Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835):
Eccomi in lieta vesta?Oh! quante volte, oh! quante
(from I Capuleti e i Montecchi) (1830)
Text: Felice Romani
Original Key/Recorded Key (aria): G Minor
Internal Cuts in This Recording: mm. 51-56 (i.e., first 6 mm. of Andante sostenuto)
Teach-Track begins: m. 1 of recitative
Accompaniment Track begins: m. 1 of recitative
Pianist: Daniel Michalak
N.B. In this recording, in accordance with convention, the singer?s first note (?Ec-comi?) is elongated by approximately an extra whole note (i.e. an entire measure) to allow for a messa di voce effect. For rehearsal purposes, the first 6 measures of the andante sostenuto have also been omitted.
Notes © 1999 by Daniel O. Michalak
Recitativo
Eccomi in lieta vesta
Here I am in festive clothing
eccomi adorna come vittima all'ara.
Here I am adorned like a victim for the altar.
Oh! almen potessi qual vittima cader dell'ara al piede!
Oh! If only I could like a victim fall before the altar at the feet!
O nuzïali tede, abborrite così, così fatali,
Oh nuptial torches, abhorred so, so fateful,
Siate, ah! siate per me faci ferali.
Will be, ah! Will be for me the jaws of death.
Ardo...una vampa, un foco tutta mi strugge.
I burn, a blaze, a fire all me consumes.
Un refrigerio ai venti io chiedo invano.
A relief from the winds I call for in vain.
Ove se'tu, Romeo? In qual terra t'aggiri?
Where are you, Romeo? In what lands do you go around?
Dove, dove invïarti i miei sospiri?
Where, where I send the my sighs?
Aria
Oh! quante volte,
Oh! How many times,
Oh! quante ti chiedo al ciel piangendo !
Oh! How often for you I call of heaven in tears!
Con quale ardor t'attendo, è inganno il mio desir!
With what passion I await you, is in vain the my desire!
Raggio del tuo sembiante parmi il brillar del giorno:
The beam of your face is for me the brilliance of the day:
L'aura che spira intorno mi sembra un tuo respir.
The air that blows around to me is like one of your sighs.