Monday, March 1, 2010
Tosca, by Giacomo Puccini, premiered on Jan. 14th, 1900. A work more than 3 years in the making, it is now one of the world's most popular operas.The plot is basically an adaptation to a play produced by Victorein Sardu in 1887 and seen by Puccini in Milan. Like most opera's it is full of love, loss, murder and suicide.
Floria Tosca is a singer who is in love with Mario Cavaradossi, a painter. Cavaradossi helps an escaped political enemy by the name of Angelotti hide. Unfortunately the chief of police, named Scarpia, who by the way is in love with Tosca, discovers the offense. Capturing Cavaradossi, Scarpia tortures him, taunting Tosca until she reveals Angelotti's hiding place. Carvadossi denounces Tosca for giving in, and is taken off to prison. Scarpia attempts to force himself on Tosca and Angelotti is discovered dead, having committed suicide before being captured.
In the despair of her lover's denouncement, his likely execution, and in the midst of thwarting Scarpia's aggressive tactics, Tosca sings the haunting prayer in the aria, "Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore"
Lyrics: I lived for art, I lived for love/ I never did harm to a living soul!/ With a secret hand I relieved as many misfortunes as I knew of./ Always with true faith my prayer/ rose to the holy shrines./ Always with true faith/ I gave flowers to the altar./ In the hour of grief why, why o Lord?/Why do you reward me thus?/ I gave jewels for the Madonna's mantle/ and I gave my song to the stars, to heaven, which smiled with more beauty./ In the hour of grief why, why, o Lord, ah, why do you reward me thus?
Although Tosca herself is not dying, she is singing in the realization that she will soon lose her lover, and I see contemporary palliative care themes in this prayer. This type of plea could easily be whispered by family members at the bedside of one dying or by the patient them self.
First there is the accounting of worth. We reflect on our character and persona. For Tosca her list includes a passion for love and art, a humble generosity (secret hand relieving misfortunes), and a respect for others (no harm).
Second is an evaluation in accordance to our faith traditions. Tosca lists her offerings of flowers and prayers in the shrines and alters, and jewels for Madonna.
Finally is the assessment of career and external works. Tosca was a singer, so she reflects that she sung and the world was more beautiful from her contribution.
Aren't these classic elements of reflection? Who we are internally, externally and if appropriate, who we are in accordance to our faith tradition?
The purpose to Tosca's reflection, however, is really a question. What strikes most listeners, endearing this aria to audiences, is the timeless question, "why?". Why do bad things happen to good people?
Listening to this aria with the 'why?' in mind, you will hear the despair and the grief in Tosca's words. Perhaps this song can help us to explore with others those deeper areas for reflection.
Monday, March 1, 2010 0
Monday, October 5, 2009
I saw my first Opera, Puccini's "Madame Butterfly", at the age of 9. Instantly mesmerized by the music, I was a bit shocked that Butterfly dies in the final scene. Where was the happy ending I was used to in Hollywood films?Unbeknownst to me at the time, tragedy and death are common in opera. In fact, some would say that opera as an art form is obsessed with death, and has been since its inception. The first known operatic works of "Euridice" (1600) and "L'Orfeo"(1607) both have tragic deaths, with Euridice stepping on a venomous snake and dying, and Orfeo searching for his beloved in Hades, finding her and then having her vanish from his sight for eternity.
Many feel that part of the obsession has to do with the cultural beliefs surrounding death in the 18th and 19th centuries, when most operas we enjoy today, were written. It was in the 18th century that death began to be viewed not as a natural fate, but traumatic rupture. This morbid fascination with death became a part of the romanticism of the 19th century. It is no surprise then that this time frame produced such death themed classics as Carmen, La Traviata, Rigoletto, Aida, Tosca, La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, and The Tales of Hoffmann.
To our death defying culture, it seems strange that not only are operas packed with people dying, but the deaths don't hold the same negativeness or sadness that we're used to. The deaths portrayed seem more about redemption, reunion, and transcendence. This romanticized view of dying becomes a thing of beauty, in line with the Greek belief of kalos thanatos (beautiful death).
These beautiful deaths, however, are not just a form of art, composers such as Richard Wagner tried to live it. He wrote to a friend:
"We must learn to die, and to die in the fullest sense of the word. The fear of the end is the source of all lovelessness; and the fear is generated only when love begins to wane. How came it that...all that mankind did, ordered, and established, was conceived only in fear of the end!"
As byproduct of the death centered operas we get to enjoy haunting aria's given to the heroes or heroines, often contemplating death or mourning a life lost. Perhaps one of the most famous is the final aria from Aida, "O Terra Addio"
In this opera by Giuseepe Verdi, the heroine Aida is an Ethiopian princess who falls in love with her enemy Prince Radames. As punishment Radames is sentenced to be buried alive unless he denounces his love for Aida. He refuses and in the final scene we find that Aida has snuck into the tomb to be buried alive with him. They sing together "O Terra Addio" the lyrics below:
Farewell earth, farewell valleys of tears. Dreams of joy that vanish in grief. Heavens open to us, wandering souls who fly to the rays of eternal day.
You can see this song on Youtube as sung by Placido Domingo and Aprlie Millo at the end of this post. Visit the main pallimed arts site if the link doesn't appear.
The prevalence of dying in opera is so common, that now when I attend the opera I glance at the synopsis not wondering if their will be death, but how much and in what dramatic fashion.
Monday, October 5, 2009 1
Monday, July 21, 2008
I wanted to write a follow-up on a movie I had posted on previously, "The Sea Inside". As I was writing about "The Sea Inside", Amy (who is much more musically inclined than I) pointed out to me the significance of the song playing during the dream sequence. The song (or aria, to be more precise) is entitled Nessun Dorma or None Shall Sleep. It's from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot.
Here's the plot in a nutshell. Turandot is a princess in ancient China who challenges her suitors with three riddles. If they can answer, they win her hand. If not, they are beheaded. The Prince of Tartary falls for Turandot and correctly answers all three of the riddles. Turandot is very upset that he has succeeded, so the Prince gives her an out. If she can guess his name by morning, he will be put to death. If she can't guess, she will have to marry him. The Princess declares, "This night, none shall sleep in Peking! The penalty for all will be death if the Prince's name is not discovered by morning." The song is Nessun Dorma is sung by the Prince awaiting the morning.
Below is Luciano Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma. In 1990, Pavarotti's version of this song actually hit #2 on the UK Singles Chart, which is said to be the highest ever achieved by a classical recording. (Songs that made it up to #1 on UK charts that year included Ice Ice Baby, Turtle Power, and Hangin' Tough. Hard competition for Nessun Dorma.)
Puccini died from complications of throat cancer prior to finishing the opera and it had to be finished to by one of his contemporaries, Franco Alfano. Although Alfano did have some of Puccini's sketches to work from, no one knows exactly how Puccini would have ended the opera. There have been a couple different reworkings of the ending since that time.
I recently heard (thank you NPR) that the ending was going to be rewritten again. Apparently, the opera Turandot was never played in China as they believed the blood thirsty Chinese princess cast a bad light on the country. To celebrate the opening of the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing, a Chinese composer, Hao Weiya, was hired to rewrite the end of Turandot. It seems to have been met with some mixed reviews.
Here is the common translation of Nessun Dorma.
No one sleeps, no one sleeps
Even you, o Princess,
In your cold room,
Watch the stars,
That tremble with love
And with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me;
My name no one shall know, no, no,
On your mouth I will speak it
When the light shines,
And my kiss will dissolve the silence
That makes you mine.
No one will know his name
And we must, alas, die.
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars!
At daybreak, I shall conquer!
As the Prince stays awake all night, he awaits a morning that might bring his own death or the fulfilment of his dream (desire) to be with the Princess Turandot. Ramon Sampedro felt that he was being denied "sleep", but in his case, it was the sleep itself he desired. What an appropriate choice of music!
Monday, July 21, 2008 7
