Around the World in 80+ Notes
LARGO AL FACTOTUM
(from Il barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini)
La ran la le ra la ran la la.
Make way for the factotum of the city.
La ran la la, etc.
Rushing to his shop
for dawn is here.
La ran la la, etc.
What a merry life,
what gay pleasures
for a barber
of quality.
Ah, bravo Figaro,
bravo, bravissimo, bravo!
La ran la la, etc.
Most fortunate of men,
indeed you are!
La ran la la, etc.
Ready for everything
by night or by day,
always in bustle,
in constant motion.
A better lot
for a barber,
a nobler life
does not exist.
La la ran la la ran la, etc.
Razors and combs,
lancets and scissors,
at my command
everything’s ready.
Then there are “extras”
part of my trade,
business for ladies
and cavaliers …
La la ran la …la …la.
Ah, what a merry life,
what gay pleasures,
for a barber
of quality.
All call for me,
all want me,
ladies and children,
old men and maidens.
I need a wig,
I want a shave,
leeches to bleed me,
here, take this note.
All call for me,
all want me.
I need a wig,
I want a shave,
here, take this note.
Ho, Figaro, Figaro, Figaro, etc.
Heavens! what a commotion!
Heavens! What a crowd!
One at a time,
for pity’s sake.
Ho, Figaro! – I am here!
Figaro here, Figaro there,
Figaro up. Figaro down.
Quicker and quicker
I go like greased lightning,
make way for the factotum of the city,
Ah, bravo, Figaro,
bravo, bravissimo,
On you good fortune
will always smile.
La la ran la, etc.
I am the factotum
of the city.
IN QUELLE TRINE MORBIDE
(from Manon Lescaut by Puccini)
In that delicate lace
In the gilded alcove there is a silence,
A chill that horrifies me!
And I, who became accustomed
to a seductive caress
of ardent lips and blazing arms,
now I have something very different!
O my humble dwelling,
You return to me
merry, alone, white,
like a gentle dream
of peace and love!
GRANADA
(song by Agustin Lara)
Granada, land of dreams for me
My song becomes gypsy-like
When it is for you.
My song made of fantasy
My song a melancholy flower
That I come to give to you.
Granada, blood-stained soil
In bull fight afternoons
Woman who preserves the enchantment
Of Moorish eyes.
I dream of you rebellious, a gypsy
Covered with flowers
And I kiss your scarlet mouth
Juicy apple
That speaks to me of love affairs
Granada, manola,* sung
In precious verses
I have nothing else to give you
Than a bouquet of roses
Of roses of sweet fragrance
That framed the dark virgin.
Granada your land is full
Of lovely women
Of blood and sun.
SNOWMAIDEN’S ARIA
From The Snow Maiden by Rimsky-Korsakov
With my girlfriends, I go berry picking
To reply to their cheerful calling
Ah-oo
To dance in circles and with the maidens, repeating after Lel, the chorus of spring songs,
Oh, Darling Lel
This is what your snow maiden wants
For without songs life holds no joy for her
Let me go, father!
When in Winter you return to the depths of the forest
At nightfall I shall comfort you by singing a song accompanied by the sounds of the snowstorm
I shall sing a joyful song!
I’ll choose one of Lel’s, and will learn it in no time!
Ah, Father!
With my girlfriends, I go berry picking
To reply to their cheerful calling
Ah-oo
To dance in circles and with the maidens, repeat after Lel,
The chorus of spring songs,
Oh, Darling Lel
Without songs, life holds no joy for her, no joy!!!
ANGE ADORABLE
(from Roméo et Juliette by Gounod)
ROMEO
Adorable angel,
My guilty hand
Profane, daring to touch him,
The divine hand
Which I imagine
No one has a right to approach!
That, I think,
Penance
That it is necessary to impose
I’m erasing
The unworthy trace
From my hand by a kiss!
JULIETTE
Calm your fears!
To these hugs
Of the prostrate pilgrim
Even the saints
As long as he likes,
Have forgiven beforehand.
She withdraws her hand.
But at his mouth
The hand he touches
Prudently must refuse
This caress
enchantress
Let him implore in a kiss!
ROMEO
The saints, however, have a mouth ruddy
JULIETTE
To pray only!
ROMEO
Do not they hear the voice, who advises them
A more lenient stop?
JULIETTE
At the prayers of love their heart remains insensitive,
Even by giving them!
ROMEO
So hear my vows and keep impassive
Your forehead blushing!
He kisses Juliet’s hand.
JULIETTE
Ah! I could not defend myself!
I took sin for myself!
ROMEO
To calm your excitement!
Do you like to return it to me?
JULIETTE
No! I took it! let me!
ROMEO
You took it, give it to me!
ERI TU CHE MACCHIAVI
(from Un ballo in Maschera by Verdi)
It was you who sullied that soul,
the delight of my soul;
you who had my trust and at an abominable stroke
poisoned everything for me, poisoned for me!
Traitor! who in such a manner repay
the trust of your best friend, of your best friend.
Oh lost delights! Oh memories
of a coupling summoned by existence!
When Amelia, so beautiful, so fair,
shone with love on my breast!
when Amelia on my breast
glowed with love, yes glowed with love!
It’s ended, only hatred remains, only hatred remains,
hatred and death in the widowed heart!
Oh lost delights, of hopes of love, of love, of love!
PRENDI PER ME SEI LIBERO
(from L’elisir d’amore by Donizetti)
Take it. Because of me you are free.
Stay on your native soil.
There is not destiny for you so bitter
That will not change one day. Stay!
Here where everyone loves you
Wise, loving, honest
Always unhappy and miserable
No, you will not always be that way.
AIN’T IT A PRETTY NIGHT
(from Susannah by Floyd)
Ain’t it a pretty night!
The sky’s so dark and velvet-like
And it’s all lit up with stars.
It’s like a great big mirror
Reflectin’ fireflies over a pond.
Look at all them stars, Little Bat.
The longer y’look the more y’see.
The sky seems so heavy with stars
That it might fall right down out of heaven.
And cover us all up in one big blanket of velvet
All stitched with diamon’s.
Ain’t it a pretty night!
Just think, all those stars can all peep down
An’ see way beyond where we can.
They can see way beyond them mountains
To Nashville and Asheville and Knoxville.
I wonder what it’s like out there,
Out there beyond them mountains
Where the folks talk nice, an’ the folks dress nice
Like y’see in the mail order catalogs.
I aim to leave this valley some day
An’ find out for myself:
To see all the tall buildin’s and all the street lights
An’ to be one o’them folks myself!
I wonder if I’d get lonesome fer the valley though;
Fer the sound of crickets an’ the smell of pine straw,
Fer soft little rabbits an’ bloomin’ things
An’ the mountains turnin’ gold in the fall.
But I could always come back I get homesick fer the valley.
So I’ll leave it someday an’ see fer myself.
Someday I’ll leave an’ then I’ll come back
When I’ve seen what’s beyond them mountains!
Ain’t it a pretty night!
The sky’s so heavy with stars tonight
That it could fall right down out of heaven
An’ cover us up, and cover us up
In one big blanket of velvet and diamon’s.
SI PEL CIEL MARMOREO GUIRO
(from Otello by Verdi)
OTELLO
Now, by yond marble heaven!
By the jagged lightning-flash!
By Death, and by the dark
death-dealing ocean flood!
In fury and dire compulsion
shall thunder-bolts soon rain
from this hand that I raise outstretched!
IAGO
Do not rise yet!
Witness, you sun that I gaze on,
which lights me and which animates
the broad earth and the spiritual expanse
of the whole universe,
that to Othello I do consecrate
ardently heart, hands and soul
even though on bloody business
his will be bent!
OTELLO, IAGO
Now, by yond marble heaven!
By the jagged lightning-flash, etc.
God of vengeance!
INTERMISSION
PA-PA-PA PAPAGENO
(from Die zauberflöte by Mozart)
PAPAGENO
Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Papagena!
PAPAGENA
Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Papageno!
PAPAGENO
Are you really all mine now?
PAPAGENA
Now I really am all yours.
PAPAGENO
So now be my darling little wife!
PAPAGENA
So now be the little dove of my heart!
PAPAGENO, PAPAGENA
What a pleasure that will be,
when the gods remember us,
crown our love with children,
such dear little children!
PAPAGENO
First a little Papageno!
PAPAGENA
Then a little Papagena!
PAPAGENO
Then another Papageno!
PAPAGENA
Then another Papagena!
PAPAGENO, PAPAGENA
Papageno! Papagena!
It is the greatest feeling
that many, many
Pa-Pa-Papagenos,
Pa-Pa-Papagenas
may be a blessing to their parents.
GLÜCK, DAS MIR VERBLIEB (Marietta’s Lied)
(from Die tote Stadt by Korngold)
Good fortune, remaining near to me,
Come to me, my true love.
Evening sinks into the grove
You are me light and day.
Timidly beats heart on heart
Hope rises toward heaven.
So true, a mournful song.
The song of true love
That must die.
I know this song.
I heard it oftentimes in younger,
in fairer days.
It still has one more verse.
Do I know it still?
Though grief becomes clouded,
Come to me, my true love.
Lean to me your pale face
Death will not part us.
If you must one day part from me,
Believe, there is rebirth.
POURQUOI ME REVEILLER
(from Werther by Massenet)
Why do you awaken me,
O breath of Spring?
Why do you awaken me?
On my forehead I feel your caresses,
and yet very near is the time
Of storms and sorrows!
Why do you awaken me,
O breath of Spring?
Tomorrow, into the valley
Will come the traveler
Remembering my early glory
And his eyes in vain
Will look for my splendor.
They will find no more than grief
And misery. Alas!
Why do you awaken me,
O breath of Spring?
SULL’ARIA
(from Le nozze di Figaro by Mozart)
SUSANNA
To the zephyr …
COUNTESS
“How sweet the breeze
SUSANNA
The breeze …
COUNTESS
“Will be this evening…
SUSANNA
Will be this evening …
COUNTESS
“In the pine grove.
SUSANNA
In the pine grove?
In the pine grove.
COUNTESS
The rest he’ll understand.
SUSANNA
I’m sure he’ll understand.
KAYANOKIYAMANO
(song by Yamata)
The seed, the seed of the Kiyama tree.
When the season is right
The seed will fall.
Someone will pick it up.
Up the side of the mountain
An old woman has a stove.
She stokes the fire hotter,
And it is bright.
The Kaya seed is there, growing
Tonight it will rain.
Let’s sleep.
I hear a monkey call to the night.
Let’s go to bed early.
AKINOYO
(song by Yamata)
The quiet night is untouched.
I am standing in the quiet of autumn.
I am lonely, I begin to cry.
VOTRE TOAST!
(from Carmen by Bizet)
Your toast … I can return it to you
Señors, Señors, because with the soldiers
Yes bullfighters can hear each other,
For fun they have fights.
The circus is full, it’s a holiday,
The circus is full from top to bottom.
The spectators losing their heads,
The spectators are calling out loudly:
Apostrophes, shouting and noise
Pushed to fury.
Because it’s the day of courage,
It’s the party of the court people.
Let’s go on guard! Come on! Come on! Ah!
Toreador, on guard,
Toreador, toreador,
And think well, yes think fighting
A black eye is watching you
And that love is waiting for you.
Toreador, love,
Love is waiting for you!
All at once silence is made;
We are silent. Ah what’s going on?
No more screams; it’s the moment
The bull springs by leaping out of the toril …
He rushes, he enters, he knocks, a horse rolls
Driving a picador.
Ah bravo toro !, yells the crowd.
The bull goes … he comes … he comes and knocks!
By shaking his banderillas,
Full of fury, he runs!
The circus is full of blood;
We escape, we cross the gates;
It’s your turn now.
Let’s go on guard! Come on! Come on! Ah!
Toreador, on guard!
Toreador, toreador!
And think well, yes think fighting
A black eye is watching you
And that love is waiting for you.
Toreador, love is waiting for you!
I AM UKRAINE
(song by Anastasia Kamenskyh and Alexei Potapenko)
All wounds will heal
All the blood will dissipate
One day you will see me blossom And again
I will have clear skies and spring will come
Someday, when the war is over
Because I am Ukraine
I will endure the pain
I will protect you from bullets
That target me from everywhere
Because I’m strong
I will overcome everything
Because you carry me in your arms
You laid down your life
For an eternal slumber
One day you will be called Heroes
You are my sons
And the blooming viburnum that looks of blood red poppy
Homeland will remember, what it’s like to be Cossack
I believe
I am with you in our strength
Freedom in the heart like wings
And peace will return again
I know
I will overcome everything with you
Good and love always win
Our angels are protecting us
From the invasion and darkness of enemies
My wings will embrace you
My hands covered in the blood of strangers
They stabbed us in the back
Breaking in brazenly at night
But we became united for Ukraine
Crossing swords in battle
We will rebuild everything
All the birds will return from distant lands
Your eyes will smile at me
And children will laugh again
A strong nation, free, united
A Peaceful sky, a happy life
We are all yours
We are a family!
And so be it!
So be it!
BELLA FIGLIA DELL’ AMORE
(from Rigoletto by Verdi)
DUKE
Fairest daughter of love,
I am a slave to your charms;
with but a single word you could
relieve my every pain.
Come, touch my breast and feel
how my heart is racing.
MADDALENA
Ah! Ah! That really makes me laugh;
talk like that is cheap enough.
Believe me, I know exactly
what such play?acting is worth!
I, my fine sir, am quite accustomed
to foolish jokes like this.
GILDA
Ah, these are the loving words
the scoundrel spoke once to me!
O wretched heart betrayed
do not break for sorrow.
RIGOLETTO
Hush weeping can do no good…
You are now convinced he was lying.
Hush, and leave it up to me
to hasten our revenge.
It will be quick, it will be deadly,
I know how to deal with him.
VOPA 