COVID-19 concert series -
“Ah! sì ben mio”
from Il Trovatore
by Giuseppe Verdi
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 Mesa, Arizona
Filmed and edited by Marc Lavallée
In Act III of Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore (The Troubadour, 1853) Manrico and Leonora are about to be married although the castle in which they dwell is under siege. Manrico tells his love that the men in his forces are severely outnumbered and that if he is killed, he will die speaking her name.
Ah, yes, my love, when I'll be yours
and you'll be mine, my spouse,
my soul will be more fearless,
my arm will be stronger;
but, if it be written upon the pages
of the book of my destiny,
that I should fall as a victim tomorrow,
pierced by the enemy's sword,
then in that last moment of death
my thoughts will fly to you,
and death will only seem to me
as if I go before you into heaven.
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....