Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924):
Quando men vo
(from La Boheme) (1896)
Text: Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, after Henri Murger?s novel
Scenes de la Vie de Boheme
Original Key/Recorded Key: E Major
Teach-Track begins: 4 m. before voice enters (piano reduction as in original score)
Accompaniment Track begins: same as teach-track
Pianist: Daniel Michalak
Quando me'n vo. . .
When [me-from there] I-go...
Quando me'n vo soletta per la via
When [me-from-there] I-go alone through the street
la gente sosta e mira, e la belezza mia
the people stop and look, and [the] beauty my
tutta ricerca in me, ricerca in me da capo a pie...
all seek in me, seek in me from head to foot...
ed assaporo allor la bramosia sottil
and I-savor then the desire subtle
che da gl'occhi traspira
that from the-eyes comes-out
e dai palesi vezzi intender sa
and from-the evident charms to-appreciate knows-how
alle occulte belta.
[to]-the hidden beauties.
Cosi l'effluvio del desio tutta m'aggira,
Thus the-aura of-[the] yearning completely me-surrounds;
felice mi fa.
happy me it-makes.
E tu che sai, che memori e ti struggi,
And you that know, that remember and yourself destroy,
da me tanto rifuggi?
from me so-much do-you-run-away?
So ben: le angoscie tue non le vuoi dir,
I-know well: the anguish[es] your not them you-wish to-say,
non le vuoi dir, so ben,
not them you-wish to-say, I-know well,
ma ti senti morir.
but yourself you-feel to-die.