 1, 1883 (Gérard)
• —“Où va la jeune hindoue?” (Where does the Hindu girl go?) ibid.,Act II, 1883 (Bell song)  (Lakmé)
• —“Sous le dôme épais” (Under the thick dome) ibid, Act I, duet (Lakmé and Malika)

Donizetti, Gaetano

• “Piangete voi?…Al dolce guidami” (You’re crying?… Lead me to my sweet native land) Mad Scene, ANNA BOLENA,  ACT II, 1830  (Anna)
• —“Bella siccome un angelo” (Lovely beyond your wildest dream) DON PASQUALE,  Act I, 1843 (Dr.Malatesta)
• —“Ah! Un foco nsolito” (Deep in my bosom…” ), ibid.
• —“Quel guardo il cavaliere” (Only one glance she gave him) ibid., (Norina’s “Cavatina” (Norina)
• —“Ah, mes amis!…Pour mon âme” (Ah, my friends!…For my heart) LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT (Daughter of the Regiment) Act I, 1840  (Tonio)
• —“Depuis l’instant…De cet aveu si tendre…Longtemps coquette” (From that first time… So tender an admission… So long coquettish) Duet, ibid., Act I (Tonio, Marie)
• “Ah! tardai troppo…O luce di quest’anima” (Ah, it’s getting late…Oh, light of my very soul…) Recitative and aria, LINDA DI CHAMONIX, Act I, 1842 (Linda)
• —“Il dolce suono…” (I heard him calling) Mad scene, LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, Act III, 1835 (Lucia)
• —“Vieni; la mia vendetta” (Come; my vengeance is ready) LUCREZIA BORGIA, Act I, 1833  (Don Alfonso, bass-baritone)
• —“Il segreto per esser felici” (The secret of being happy) ibid., Act II (Maffio Orsini’s aria)
• —“Quanto è bella” (She’s so lovely), L’ELISIR D’AMORE (The Elixir of Love), ACT 1, 1832 (Nemorino)
• —“Una furtive lagrima” (One secret tear), ibid., Act II (Nemorino)

Gluck, Christophe

• “Divinités du Styx” (Divine rulers of Hades) ALCESTE, Act I, 1767 (Alceste)
  
• —“J’ai perdu mon Euridice” (I have lost my Euridice), ORPHÉE ET EURIDICE Act I, 1775  (Orphée)
• —“Che farò senza Euridice?” (What shall I do without Euridice?), ORFEO ED EURIDICE . Act III, 1762 (Orfeo)

Gounod, Charles

• —Recitative and aria: ”Quel trouble inconnu…Salut, demeure chaste et pure” (What unknown dismay… All hail, you pure and simple dwelling) FAUST, Act III, 1859 (Faust)
  
• —“Ah! Je ris de me voir “(Ah! I laugh when I see myself) The Jewel Song, ibid.,         Act III, (Marguerite)
• —”Vous, qui faites l’endormie” (You, who make believe you’re sleeping) ibid., Act IV, (Mephistopheles)
• —“Je veux vivre,” (I want only to live) ROMÉO ET JULIETTE, Act I,1867 (Juliette)
• — Recitative and aria: ”L’amour, l’amour…Ah, lève-toi” (Ah, love; ah, love…Oh,wake, I beg you, sun) !ibid., Act II (Roméo)
  
• … “Ah, ne fuis pas encore,”(Ah, do not go and leave me) ibid., Duet, Act II  (Roméo and Juliiette)

Grétry, André

• ”L’amant soumis et tendre,” (The humble, tender lover), L’AMANT JALOUX, Act I, 1778 (Florival )
• —“Je crains de lui parler la nuit” (I’m afraid to speak to him at night) RICHARD, COEUR-DE-LION, 1784  (Laurette)

Handel, George Frederic

• “Ombra mai fu” (Never was the shade) SERSE ( XERXES) Act I, 1738 (Serse)
  

Mascagni, Pietro

• ”Flammen, perdonomi” (Flammen, forgive me), LODOLETTA, Act III, 1917  (Lodoletta)

Massenet, Jules

• —“Je suis encore tout étourdie” (I’m still so excited), MANON, Act I, 1884 (Manon)
  
• —Recitative and aria: “Allons!… Il le faut!” …Adieu, notre petite table (Courage, I must do it…Farewell, our dearest little table) ibid., Act II (Manon).
  
• —Je suis seul! Seul enfin! (I’m alone! Alone at last!) ibid., Act III.
• —“En fermant les yeux” (When I close my eyes) ibid., Act II ( Des Grieux)
  
• —“Je marche sur tous les chemins” (I go wherever I please), and “Obéissons quand leur voix appelle” (Let us obey when voices call us) Gavotte,  ibid., Act III (Manon)
• —”Je suis seul… Ah, fuyez, douce image!” (I’m alone at last… Ah, be gone, set me free), Recitative and aria, ibid., Act III (Des Grieux)
  
• “Air des lettres” (Letter aria) WERTHER, Act III, 1892 (Charlotte)
• —“Va, laisse couler mes larmes” (It’s all right; let my tears flow); ibid., Act III  (Charlotte)
• —”Toute mon âme est là… Pourquoi me réveiller?” (My whole soul is there … Oh, why awaken me?) ibid., Act III ((Werther)

Meyerbeer, Giacomo

• —“Adamastor, roi des vagues profondes “(Adamastor, king of the mighty deep) ibid., Act III, 1865  (Nelusko, bass-baritone)
  
• —“O, paradis” (Oh, paradise), L’AFRICAINE (French version), Act IV, 1865. (Vasco da Gama)
• —“O, paradiso” (Oh, paradise), L’AFRICANA (Italian version) (Vasco da Gama)
  
• —“Robert, toi que j’aime” (Robert, you whom I love), ROBERT LE DIABLE (Robert, the Devil) Act IV, 1831 (Isabelle)

Moussorgsky, Modeste

• Dostig ya vysshei vlásti” (I have attained the heights of power), BORIS GODOUNOFF, Act II, ed. Rimsky-Korsakov, 1874 ( (Boris) (Adaptation from Russian)
  

Mozart, W.A.

• “Un’ aura amorosa” (An air of devotion) COSÌ fan tutte, Act I (Ferrando)
• —”Ai fato dàn legge” (Those eyes give direction) ibid., duet, Act II,1790 (Ferrando & Guglielmo)
• —“Prenderò quel brunettino” (I’ll take that handsome dark one) ibid., duet, Act II (Fiordiligi & Dorabella)
• “Konstanza! Konstanza! O, wie ängstlich” (Constance! Constance! Oh, how eagerly) DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL, Act I, 1782  (Belmonte).
• —“Durch Zärtlichkeit und Schmeicheln” (Through gentleness and pleading) ibid., Act II,  (Blonde)
• —“Deh vieni alla finestra” (Oh, come here to the window) DON GIOVANNI, Act II, 1787  (Don Giovanni)
• —“Finch’han dal vino” (While they are dizzy) Act I, ibid., “Champagne aria” (Don Giovanni)
• —“Là ci darem la mano” (There we’ll join hands together) Duet, ibid., Act I, (Don Giovanni & Zerlina)
• —“Madamina: il catalogo è questo” (Madam, here is the catalog) ibid., Act I, (Leporello)
• —“Ach, ich fuhl’s” (Ah, I feel”), DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE (THE MAGIC FLUTE), Act II, 1791 (Pamina)
• —“Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön” (What beauty in this portrait lies), ibid.,, Act I, (Tamino)
• —”E Susanna non vien… Dove sono…” (And Susanna’s not here?… Golden moments) LE NOZZE DI FIGARO (FIGARO’S WEDDING DAY), Act III, 1786  (Countess)
• —“Hai già vinta la causa” (You’ve been granted the judgment) ibid., Act III ((Count)
• —“Non più andrai “(Nevermore), ibid., Act I (Figaro)
• —”Non so più” (I no longer can tell), ibid., Act I (Cherubino)
• —“Voi che sapete,” (You understand love) ibid., Act II (Cherubino)

Offenbach, Jacques

• “C’est une chanson d’amour” (This is a song about love) LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN, duet, Act III, 1881 (Antonia & Hoffmann)

Puccini, Giacomo

• —“Che gelida manina” ((How cold your little hand is!), LA BOHÈME, Act I, 1896  (Rodolfo)
• —“Mi chiamano Mimi” (Although I’m called ‘Mimi’) ibid., Act I, (Mimi)
• —“Donna non vidi mai” (Never did I see a woman), MANON LESCAUT, Act I, 1894  (Des Grieux)
• —“Che il bel sogno de Doretta” (Doretta’s Song), LA RONDINE, Act I, 1917 (Magda)
• —“Recondita armonia” (Oh, hidden harmony), TOSCA, Act I, 1900 ( Cavaradossi)
• —“E lucevan le stelle” (And the stars shone so brightly) ibid., Act III (Cavaradossi)
• —“Vissi d’arte” (I have lived for art and for love), ibid., Act II  (Tosca)
• —“Tanto amore segreto” (So much secret, undeclared love), TURANDOT, Act III, 1926  (Liù)
• —“Un bel dì vedremo” (One fine day , we’ll notice), MADAMA BUTTERFLY, Act II, 1904 (Butterfly)
• —“Ch’ella mi creda” (Let her believe me), LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST, Act III, 1910 (Dick Johnson)

Rossini, Gioachino

• —“Ecco ridente il cielo” (Now that the dawn is breaking), IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA. Act I, 1816  (Count)
• —“La calunnia” (What is Slander?), ibid., Act I,  (Basilio)
• —“Una voce poco fa” (A voice I heard just now) ibid., Act I (Rosina)
• —Asile héréditaire (Ancestral home), GUILLAUME TELL, Act IV, G. Rossini.
• — Bel raggio lusinghier (Alluring ray of light), SEMIRAMIDE, Act I, G. Rossini.
• —“Serbami ognor sì fido” (Serve me still longer, faithfully), ibid., Act I, duet (Semiramide and Arsace)

Saint-Saëns, Camille

• —“Printemps qui commence” (Springtime that’s returning) SAMSON ET DALILA, Act I, 1877 (Dalila)
• —“Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix,” (My heart opens at your voice), ibid., Act II, 1877  (Dalila)

Strauss, Johann II

• —“Mein Herr Marquis” (My dear Marquis), The Laughing Song, DIE FLEDERMAUS (The Bat’s Revenge), Act II, 1874 (Adele)
• —“Chacun à son goût” or “I often have a crowd to dine”, ibid.

Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich

• ”Kogda by zhizn”(If kindly fortune had ordained it) EUGENE ONEGIN, Act I, 1879 (Onegin’s Aria)  Adaptation from the Russian
  
• ”—Da! Vspomilna! Podrugi milyya” (Yes! Now I know, dear friends.) Pauline’s aria. PIQUE DAME, ACT I, 1890  (Pauline) Adaptation from the Russian
  

Thomas, Ambroise

• ”Dis-moi de quelles plages lointaines…Connais-tu le pays?” (Tell me of what faraway shores…Do you know that far land?) Duet, MIGNON, Act I, 1866, (Wilhelm, Mignon)
• —“Légères hirondelles” (You slender light-winged swallows) Duet, ibid., Act II  (Lothario, Mignon)
• —“O vin, dissipe la tristesse” (Oh wine, destroy the sadness), Act II, HAMLET, (Hamlet)
• —A vos jeux (If you please, my good friends, allow me to take part in your games), Act IV, HAMLET.

Verdi, Giuseppe

• ”Re dell’ abisso” (King of the depths) BALLO IN MASCHERA, Act I, 1857 (Ulrica)
• —“Dio, che nell’alma infondere” (God, who deep within our souls), DON CARLO,  Act I,1867  (Carlo and Posa)
• —79_Che_mai_veggio_Infelice (What misfortune!!…; I thought she loved me), ERNANI, Act I, 1844  (Silva)
• —“Eh! Paggio! Andate a impendervi” (Hey! Pages! Go hang yourselves!) FALSTAFF, Act I, 1893  (Falstaff)
• ”—Studia il passo…Come dal ciel precipita” (Be very wary…As if sent from heaven), MACBETH, Act II, 1847 (Banquo)
• —“Va, pensiero” (Go, my thought), NABUCCO, Act III, 1842 ( Chorus of Hebrew Slaves)
  
• —“Confutatis maledictis” (When the wicked are confounded) REQUIEM, 1874
• —“Caro nome” (Dearest name) RIGOLETTO, ACT I, 1851 (Gilda)
• —“Cortiigiani, vil razza dannata” (Courtiers, vile race of the damned), ibid., Act II, — (Rigoletto)
• —“Pari siamo” (How alike we are!) ibid., Act I, sc.2, (Rigoletto)
• —“Questa o quella” (This girl, that girl) ibid., Act I (the Duke)
• ”E strano…Ah, fors’è lui che l’anima… Sempre libera” (How strange!…Ah, perhaps it’s he…Always I must be free), LA TRAVIATA, Act I, (scena) 1853  (Violetta)
• —“Libiamo, libiamo ne’lieti calici” (Let’s drink then, from the goblets of joy), ibid.,   Act I (Alfredo, Violetta, Chorus)
• —“Lunge da lei…De’miei bollenti spiriti” ( Parted from her…Taming my youthful ecstasy), ibid., Act II (Alfredo)
• —“Addio, del passato” (Farewell, smiling dreams of the past) ibid., Act III, Violetta
• ”Stride la vampa” (The flame crackles) IL TROVATORE, Act II, 1853 (Azucena)
• —”Se m’ami ancor…Ai nostril monti ritorneremo” (If you love me still… Home to our mountains) duet, ibid., Act IV,  (Azucena, Manrico)
• —”Mercè, dilette amiche “ (Thank you, beloved friends), I VESPRI SICILIANI, (“Bolero”) Act V, 1855 (Elena)
  

 

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Miriam Ellis (Monday, 2 December, 2019)