Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Schwarzkopf: Agathe's Aria (with translation)
Agathe's aria from Weber's "Der Freischütz".
English Translation:
How can I think of sleep,
Before I see him?
O yes, love and worry
Go ever hand in hand!
O moon do you laugh up there ?
(Opens the balcony door to reveal a starlit night)
What a lovely night!
(Goes out to the balcony and raises her hands in sweet rapture.)
(Leise, leise) Softly, Softly, my sweet song
Waft on up to starry sky!
Let my prayer
on pious journey
ring out to heaven's halls!
(looking out)
O how bright the golden stars,
With such pure gleam they shine!
Yet yonder, in distant hills
A storm seems a'gathering.
There too in the forest hover dark clouds
(Dumpf und schwer) Close and heavy.
(Zu dir wende) To you, O Lord,
Who has no beginning and no end,
I turn my hands.
To protect us
From all dangers
Send us forth your Angel hosts.
All now is long at rest,
My trusted friend, why your delay?
Though I listen with keen ear,
Only rustling in the fir tree tops,
Only whispering of birch leaves in the grove
Disturb the wondrous silence.
(Nachtigal und Grille) Only nightingale and cricket
Seem to enjoy the night air.
But wait? Do my ears deceive?
Could it be footsteps!
There, something is emerging from the trees
(Er ist's! er ist's!) It's him! It's him!
Love's banner can flutter.
(She waves a white handkerchief.)
Your girl keeps her vigil into the night.
He seems not yet to see me.
My God! let not the moonlight play tricks on me!
His hat is adorned with flowers.
For sure his was the best shot.
That bodes well for tomorrow.
O sweet hope, O courage renewed!
My blood races, my heart beats wild.
Attracted sweetly to him.
Can I dare to hope?
Yes, good fortune returns
To my dear beloved
And loyally stays tomorrow.
Am I mistaken? Am I mad?
O Heaven, receive these tears of thanks ..
For this token of hope!
My blood races, my heart beats wild.
Attracted sweetly to him ...
Attracted to him.
Antonio Caldara - Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo (6)
1. Recitativo (Amor Celeste).
Di miei dordi possenti
di Maddalo la donna
or pentita ar dolente
è un sol troleo;
pugnó l'Amor Terreno,
e nel doice veleno
tingendo i strali suoi dei piacer vano
uni frode al valor, ma tutto invano.
Only by my mighty arrows
is that woman from Magdala,
penitent now, and now sorry,
become a trophy of victory.
Earthly Love, too, has fought,
and has, by tinging his darts
with the sweet venom of vain pleasure,
added fraud to his valour, but all in vain.
1. Aria (Amor Celeste).
Da quel strale che stilla veleno
beve l'alma un sol cieco furor.
Ma se il cielo con bello pietade
di quel strale scopre il mal,
sol rimane nell'alma il dolor.
From that arrow dripping with poison
the soul drinks nothing but fury.
But if heaven with gracious mercy
reveals that arrow's evil,
only sorrow remains in the soul.
Antonio Caldara - Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo (5)
1. Recitativo (Maddalena).
D'esser costante, o mio Gesú, non temo.
L'intelletto che, ottuso
d'una letra ignoranza,
con bugiarde apparenze
di pazza fantasia
spesso formava vani discorsi e falsi,
di pazza fantasia
dal tuo superno raggio,
che Amor Celeste accende, inflamma,
reso chiara et iltustre, di corregger confida
ogni fantasma van alla sua quida.
For my constancy, o my Jesus, 1 don't fear.
My mind, blunted
by dark ignorance,
has often with the delusive outgrowths
of a wild imagination produced vain
and false talk, but by your divine light
that, together with Celestial lave, fires and
inflames it, rendered clear and briqht, it
will entrust the clearing away of all illusions
to the guidance of that light.
2. Aria (Maddalena).
Per il mar del pionto mio
disprezzar soprò le pene.
Se, Gesú, sei Ia mia stella,
a te umilio il mio desio,
al tua piè son mie catene.
On the ocean of my tears
I,ll learn to disdain my pains.
If you, Jesus, be my lodestar,
for you will humbly long;
at your feet now lie my chains.
Antonio Caldara - Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo (4)
1. Recitativo (Marta, Maddalena).
Marta:
Maddalena, costanza,
stretta, ai piè tuo Dio
sorta dale procelle, aferri il porto;
degl'afflitti egli é sol dolce conforto.
Maddalena:
Sento crearmi un nuovo core in petto,
e uno spirito retto
nelle viscere mie già si rinnova;
spirto che in lacrimor
si gode or tanto ch'ogni contento
mio sta nel mio pionto.
Marta:
Piangi pur Maddalena,
coronato vedrassi oggi tua pena.
1. Recitativo (Marta, Maddalena).
Marta:
Magdalene, steadfast!
Keeping straight after your God,
escape the storms, reach the harbour;
to the afflicted He's the only sweet confort.
Maddalena:
I feel a new heart created in my bosom,
and a righteous spirit
being reborn inside of me;
a spirit that so much enjoys weeping
now that all my happiness lies in my tears.
Marta:
Go and cry, Magdalene,
today you'll see your suffering crowned.
2. Aria (Marta).
O fortunate lacrime
d'un vero afflitto cor.
Superbe sin all'etera
quidate un'alma mísera
cinto di bel splendor,
2. Aria (Marta).
Ah, you felicitous tears
of a truly afflicted heart!
Proudly to the ether's heights
guide this miserable soul,
wreathed in bright splendour.
Antonio Caldara - Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo (3)
1. Sinfonia.
2. Recitativo (Fariseo).
Donna ronde e fastosa,
savra le di cui gate unite assieme scherzando con amor danzan le grazie,
vanne altrove, che a stuolo
gl'amanti condurrai stretti in catena,
ma in si nobil congresso servir a tua beltà non é concesso.
O great and splendid lady,
on whose cheeks, together with Cupid,
the Graces frolick and dance,
go elsewhere, for you will lead lovers
captive and enchained by the pack.
But in such noble company as this
to serve your beauty is not permitted.
3. Aria (Fariseo).
Parti, che di virtú il gradito splendor
scorger non puoi.
Come moi tra foschi orror
di tue colpe la sua luce veder vuoi?
Leave, for virtue's welcome splendour
you cannot perceive.
How will you, beffoged by the darkness
of your sins, ever see its light?
4. Recitativo: (Maddalena, Cristo, Fariseo).
Maddalena:
Cingan pure quest'alma
mille nodi d'error, alio mia fama
oscurin Pombre loro;
dalle tenebre ancora
soprò cal pionto mio
for risorger un lume assai piú chiaro,
che sempre ai cielo un cor pentito é caro.
Signor ecco a' tuoi piedi,
chi per sui gravi errori
merta del giusto Iddio lo sdegno ultrice,
pentito, ecco, Signor, la peccatrice.
Cristo:
Se verace è il dolore,
é sicuro il perdono,
e tu sarai di vera penitenza
memorabile esempio.
Fariseo:
É questi un pariar empio.
Maddalena:
My Lord, to you I give myself entirely;
I vow to you a penitent's eternal loyaity.
And you, my grieving eyes, let your tears
flow,
while to your weeping my soul will answer
with a lamenting tangue;
ah, you, my all too wanton eyes,
ah, you, my ali too deaf soul,
how grave are the sins that you call
the lustiness of youth! O Lord, mercy!
Cristo:
If your grief is sincere,
iveness is certain,
and you shall be a memorable example
of true penitence.
Fariseo:
This is an impious way of speaking.
5. Aria - Maddalena:
Chi con sua cetra
si piacque all'etra
fra mille error
ebbe il suo cor e pianse.
Perciò pietà
travò dal ciel,
e pai fedel
d'ogni empietà i lacci franse.
She who with her cithern
once well pleased the ether,
had a heart full of thousands
of siris, but she bewailed them.
Therefore she was granted
mercy from heaven,
and then obediently
broke all ties to godlessness.
Antonio Caldara - Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo (2)
1. Recitativo (Maddalena):
Marta, ho risolto,
in seno deito grazia di Dio
la sprone ia sento, men' vado
ai piè di Cristo,
ivi faró del Paradiso acquisto.
2. Aria (Maddalena):
Voglio piongere sin che frangere
possa il nado che mi lega.
Sempre il cielo apparve amico
a' desiri, a'sospiri
d'un alma che prega.
3. Recitativo (Amor Celeste, Amor Terreno):
Amor Celeste:
A tua dispetto, Amor Terreno,
fia Maddalena pentita.
Amor Terreno:
Eh che il senso rubelle
è un compion troppo forte,
già m'accinguo alla pugna
ed aspra e dura.
Amor Celeste:
Un cor contra il piocer virtude indura.
4. A due (Amor Celeste, Amor Terreno):
La mia virtude il mio valor é forte.
Amor Terreno:
Il senso e un nemico...
Amor Celeste
Lo grazia é un amico...
A due:
Che sempre c'assiste insino alla morte.
1. Recitativo: Maddalena.
Martha, I am resolved;
in my breast I feel the spur
of the grace of God;
I'll go to the feet of Christ;
there I shall gain Paradise.
2. Aria (Maddalena):
I want to weep,
Till I can break,
the knot that holds me bound.
Heaven seems ever
to be receptive
towards the wishes and the sighs
of a soul that does pray.
3. Recitativo (Amor Celeste e Amor Terreno).
Amor Celeste:
Inspite of you, Earthly Love,
will Magdalene repent.
Amor Terreno:
Well, rebellious carnality
is a champion too strong for you;
I'm girding myself for a battle
that will be rough and tough.
Amor Celeste:
Virtue steels the heart against pleasure.
4. A due:
My virtue, my valour are strong.
Amor Terreno:
Carnality is a foe ...
Amor Celeste:
Grace is a friend...
A Due:
That helps us until we die.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Antonio Caldara - Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo
1. Sinfonia
2. Recitativo (Maddalena).
Oimè, troppo importuno
chi mi turba i riposi.
Dunque ancor, mentre al sonno in braccio sono,
all'acerbe mie pene.
tregua almen se non pace
travar moi non potrò?
E per qual legge, oh Dio,
a si barbara guerra
sempre aperto, steccato e'l petto mio
da si fiera battaglia, la regione agitata?
Par che due Maddalene sian dentro questa petto,
e un valer doppio valer ristretto.
Vorrei seguir la strada
che di luce non finta iliustra'l raggio,
ma'1 piacer mi piace, benchè fugace,
a gl'occhi scompro il lampo.
Cosi so stesso aggetto,
or amando or fuggendo,
tanto l'alma si turba,
ch'al mio tormento fiero
ogni breve conforto ancor dispero.
2. Recitativo (Maddalena).
Alas, too importunate is he
who disturbs my rest.
So then not even in the arms of Sleep
may I enjoy at least a truce,
if not peace, ever,
amidst the raging of my pains?
And according to what law, oh God,
is my heart, undecided amidst such
barbarous warring, always pierced,
my mind agitated in such a fierce battle?
It seems two Magdalenes live in my heart,
and in my mind not l'ust one will but two.
I would like to follow the path
that no beam of false 1ight makes glitter,
but I do like pleasure, tough its
fleeting flash will quickly disapppear.
Thus the some cause,
loving it now, avoiding it then,
troubles my soul so much
I despair of any respite in this
my fierce torment,
be it ever so brief.
2. Aria (Maddalena).
In un bivio é il mio valere
di seguir il mondo o il cielo.
Un sentier calmo è di rose,
ha le vie l'altro lo stelo.
2. Aria (Maddalena).
At the crossroads stands my mind, to choose the world's way or Heaven's.
One path is brimming with roses,
the other has thomy walks;
one has the flowers, the other the stem.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Mozart: "Vesperae solennes de confessore" (K. 339) (5)
Source:http://www.youtube.com/user/OedipusColoneus
Mozart: "Vesperae solennes de confessore" (K. 339) (4)
Source:http://www.youtube.com/user/OedipusColoneus