Renée Fleming: Verdi - Otello, 'Mi parea... Piangera cantando... Ave Maria'
Renée Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is an American soprano whose repertoire encompasses Strauss, Mozart, Handel, bel canto, lieder, French opera and chansons, jazz and indie rock. Fleming has a full lyric soprano voice. Fleming has performed coloratura, lyric, and lighter spinto soprano operatic roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, aside from her native English. She also speaks fluent German and French, along with limited Italian. Her signature roles include Countess Almaviva in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, Violetta in Verdi's La traviata, the title role in Dvořák's Rusalka, the title role in Massenet's Manon, the title role in Massenet's Thaïs, the Marschallin in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, and the title role in Arabella. A Richard Tucker Award winner, she regularly performs in opera houses and concert halls worldwide. In 2008 she was awarded the Swedish Polar Music Prize for her services in music. Conductor Sir Georg Solti said of Fleming, "In my long life, I have met maybe two sopranos with this quality of singing; the other was Renata Tebaldi... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renée_Fl...
Lyrics & English Translation
He seemed so to me
He told me to undress, get into bed and
Wait for him
Emila, please
Lay out my pure white wedding garments
Upon my bed.
Listen! If I happen to die before you
Bury me in one of those veils.
I am sad always, always.
My mother had a poor maid
She was in love and beautiful
Her name was Barbara;
She loved a man that then abandoned her,
And she sang a song;
The song of the willow.
Undo my hair.
This evening I have haunted memories
of this lullaby.
"She wept singing in the lonely land,
The sad girl wept.
O Willow, Willow, Willow!
She sat with her head inclining upon her breast,
Sing! Let's sing!
The willow will be my funeral garland."
Hurry; Otello will be coming in a little while.
"The brook flowed between the flowering banks,
She moaned in grief,
And her eyes flowed with bitter tears
In which her heart sought solace.
Willow! Willow! Willow!
Let's sing! Let's sing!
The willow will be my funeral garland."
"The birds flew down from branches
Towards this sweet singing
And her eyes wept so much that
The rocks pitied her."
Here take this ring.
Poor Barabara!
She used to end her song with this simple saying:
"He was born for glory, I for love."
Listen! I heard a moan.
Who knocks at the door?"
"I to love him and to die.
Let's sing! Let's sing!
Willow! Willow! Willow!
Emilia, farewell,
How my eyes do weep this evening!
Is it the presence of weeping?
Good night.
Ah! Emilia, Emilia, farewell!
Emilia, farewell!
Ave Maria... etc...
A link to this wonderful artists personal Website: http://www.reneefleming.com/
Please Enjoy!
I send my kind and warm regards,