Ah, I love this, one of my favorites from Bryn Terfel’s Handel Arias CD, which is a swell recording, all around, and which I first wrote about here - and which is no longer allowed in my car when my husband is driving.
Yes, yes, I know you purists (like my disapproving classical composer Elder Son) it’s transposed into a lower key for the baritone, originally meant for a castrato. I say a carefree, “bite me, I like this; it sounds good.”
I think this is the key the mezzo used last year in Italy when I played it for her. I’ll have to listen to the recording again and see. Sometimes it does destroy what the composer has in mind for a certain piece when the key gets messed with too much. If a piece is originally in a flat key, and you transpose it, it’s probably better to put it into another flat key, rather than a sharp key. I can’t explain it ~ I just know that it makes a difference in the way it sounds.
Ah, beautiful! This did my heart good this morning. Perhaps I can ask you to remember me in prayer as I go see my Cardiologist today. I’ve been having severe chest pains and heart racing for over 2 weeks now. It has even been waking me up at nights.
Glad you are back to writing and I trust you are doing well.
Welcome back, Anchoress. I thought you had gone off forever to become a holy hermit or something. Do you do the complete operas too–you’d have longer car trips that way.
Viola - add my prayers to those of The Anchoress and Gayle, as well. Please let us know how you are doing.
Gayle ~ I watched that performance with Dmitri Hvorostovsky three times this morning! He also sings “Ombra mai fu” on YouTube (which was where I saw the Toreador performance) but he sings it 1/2 step lower than Bryn does. For anyone who likes the aria, there are lots of performances on You Tube, with David Daniels, the incredible countertenor, Jennifer Larmore (heard her last week in concert with the Army Chorus ~ fabulous voice), Fritz Wunderlich, and several others. It’s interesting to hear the different tempos the singers take for this aria.
I love the opera videos you post. . .I’m not much of an opera person, so it’s good to expand my musical horizons occasionally.
August 30th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
I think this is the key the mezzo used last year in Italy when I played it for her. I’ll have to listen to the recording again and see. Sometimes it does destroy what the composer has in mind for a certain piece when the key gets messed with too much. If a piece is originally in a flat key, and you transpose it, it’s probably better to put it into another flat key, rather than a sharp key. I can’t explain it ~ I just know that it makes a difference in the way it sounds.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:45 am
Ah, yes, the all-purpose riposte “Bite Me.” One of my personal favorites.
August 31st, 2007 at 8:16 am
I think it is beautiful! Just keep your husband out of the car and/or dont let him drive!
How U2 … Do you like U2????
August 31st, 2007 at 8:18 am
Ah, beautiful! This did my heart good this morning. Perhaps I can ask you to remember me in prayer as I go see my Cardiologist today. I’ve been having severe chest pains and heart racing for over 2 weeks now. It has even been waking me up at nights.
Glad you are back to writing and I trust you are doing well.
August 31st, 2007 at 9:38 am
Welcome back, Anchoress. I thought you had gone off forever to become a holy hermit or something. Do you do the complete operas too–you’d have longer car trips that way.
August 31st, 2007 at 10:19 am
Viola - it won’t JUST be Anchoress praying for you. I will pray for you as well.
As to your husband’s interdiction of Bryn - There’s alway this guy:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OqEn57tVA1s&mode=related&search=
He’s not Bryn, but he isn’t chopped liver, either!
August 31st, 2007 at 10:41 am
Viola, I’ll be holding you in prayer all day. Please let me know how it goes for you.
August 31st, 2007 at 11:09 am
Thank you Gayle for your kindness.
Thank you Anchoress!
August 31st, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Viola - add my prayers to those of The Anchoress and Gayle, as well. Please let us know how you are doing.
Gayle ~ I watched that performance with Dmitri Hvorostovsky three times this morning! He also sings “Ombra mai fu” on YouTube (which was where I saw the Toreador performance) but he sings it 1/2 step lower than Bryn does. For anyone who likes the aria, there are lots of performances on You Tube, with David Daniels, the incredible countertenor, Jennifer Larmore (heard her last week in concert with the Army Chorus ~ fabulous voice), Fritz Wunderlich, and several others. It’s interesting to hear the different tempos the singers take for this aria.
I love the opera videos you post. . .I’m not much of an opera person, so it’s good to expand my musical horizons occasionally.
September 1st, 2007 at 11:14 am
Thank you Piano Girl for your kindness and prayer.
It is so nice to have a small community to come to where you feel at home.
September 2nd, 2007 at 9:54 am
I like it, too, Anchorette.
But “castrato?” hmmmmmm…..
September 4th, 2007 at 7:45 am
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