It's late at night and I've just finished an incredibly long week at work, reading dozens of proposals and edits into the wee hours of each morning. So, how to unwind from all the stress in order to get some sleep? Music is my elixir, easing me into a serene and peaceful state of mind, washing away the stress and chaos of the day. So much to choose from, but tonight I am in the mood for some classical guitar, otherwise known as Spanish Guitar.
The following selection is Recuerdos de la Alhambra, written by F. Tárrega, and performed by Enno Voorhorst. Now for some reason unknown to me, he decided to perform it outdoors in a snow-blanketed garden. While I have no idea why he would want to do that, after listening to the recording I am entirely grateful he did, whatever the reason. Beautiful. Hypnotic. Soothing.
Well now it's time to head off to sleep. Sweet dreams everyone.
Another Valentine Day is upon us; a time to ponder love, romance, and matters of the heart. Ah, love! Is there any other emotion that has proven more inspirational to artists, poets, writers, and composers throughout history? I thought I'd pull together a number works that capture love in its many different forms - hardly an exhaustive list but fun for me and hopefully for you. Enjoy!
The first selection evokes a rapturous, emotional, caught-in-the-throes-of-passionate-entrancement, mutually shared kind of love. The song is a barcarole (literally, a boat song) with its rhythmic tempo rocking gently back and forth as though floating upon the water in a Gondola. Lyrics originally in French, with English translation provided.
Belle Nuit O Nuit D’Amour from Offenbach’s Les Contes De Hoffman
French:
Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour,
Souris à nos ivresses,
Nuit plus douce que le jour,
Ô belle nuit d'amour!
Le temps fuit et sans retour
Emporte nos tendresses,
Loin de cet heureux séjour
Le temps fuit sans retour.
Zéphyrs embrasés,
Versez-nous vos caresses,
Zéphyrs embrasés,
Donnez-nous vos baisers!
vos baisers! vos baisers!
Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour,
Souris à nos ivresses,
Nuit plus douce que le jour,
Ô belle nuit d'amour!
Ah! Souris à nos ivresses!
Nuit d'amour, ô nuit d'amour!
English Translation:
Lovely night, oh night of love
Smile upon our joys!
Night much sweeter than the day
Oh beautiful night of love!
Time flies irretrievably
Forgetting our tenderness
Far from this happy place
Time flies for ever.
Burning zephyrs,
Fill us with your caresses
Burning zephyrs,
Give us your kisses!
your kisses! your kisses! Ah
Lovely night, oh night of love
Smile upon our joys!
Night much sweeter than the day
Oh beautiful night!
Ah Smile upon our joys!
Night of love, oh night of love!
Of course there are other kinds of love. How about a sad and hopelessly love-struck peasant beginning to believe his Elixir of Love potion he purchased might actually be working his dream woman? Now that's a haunting kind of love.
Una Furtiva Lagrima from Gaetano Donizetti's L'Elisir D'Amore
Italian:
Una furtiva lagrima
Negli occhi suoi spunto.
Quelle festose giovani
Invidiar sembro.
Che piu cercando io vo?
Che piu cercando io vo?
M'ama! Sì, m'ama, lo vedo, lo vedo.
Un solo instante i palpiti
Del suo bel cor sentir!
I miei sospir, confondere
Per poco a' suoi sospir!
I palpiti, i palpiti sentir,
Confondere i miei coi suoi sospir
Cielo, si puo morir!
Di piu non chiedo, non chiedo.
Ah! Cielo, si puo, si puo morir,
Di piu non chiedo, non chiedo.
Ah! Cielo, si puo, si puo morir,
Di piu non chiedo, non chiedo.
Si puo morir, si puo morir d'amor.
English Translation:
A furtive tear
Welled up in her eye...
Those carefree girls
She seemed to envy...
Why should I look any further?
Why should I look any further?
She loves me, yes, she loves me.
I can see it, I can see it.
To feel for just one moment
The beating of her dear heart!
To blend my sighs
For a little with hers!
The heartbeats, the heartbeats of hers I feel,
To mingle my sighs along with hers.
Heavens! I could die;
I wish for nothing more; nothing.
Heavens! I could die;
I wish for nothing more; nothing.
I could die, oh I could die of love.
No references to romantic love would be complete without some mention of Romeo and Juliet. In Bellini's Opera, I Capuletti e i Montecchi (The Capulets and Montagues), Juliet sits in her chambers pining for the forbidden love of Romeo.
O Quante Volte from Bellini's I Capuletti e i Montecchi
Italian Text
Oh! quante volte,
Oh! quante ti chiedo
Al ciel piangendo
Con quale ardor t'attendo,
E inganno il mio desir!
Con quale ardor t'attendo,
E inganno il mio desir!
Raggio del tuo sembiante
Parmi il brillar del giorno:
L'aura che spira intorno
Mi sembra un tuo sospir.
L'aura che spira intorno
Mi sembra un tuo sospir.
English Translation (a lot is lost in the translation - sorry)
Oh! How many times,
Oh! How many times I've asked you,
Crying to the heavens
ardor to which I await,
And deceives my desire!
Ardor with which I await,
And deceives my desire!
The radius of your countenance
Is like the shine of day to me:
The breeze that blows around me
I think of one of your sighs.
The breeze that blows around me
I think of one of your sighs.
Bah! Enough already with the Romantic kind of love. How about a good old-fashioned seductive, saucy, sultry, forbidden kind of love? These following two selections from Bizet's Opera Carmen have a taste of it all: bondage, dominance, flirting, biting, spitting, and of course, submission and surrender to lusty naughtiness. What's NOT to love?
Sometimes you really don't need words to feel the sultriness and oozing sensuality. A Spanish Guitar and a Tango Flamenco will do nicely.
Wishing all of you a love-filled day, whatever meaning and interpretation you may choose for love. Happy Valentines Day.
Posts
