Thursday, March 1, 2018

What are the lyrics to 'Nessun Dorma'?

By Classic FM, London

What is Pavarotti really singing about in Puccini’s aria? We translated the Italian lyrics to find out...

‘Nessun Dorma’ is an incredibly emotional aria, that for the passion and precision he poured into it, we have all come to associate with the late tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

The slight problem with that, is that we get so distracted by watching Pavarotti in his element, that we forget to pay attention to the lyrics.

So, does anyone *actually* know what Pavarotti is singing about?

Listen to Pavarotti’s complete vocal range in one minute

Puccini’s aria, from the opera Turandot, includes the lyrics: “None shall sleep, even you, oh Princess, in your cold room”, “watch the stars that tremble with love and hope”, and the monumentally cheery “no one will know his name and we must, alas, die”.

Positively jovial, eh?

Here are the full lyrics:

None shall sleep,
None shall sleep!
Even you, oh 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 tell 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! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win!
I will win!
I will win!

And here are the original Italian lyrics:

Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma!
Tu pure, o Principessa
Nella tua fredda stanza
Guardi le stelle che tremano
D'amore e di speranza!
Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me
Il nome mio nessun saprà!
No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò
Quando la luce splenderà!
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà
Il silenzio che ti fa mia!
ll nome suo nessun saprà
E noi dovrem, ahimè! Morir! Morir!
Dilegua, o notte! Tramontate, stelle!
Tramontate, stelle! All'alba vincerò!
Vincerò! Vincerò!

Watch Pavarotti's full performance here:

28 classical music memes that will completely define your life

By Classic FM London

Do you feel all weird and woozy when you hear a chord cluster? Does the very thought of a perfect cadence make you melt? Then you’ll love these super-geeky classical music memes.

1. Brass lolz

2. Eric loves a chord cluster

(via Salvador Jacobo)

3. When you sing you begin with Do Re Mi…

4. Don’t feel bad, Mozart procrastinated too

5. When composers ask a little too much of you

(via patdalecki)

6. Boromir always knows best

7. Pizza + cat = any string player’s dream

8. Just some sheet music, keeping things real

9. Gold star for you if you can translate this VERY cryptic code

10. Why you haydn, Joseph?

11. This... thing that literally doesn’t make any sense

12. When your name sounds a little too much like a piece of airport baggage

13. When you play this beautiful Italian string instrument, but society refuses to recognise you

14. Because any self-respecting musician knows that for every circle, you’re 1% more likely to actually play the damn dynamic this time

15. This doggo, repping our constant need for a sensible time signature

(via pianosnippets.tumblr.com)

16. This glorious Christmas present

(via Tom Craine)

17. Because darling, it’s better down where it’s wetter

(via classicalcarp.tumblr.com)

18. Pick a key, any key

19. When your instrument literally stops you living life as a normal human being

20. Just some millennials, ruining classical music for everyone. Ugh.

(via Marian Call)

21. When bae’s in a weird mood

(via towards-tomorrow.tumblr.com)

22. When literally anything is more appealing than playing endless chromatic scales

(via new-world-symphony.tumblr.com)

23. When sometimes, you’ve got to get your whole body involved

24. When you’ve always wondered what The Terminator does for his day job, then it finally hits you

25. When you have a concert tomorrow, everything you play sounds rubbish and you might be on the verge of a nervous breakdown

26. This extremely useful guide, which you won’t be able to unhear

27. This scary white van man, who you probs don’t want to mess with

28. Oh, and there’s the genius who made this

For even more memes, here are 10 of our best retro classical music memes.

This may also interest you

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

BEETHOVEN Concerto for Violin and Orchestra - Hilary Hahn, violin

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Arthur Rubinstein - His Music and His Life

Synopsis

Arthur Rubinstein was born on January 28, 1887, in Lodz, Poland. He began playing the piano at the age of 3. After a lukewarm reception to his American tour, he took a hiatus and emerged 4 years later to critical acclaim. He toured the world, playing revolutionary interpretations of Chopin, until he was forced to retire from partial blindness. He died on December 20, 1982, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Early Life

Pianist Arthur Rubinstein was born in Lodz, Poland, on January 28, 1887. He began playing piano at the age of 3, and made his first public performance when he was just 7. One year later, Rubinstein's mother took him to meet violinist Joseph Joachim in Berlin. Awed by the child prodigy, Joachim agreed to provide his musical education. He introduced Rubinstein to Heinrich Barth. Three years later, the young pianist debuted with the Berlin Philharmonic at the Beethoven Saal, where his performance of Mozart, Chopin and Schumann earned reviews praising his sophistication and maturity. In 1906, he made his American debut at Carnegie Hall, where he received a cool reception. Nevertheless, he completed a 75-concert tour of the United States Rubinstein, discouraged by poor critiques, moved to Paris and took a 4-year hiatus.

Critical Acclaim

In 1914, Rubinstein moved from Paris to Spain, where he was praised for his passionate and charismatic performances. His time in Spain led to an extended tour in South America. He later returned to Paris where he lived as a socialite, befriending artists including Cocteau and Picasso. He had a reputation as a hilarious extrovert and a grand storyteller.

In 1932, he married Aniela Mlynarski, who was nearly half his age. Their relationship inspired him to settle down and take himself seriously as an artist. After the birth of their first child, Rubinstein began practicing from 12 to 16 hours per day. In 1937, he returned to Carnegie Hall. This time, audiences embraced him. He was heralded as a genius for his interpretation of Chopin's work, which critics saw as a creative revolution.

Later Career

As World War II began, Rubinstein moved his family to Los Angeles, California. In 1946, he became an American citizen. He toured the world, and his performance in Warsaw garnered a unanimous ovation, the second ever in Polish history.

Sadly, Rubinstein lost his family in Lodz, Poland, during the war. Afterwards, he publicly supported Israel. He was honored with a professorship at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Yale, Brown, Rutgers and Harvard also awarded him honorary degrees. He continued to perform until partial blindness forced his retirement in 1976. The same year, he received the United States Medal of Freedom. He died on December 20, 1982, in Geneva, Switzerland. His wife and their four children survived him.