Two of the most
important aspects of Italian diction (and it can be said of any language) are
the clarity of vowels and the way the syllables are put together. The reason the infamous ‘24 Italian Songs and
Arias’ have lasted so long is that they deal so much with these two
things. As with all tools, there is
nothing magical about them but if you can learn to sing them with proper pure
vowels, a sense of words, good dynamics, a round vibrating tone, and a good
amount of legato, you probably know how to sing.
I present to
you two singers this week from the long ago recorded and filmed opera past
which display these qualities of diction beautifully. First up is Gabriella Tucci singing Caro Nome
from Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” Tucci was born
in Rome in 1929 and is still alive. The
meat of her career was during the golden age of 20th century opera –
that is to say, the 50s and 60s. In this
live televised recording, notice especially her [a] vowel. This aria turns into a vocalise and the
writing looks almost instrumental rather than vocal as was so often the way
soprano singing was treated by the composers of the bel canto era. Notice which vowel these vocalises are on –
the famous [a]. From the depth of her
range to the upper limits, does her [a] vowel change? What are the properties of her [a]
vowel? How are her ‘e’ and ‘o’
vowels? The score is provided. She doesn’t sing the semi-recitative so go to
page 2.
Second up is
the soprano Amelita Galli-Curci who was born in Milan in 1882 and died in 1963
in California. Galli-Curci was one of
the first sopranos to be known in the recorded age and therefore was a
worldwide star, appearing throughout not only Europe and the U.S. but also
Russia and South America. The recording
you’re going to hear is of Tosti’s “La Serenata.” It was made in 1926 and so you won’t get a
lot of the warm tones of the voice we’re used to in modern recordings but the
diction is fantastic in this song which has a lot of words. Notice how she sings so cleanly but there is
an easy sense of what syllables are a part of multi syllabic words and what
syllables are words themselves. How does
she achieve this? Also, how are her
double consonants? Are her ‘o’s and ‘e’s
generally open or closed? Are her [a]s
consistent? Generally, the singing of
Neapolitan songs is male dominated. My
theory is that the style of Neapolitan singing was always considered a bit
brutal for females in the past – not refined enough. Can you tell a difference in the style
Galli-Curci incorporates as opposed to that of some of the men we’ve
heard?
Not the singer but the
song. This week we have two videos of the Italian song
"Caruso." The first video is of a singer called Lucio Dalla.
Dalla is an iconic singer in Italian pop music and this may be his most
popular song. Remember, this isn't a singing course, it's a diction course.
This ain't pretty but it's crazy moving. Having said that, listen
to how he deals with the language. Listen to the "L"s and how
he pronounces them. Listen to the difference between long vowels and
short vowels (stressed and unstressed syllables). As always, listen to
how he doubles consonants. I think (I hope) you'll notice how he short
changes final vowels. I've mentioned that when you elide a final vowel of
one word with the beginning vowel of a second word the emphasis (or preference)
is given to the start of the word. This is a good illustration of how
little importance is given to final vowels. However, you can hear in Pavarotti's
singing that his final vowels are mostly longer and "purer."
It's not always so but it is 90% of the time. That's what we have
to do in opera and Italian canzoni or art songs. You're going to get a
lot more of a diction lesson listening to the Pav. clip but I think it'll be
useful to hear how someone using more "casual" Italian sounds.
Before you listen, do me a favor and read the translation of the song
which follows the text below. It really is a wonderful song.
And on a performance
note, notice what Pavarotti does with the text at "Così diventò tutto
piccolo..." which is the 2nd part of the third verse. He uses the
double consonants as well as a little extra Italian "sob" in his
sound to make it almost heartbreaking. It's incredible how Italian can
remain so legato even when syllables are bounced on like he does. Enjoy, R
Qui dove il mare luccica e tira forte il vento su una vecchia terrazza
davanti al golfo di Surriento un uomo abbraccia una
ragazza dopo che aveva pianto poi si schiarisce la
voce e ricomincia il canto:
Te voglio bene assai ma tanto tanto bene sai e' una catena ormai che scioglie il sangue
dint' e' vene sai...
Vide le luci in mezzo al
mare pensò alle notti la in
America ma erano solo le lampare e la bianca scia di
un'elica sentì il dolore nella
musica si alzò dal Pianoforte ma quando vide la luna
uscire da una nuvola gli sembrò più dolce
anche la morte Guardò negli occhi la
ragazza quegli occhi verdi come
il mare poi all'improvviso uscì
una lacrima e lui credette di
affogare.
Te voglio bene assai ma tanto tanto bene sai e' una catena ormai e scioglie il sangue
dint'e vene sai...
Potenza della lirica dove ogni dramma e' un
falso che con un po' di trucco
e con la mimica puoi diventare un altro Ma due occhi che ti
guardano così vicini e veri ti fanno scordare le
parole confondono i pensieri.
Così diventò tutto
piccolo anche le notti la in
America ti volti e vedi la tua
vita come la scia di
un'elica.
Ah si, e' la vita che
finisce ma lui non ci pensò poi
tanto anzi si sentiva felice e ricominciò il suo
canto:
Te voglio bene assai ma tanto tanto bene sai e' una catena ormai che scioglie il sangue
dint'e vene sai... Te voglio bene assai ma tanto tanto bene sai e' una catena ormai che scioglie il sangue
dint'e vene sai...
Here, where the sea
shines and the wind howls, on the old terrace
beside the gulf of Sorrento, a man embraces a girl he wept after, then clears his throat
and continues the song:
I love you very much, very, very much, you
know; it is a chain by now that melts the blood
inside the veins, you know…
He saw the lights out on
the sea, thought of the nights
there in America, but they were only the
fishermen’s lamps and the white wash
astern. He felt the pain in the
music and stood up from the
piano, but when he saw the moon
emerging from a cloud death also seemed
sweeter to him. He looked the girl in
the eyes, those eyes as green as
the sea. Then suddenly a tear
fell and he believed he was
drowning.
I love you very much, very, very much, you
know, it is a chain by now that melts the blood
inside the vein you know…
The power of opera, where every drama is a
hoax; with a little make-up
and with mime you can become someone
else. But two eyes that look
at you, so close and real, make you forget the
words, confuse your thoughts, So everything became
small, also the nights there in
America. You turn and see your
life through the white wash
astern.
But, yes, it is life
that ends and he did not think so
much about it on the contrary, he
already felt happy and continued his song:
I love you very much, very, very much, you
know, it is a chain by now that melts the blood
inside the veins, you know…
I love you very much, very, very much, you
know, it is a chain by now that melts the blood
inside the veins, you know…
Anybody up for
a haircut and a shave? Well, we got three offers this week. It's Largo al
factotum from The Barber of Seville with 2 Italian baritones and one wacky
tenor. Our first contestant is Leo Nucci from a town called Castiglione die
Pepoli which is near Bologna in the middle of northern Italy. Here is a man
singer who actually sings closed [e] at the end of his words. (Also, notice how
dark his final [i] vowel is for those of you who think that an [i] vowel is
bright.
Secondly we have Tito Gobbi from a town in northern Venice called Bassano del
Grappa. Notice how he colors his vowels for character and how crisp his diction
is.
Thirdly, we have Mario del Monaco from Florence on the west coast. I'm sending
this video more for the visual than for the Italian though his Italian is in
stark contrast to the other two. He was a bit of an animal and he sings like
it. But notice how much he really wants to sing on vowels while still managing
to get in all of the doubled consonants and notice how bright his [a] vowel is
except when he wants to hook into a high note. You have my permission to not
look at the words during this video. I've never seen anything like it.
Otherwise, notice how the single r's between vowels are never rolled. This is a
big deal. It's how it is. And be sure to actually watch the words and/or score
while watching these videos. Part of the point of these is for you to have
reinforced what you've learned with what you see with what you hear.
By the way, for
you baritone lovers, if you want to hear something impressive, listen to
Leonard Warren’s version.
Largo al factotum della citta. Make way for the topman of the city.
Presto a bottega che l'alba e gia. Rushing to his shop now that it's dawn.
Ah, che bel vivere, che bel piacere Ah, isn't life good, how pleasant it is
per un barbiere di qualita! For a barber of class!
Ah, bravo Figaro! Ah, nice one Figaro!
Bravo, bravissimo! Nice one, really nice one!
Fortunatissimo per verita! I am the luckiest it's true to say!
Pronto a far tutto, Ready for anything,
la notte e il giorno night and day
sempre d'intorno in giro sta. Always busy and around.
Miglior cuccagna per un barbiere, A better lot for a barber,
vita piu nobile, no, non si da. A more noble life cannot be found.
Rasori e pettini Razors and combs
lancette e forbici, Lancets and scissors,
al mio comando At my command
tutto qui sta. Are all here.
V'e la risorsa, And there are `extras',
poi, de mestiere Then, for the business
colla donnetta... col cavaliere... With women... and with gentlemen...
Tutti mi chiedono, tutti mi vogliono, Everyone asks for me, everyone wants me,
donne, ragazzi, vecchi, fanciulle: Women, young people, old people, the golden
haired;
Qua la parruca... Presto la barba... What about the wig... A quick shave...
Qua la sanguigna... Some leeches for bleeding...
Presto il biglietto... Quick the note...
Qua la parruca, presto la barba, What about the wig, a quick shave,
Presto il biglietto, ehi! Hurry - the note, o me!
Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!, ecc. Figaro! Figaro! Figaro! etc.
Ahime, che furia! Heavens, what mayhem!
Ahime, che folla! Heavens, what crowds!
Uno alla volta, per carita! One at a time, For pities sake!
Figaro! Son qua. Figaro! Here I am.
Ehi, Figaro! Son qua. O me, Figaro! Here I am.
Figaro qua, Figaro la, Figaro here, Figaro there,
Figaro su, Figaro giu, Figaro up, Figaro down,
Pronto prontissimo son come il fumine: Quicker and quicker the sparks fly with
me;
sono il factotum della citta. I am the topman of the city.
Ah, bravo Figaro! Bravo, bravissimo; Ah, nice one Figaro! Nice one, really nice
one;
a te fortuna non manchera. From you luckiness will not depart.
I don’t know
anything about what I’m sending you today but you will get more Italian per
minute than anything else I can think of. First up, Vincenzo da Via Anfossi –
born and raised in Milan which is in the middle north of the country – he is an
Italian rapper. So, it’s rapid fire Italian but notice how pure the vowels are
and how long the stressed syllables are as well as the language itself and the
doubled consonants and on and on.
Secondly, we have some dude reading Chiare, fresche e dolci acque, a poem by
Petrarch who was sort of the Shakespeare of Italy. I like this reading because
it's very "singy" but also fairly straight forward. Listen for
the quality of the 'e's and 'o's and notice how different they are from the
sung ones you've been listening to. Also, listen for how short the final
syllables are. This is particularly important for recitative
singing. It's not what we instinctively do.
Enjoy,
R
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gImJO7HqnU8
- la prima volta che ho giocato a guardie e ladri
- il ruolo ! _non ho scelto _ il fato! sussurrava all’orecchio
- poi gli sguardi dei padri _ sembrava sapessero
- e ancora non capisco perchè non piansero
- e mi ricordo le fughe dalle volanti _ mia madre e i suoi pianti
- mio padre e con le parole tra i denti
- gli inquirenti _ le loro faccia e gli agenti
- e mi rivedo in mio padre con le parole tra i denti
- il fatto è che _ impari dopo la prima volta
- come un bambino che tocca il fuoco e si scotta
- conosco il dolce perchè _ ho conosciuto l’amaro
- dove non basta l’abbraccio di madre a darti riparo
- se poi i ricordi si frammentano
- le certezze non sono più tali _ e ti sembrano
- illusioni _ di quand'eri bambino
- vita pura e le parole tagliano mentre raffino
- zio prendo e servo solo chi è vicino
- il pianto sordo è l’immagini del tuo destino
- non basta dire c’ero! se il cielo non si apre
- la pioggia è il pianto della gente che assetate
-vi vedo attoniti quando cito (que)ste trame
- della pietà _ io _ non so che farmene
- verso inchiostro sui tagli della censura
- e la parola che si tatua sopra la carne!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RIT. - ogni giorno mi sveglio come fosse il primo
- ogni notte lascia il segno come a caino
- il mio destino mi segna e m’insegna
- a stare al mondo fino all’ultimo giorno
- ogni giorno mi sveglio come fosse il primo
- ogni notte lascia il segno come a caino
- il mio destino mi segna e m’insegna
- a stare al mondo fino all’ultimo giorno
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- a volte e come stare _ in ginocchio davanti all’altare
- mentre ti chiedi se stia ad ascoltare
- col dubbio che ti assale _ sarà che l’odio pesa uguale!
- dove l’amore che ti porta ad agire
- nel cuore niente che possa inibire _ niente
- troppo dolore per riuscire a dormire _ la gente
- non riesce a capire ma è brava a criticare
- senza conosce le prove che infligge il quartiere
- e quando giri in cerca di una svolta
- ogni volta che menti a te stesso dicendo che l’ultima volta
- e il TG col intervista nel blocco
- quando senti dire _ “non capisco era un bravo ragazzo”
- ti hanno visto crescere e non ti conoscono
- solo perchè _ troppo impegnati per vederti all’angolo
- ma quale dialogo no! non ti ascoltare _ diavolo
- e come vivere dentro un monologo
- del resto e come stare chiuso in te stesso _ come
- un barbone _ che cerca calore nel cartone
- lo sguardo fisso _ nel vuoto _ perso
- di chi _ ha _ perso tutto e dormi all’aperto
- pance gonfie parlano di vita buttando pietà
- dai _ telegiornali _ ai volti delle città
- fatti ! _ non nomi _parati la schiena
- è educazione _ non si parla con la bocca piena
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BREAGE - c’è chi vive all’ombra dei parla parla
- chi in strada fa i numeri sperando di svoltarla
- spera che madama non lo prenda
- chi ha orecchie intenda _ non ci sono numeri su questa agenda
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RIT. - ogni giorno mi sveglio come fosse il primo
- ogni notte lascia il segno come a caino
- il mio destino mi segna e m’insegna
- a stare al mondo fino all’ultimo giorno
- ogni giorno mi sveglio come fosse il primo
- ogni notte lascia il segno come a caino
- il mio destino mi segna e m’insegna
- a stare al mondo fino all’ultimo giorno
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2PG5Knlrds
Chiare,
Fresche, e Dolci Acqua
Petrarch
Chiare, fresche, e dolci
acque,
ove le belle membra
pose colei che sola a me par donna;
gentil ramo ove piacque
(con sospir mi rimembra)
a lei di fare al bel fianco colonna;
erba e fior che la gonna
leggiadra ricoverse
co l'angelico seno;
aere sacro, sereno,
ove Amor co' begli occhi
il cor m'aperse;
date udienza insieme
a le dolenti mie parole estreme.
S'egli è pur mio destino,
e 'l cielo in ció s'adopra,
ch'Amor quest'occhi lagrimando chiuda,
qualche grazia il meschino
corpo fra voi ricopra,
e torni l'alma al proprio albergo ignuda.
La morte fia men cruda
se questa spene porto
a quel dubbioso passo;
chè lo spirito lasso
non poría mai in più riposato porto,
né in più tranquilla fossa
fuggir la carne travagliata e l'ossa.
Tempo verrà ancor forse
ch'a l'usato soggiorno
torni la fera bella e mansueta
e là 'v'ella mi scorse
nel benedetto giorno,
volga la vista disosa e lieta
cercandomi; et o pietá!
già terra in fra le pietre
vedendo, Amor l'inspiri
in guisa che sospiri
sì dolcemente che mercé m'impetre,
e faccia forza al cielo
asciugandosi gli occhi col bel velo.
Da' be' rami scendea
(dolce ne la memoria)
una pioggia di fior
sovra 'l suo grembo;
et ella si sedea
umile in tanta gloria,
coverta già de l'amoroso nembo.
Qual fior cadea sul lembo,
qual su le trecce bionde,
ch'oro forbito e perle
eran quel dì a vederle;
qual si posava in terra e qual su l'onde;
qual con un vago errore
girando parea dir: "Qui regna Amore."
Quante volte diss'io
allor pien di spavento:
"Costei per fermo nacque in paradiso!"
Così carco d'oblio
il divin portamento,
e 'l volto, e le parole, e 'l dolce riso
m'aveano, e sì diviso
de l'imagine vera,
ch'i' dicea sospirando:
"Qui come venn'io, o quando?"
credendo esser in ciel, non là dov'era.
Da indi in qua mi piace
quest'erba sì,
ch'altrove non ho pace.
Se tu avessi ornamenti
quant'hai voglia,
potresti arditamente uscir del bosco,
e gir infra la gente.
Clear, fresh, and sweet,water
where she, for me the only woman,
would rest her lovely body,
against the gentle branch
on which it pleased her
(I sigh to think of it)
to make a column for her lovely side,
and grass and flowers which her gown
richly flowing
covered with its angelic folds,
sacred air serene
where Love with those fair eyes
opened my heart:
listen all of you
to these my last, mournful words.
If it must be my fate,
and Heaven works its ways,
that Love close up these crying eyes,
let grace see my poor body
be buried there among you
and let my soul return to its home naked.
Then death would be less harsh
if I could bear this hope
to that fearful crossing,
because the weary soul
could never in a more secluded port,
in a more tranquil grave
flee from my poor flesh and bones.
And there perhaps will come a
time,
that to the well-known place
the lovely savage animal —now tamed,
returns,
and there where she first saw me
on that day, now blessed,
she turns her eyes with hope and happiness
searching for me,
and —oh the pity —
to see me there as dust
among the stones,
Love will inspire her
and she will sigh so sweetly
she will win for me some mercy
and force the heavens
drying her eyes with her lovely veil.
Falling from beautiful
boughs,
(sweet in the memory)
flowers rained down upon her bosom,
and she was sitting there
humble in such glory
now covered in a shower of love's blooms.
That flower falling in her lap,
that one on her golden curls,
those like pearls set into gold
seemed to me to that day;
some fell to rest on ground,
some on the water,
and some in vague wandering
were circling down
and seemed to say: "Here Love reigns."
How many times I said then,
so full of awe:
"For certain she was born up in Heaven!"
And her divine behavior,
her face and words
and her sweet smile
so filled me with forgetfulness
and so divided me
from the true image
that I would sigh and say:
"How and when did I come here?"
thinking I was in Heaven,
not where I was.
And since then
I have loved this bank of grass
and find no peace elsewhere.
If you had all
the beauty you desired,
you could with boldness
leave the wood
and make your way among mankind.
These are two
of the 4 things that must be mastered in order for your Italian to begin to
sound idiomatic; singing correctly, consistent vowels, observing double
consonants, proper formation of Italianate consonants and rhythm of
language. By way of these first two
ideas I have two videos for you. First,
Ferruccio Furlanetto singing La Calunnia from Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville”
and Aldo Protti singing the prologue ‘Si, puo?’ from Leoncavallo’s opera “I
Pagliacci.” Furlanetto was born in
Salice in northeastern Italy in the area of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Aldo
Protti was born not far away in Cremona in the northern Italy in the state of
Lombardy. Protti died in 1995 but
Furlanetto is still very much on the scene and sings in this country a good
bit.
As you listen
to these two singers and follow the scores what do you notice about their
vowels and doubles? One thing to notice
is that the 5 vowels and 2 variations ([o] and [e]) are absolutely pure. As we’ve talked about, this is hard for us
Americans (and especially for us southerners) to do successfully. Your first job is to recognize what you’re
hearing – then we can work on your recognizing what you’re doing!
These are two
virtuoso arias and both of these low voices are pushed to their upper
limits. Do you recognize how these two
men deal with the singing of their vowels differently? Do they sound the same in terms of diction
(also some to do with their approach to their vocalism)?
Do you catch
either not doubling a doubled consonant or rolling a flipped ‘r’ or flipping a
rolled ‘r’?
Poichè in
iscena ancor le antiche maschere mette l'autore,
in parte ei
vuol riprendere le vecchie usanze,
e a voi di
nuovo inviami.
Ma non per
dirvi come pria:
"Le
lacrime che noi versiam son false!
Degli spasimi e
de' nostri martir non allarmatevi!
" No!
L'autore ha cercato invece pingervi uno squarcio di vita.
Egli ha per
massima sol che l'artista è un uom
e che per gli
uomini scrivere ei deve.
Ed al vero
ispiravasi.
Un nido di
memorie in fondo a l'anima cantava un giorno,
ed ei con vere
lacrime scrisse,
e i singhiozzi
il tempo gli battevano!
Dunque, vedrete
amar sì come s'amano gli esseri umani;
vedrete de'
l'odio i tristi frutti.
Del dolor gli
spasimi, urli di rabbia udrete, e risa ciniche!
E voi,
piuttosto che le nostre povere gabbane d'istrioni,
le nostr'anime
considerate,
poichè siam
uomini di carne ed ossa,
e che di
quest'orfano mondo al pari di voi spiriamo l'aere!
Il concetto vi
dissi . . .
Or ascoltate
com'egli è svolto.
Andiam! Incominciate!
May I? May I?
Ladies!
Gentlemen!
Forgive me if I
present myself alone.
I am the
Prologue:
Since the
author once again puts the ancient masks on stage,
he wishes to
resume the old customs in part,
and he sends me
to you anew.
But not to tell
you, as formerly:
"The tears
which we shed are false!
" No! Do
not be alarmed at our agony and suffering!
The author has
sought instead to paint a piece of life for you.
He has for his
maxim only that the artist is human
and he ought to
write for human beings.
And he took his
inspiration from the truth.
A nest of
memories was singing one day in the depths of his soul,
and he wrote
with real tears,
and his sobs
beat time for him!
Well then, you
will see human beings loving as they love;
you will see
the grim fruits of hatred.
You will hear
the pangs of grief, cries of fury, and ironic laughter!
And you, rather
than our poor costumes as actors,
consider our
souls,
since we are
men of flesh and blood,
and that we
breathe the air of this orphan world just like you!
I have told you
the concept . . .
Now listen to
how it unfolds.
Let's go!
Begin!
Translation
La
calunnia
La calunnia è
un venticello
un’auretta assai gentile
che insensibile, sottile,
leggermente, dolcemente,
incomincia a sussurrar.
Piano piano, terra terra,
sotto voce, sibillando,
va scorrendo, va ronzando;
nelle orecchie della gente
s’introduce destramente,
e le teste ed i cervelli
fa stordire e fa gonfiar.
Dalla bocca fuori uscendo,
lo schiamazzo va crescendo:
prende forza a poco a poco,
vola già di loco in loco.
Sembra il tuono, la tempesta
che nel sen della foresta,
va fischiando, brontolando,
e ti fa d’orror gelar.
Alla fin trabocca e scoppia,
si propaga, si raddoppia
e produce un’esplosione
come un colpo di cannone,
un tremuoto, un temporale, [un tumulto generale]
che fa l’aria rimbombar.
E il meschino calunniato,
avvilito, calpestato,
sotto il pubblico flagello
per gran sorte va a crepar.
The
Calumny
The calumny is
a little wind,
a very gentle little breeze
which numbly, softly,
lightly, kindly,
begins to whisper.
Little by little, mildly,
in a low voice, hissing,
it goes flowing, it goes buzzing;
in people's ears
it enters deftly
and makes heads and brains
stun and blow.
Getting out from the mouth
the clamour grows:
it slowly strenghtens,
it already flies from one place to another.
It seems like the thunder, like the storm
that in the depht of the forest
go whistling, grumbling,
and makes your blood run cold.
In the end it spills over and blow up,
it spreads, it doubles
and provokes an explosion
like a cannon shot,
an earthquake, a rain storm,
a general tumult
which makes the air peal.
And the miserable one who is defamed,
degraded, trampled,
scourged by the public opinion
fortunately dies.
This week’s
videos are to do with open and closed ‘e’ and ‘o’ and with the handling of
double consonants. After hearing Scotto
and Freni, these two women are polar opposites in terms of open and
closed. There ‘e’ vowels are practically
[a] and so are there ‘o’ vowels. What do
you hear? Is there is difference
depending on how high or low they’re singing?
Double
consonants make the vowels before and after them shorter. The consonants take more time – the time has
to come from somewhere. The other
characteristic of them is that the pressure built up by the time the consonants
take doesn’t explode out of the back end but rather the release is gentle and
understated. That’s one of the things
which keeps Italian a fairly gentle and very legato language. Can you tell when they are singing double
consonants as opposed to single?
Furthermore, do you hear any ‘plosive’ sounds at all? ‘T’s, ‘p’s, [k]s, ‘s’s….etc. Do they sound sibilant or wet like in
English?
I don’t know a
lot about Magda Olivero. She was born in
1910 and as far as I know she just passed away recently. She was born in Saluzzo in the Piemonte
region of Italy in the very far western corner in the Alps. Tebaldi is a good
singer to know. She was legendary even
in her own time. She was born in 1922 in
Pesaro which is just south of Venice in the region known as The Marche and died
in 2004. Both singers were stars of the verismo style. If you don’t know what that is, look it up
and tell me.
Two videos for
you this week – both of songs by Stefano Donaudy. At some point, every
classical singer should learn a Donaudy song. The second song, ‘O del mio amato
ben’ has been on the hit parade since 1918 and has been recorded countless
times by all of the great singers. But most of his 36 songs that make up his
’36 arie di stille antico’ – ’36 arias in the old style’ are worth knowing. As
you will hear, the Italian in these songs isn’t only useful to hear and see how
words are produced but, just as importantly and infinitely more difficult to
teach or learn, is also useful to hear the style of idiomatic Italian singing.
Italian isn’t just about consonants and vowels but about how sounds and melody
are manipulated to serve those consonants and vowels. Learning to sound Italian
can’t happen from a book or from a lecture two hours a week; it can only be
learned by listening and internalizing.
First up is Beniamino Gigli. Gigli was born in 1890 in Ricanati, on the east
coast of Italy in the Marche region. He was probably the most famous tenor
of the post Caruso period. He is a great example of ‘bel canto’ style where the
tone is very consistent up and down with a dynamic flexibility that isn’t heard
much anymore in these days which so much prizes power over beauty and
expression. There is so much I want you to notice about his singing in this
video that it’s hard to list everything; plus, I want you to start being able
to analyze things on your own. Having said that, notice how he handles
beginning consonants of songs he wants to emphasizes and notice his handling of
double consonants. Also notice how he achieves the famous ‘Italian sob’ in his
singing. Even if you didn’t have the translation you would know that this isn’t
a happy song simply from his sobbing.
Next up is Joyce DiDonato. Joyce is from a part of Italy called Prairie
Village, Kansas. Okay, Joyce isn’t Italian. In fact, she’s Irish or rather
Irish/American. Her real name is Joyce Flaherty – she’s kept her married name
from her first marriage. I try to always use Italian singers for these things
but Joyce is no typical singer and her Italian and Italian style are so good I
don’t see the harm. So, Joyce being a modern singer, can’t get away with the
sort of style that Gigli was able to utilize in the 40s and 50s but she still
manages to bring lots of ‘garlic’ to her performance in the 21st century. To be
honest, Gigli was often criticized in his day for being a bit too over the top
stylistically. How do Joyce’s [e] and [o] vowels differ from Gigli’s? And how
do they differ in her lower and middle registers from her higher register.
Lastly, start to notice how both of these singers elide vowels together
connecting the final vowel of one word to the beginning vowel of the next word.
There is a lot of this in Italian music and it’s hard to master.
O bei nidi d'amore,
occhi a me sì cari,
che di vostro favore non mi foste avari,
or che privo son io
di quel vostro sorriso,
di quel mio Paradiso,
senza più alcun desio
vedo i giorni miei fuggire,
e in sì cruda mia sorte
ogni giorno ho più morte
e non posso ancor...non posso morir!
Non ha raggi più il sole,
stelle il firmamento,
non ha il prato viole,
nè sospiri ha il vento, or che,
a crescer l'ambascia del perduto mio bene,
che sì affranto mi tiene,
persin quella mi lascia,
onde almen nutrivo il core,
pietosa speranza che anche al misero avanza
perchè gli sia men crudo il dolor!
Oh beautiful nests
Oh beautiful nests of love,
Eyes so dear to me,
That were not miserly to me with your good-will,
Now that I am deprived
Of that smile of yours,
Of that paradise of mine,
Without any more desire
I see my days fly by,
And in my fate so cruel
Every day I have more death
And yet I cannot... I cannot die!
No longer has the sun rays,
The firmament stars,
The field does not have violets,
Nor has the wind sighs, now that,
to increase the pain of my lost blessing,
Which keeps me so crushed,
Even that leaves me,
With which at least I fed my heart,
The merciful hope which comes even to the wretched,
So that his sorrow will be less cruel to him!
O del mio amato ben perduto incanto!
Lungi è dagli occhi miei
chi m'era gloria e vanto!
Or per le mute stanze
sempre lo cerco e chiamo
con pieno il cor di speranze?
Ma cerco invan, chiamo invan!
E il pianger m'è sì caro,
che di pianto sol nutro il cor.
Mi sembra, senza lui, triste ogni loco.
Notte mi sembra il giorno;
mi sembra gelo il foco.
Se pur talvolta spero
di darmi ad altra cura,
sol mi tormenta un pensiero:
Ma, senza lui, che farò?
Mi par così la vita vana cosa
senza il mio ben.
Oh, lost enchantment of my dearly beloved!
Far from my eyes is he
who was, to me, glory and pride!
Now through the empty rooms
I always seek him and call him
with a heart full of hopes?
But I seek in vain, I call in vain!
And the weeping is so dear to me,
that with weeping alone I nourish my heart.
It seems to me, without him, sad everywhere.
The day seems like night to me;
the fire seems cold to me.
If, however, I sometimes hope
to give myself to another cure,
one thought alone torments me:
But without him, what shall I do?
To me, life seems a vain thing
without my beloved.
