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.