COVID-19 Concerts -
ABOUT THE PIECE
"Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön"
from The Magic Flute
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Jeffrey Strand, tenor
and Kimberley-Ann Bartczak, accompanist
Recorded live on March 30, 2020 at the Mamdani Opera Centre and on location near Phoenix, Arizona
Filmed and edited by Marc Lavallée
‘Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön’ is sung by Prince Tamino near the beginning of Act 1 of The Magic Flute. Tasked with rescuing Pamina, the daughter of The Queen of the Night, he receives a portrait of her which awakens feelings of love.
Translation:
This image is enchantingly lovely,
Like no eye has ever beheld!
I feel it as this divine picture,
Fills my heart with new emotion.
I cannot name my feeling,
Though I feel it burn like fire within me,
Could this feeling be love?
Yes! Yes! It is love alone.
Oh, if only I could find her,
Oh, if only she were already standing in front of me,
I would, I would, with warmth and honor.
What would I do? Full of rapture,
I would press her to this glowing bosom,
And then she would be mine forever!
ABOUT THE SERIES
Like so many of you, as we face the daily challenges that grip the entire world as a result of COVID-19 we find ourselves looking for small moments of joy, connection and comfort. Whether it's a listening to a sonnet, watching a funny video, doing yoga, or baking bread, these acts are gifts that soothe those parts of us that are suffering, and help us to brave another day marked by uncertainty, loneliness and loss.
In recent weeks, a bright spot for us has been the incredible conversations we've had with our patrons while processing exchanges, refunds and donations from cancelled performances in our 2019-20 season. Hearing so many stories about how the gift of opera found its way into your lives and just how much the music continues to mean to so many people has brought us a renewed sense of purpose, and anticipation for the day we are able to come together to experience it again.
If you have a story you'd like to share, we hope you will. You can do so either in the comments below or by e-mail at [email protected].
For our performers, in addition to being their profession, making music is also a great source of comfort and we've worked with our 2019-20 Emerging Artists and our incredible Resident Conductor and Repetiteur Kimberley-Ann Bartczak to create a series of short videos that feature them performing musical selections that bring them hope and optimism.
We’ll be releasing a new video every Tuesday and Thursday for the next few months, so please follow our channel to receive notices when new videos are released. Enjoy!
You can also find links to all the videos and a special introduction by Artistic Director Bramwell Tovey and Resident Conductor and Repetiteur Kimberley-Ann Bartczak here: https://calgaryopera.com/news/thegift...