Let's Opera with (the incredibly classy) Vii Zafira! Il Trovatore.

I just fell into the first of my obligatory yearly emo-ings and started pondering the meaning of life until I discovered it was "fashion" and "being pretty" and spent a couple of weeks doing nothing but working out and reading korean fashion magazines while being sad because there's no way I'm getting a little mole under my left eye without infernal pacts. @_@

Sorry 'bout that.

Just give me a couple of days to get my much prettier now butt back into translating mode and get my accounts in order. I forgot the passwords of most. :S



@ Mrowak

I'm always impressed about how much you react just like those of my friends who have known me since I was smallish. "She went off again? Nah, don't worry. She'll come when she's hungry or lonely."

:glomp: Huggies!
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
153
Location
Tartarus. Grinding the bleep out off Arqa 17-24.
A girl has to do what a girl has to do .
Missed you a lot, welcome back.
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2010
Messages
70
Act the third; Il Figlio Della Zingara. Scene the second.
In which a shamefully small update is posted. Please don't hate me.




We rejoin Manrico and Leonora in besieged Castellor. Beyond the fortress' walls a massive enemy army is preparing itself for conquest and pillage. An epic battle is just around the corner, doom and heroism just a day or so away. Tension reigns everywhere, and no matter where they look they find long faces, empty eyes, and decided stares. Or something.

What are our heroes doing, you wonder? Alas, if you suspected it would involve memorizing spells and checking equipment boni I am sorry to inform you that you will be dying a virgin. Also, real ladies are all beautiful sorceressess who cast spontaneusly and look good doing so and real man do not need equipment as their fiery hearts, raging passions, and unstoppable fury is more than enough to turn the armies of light to ashes dancing in the breeze. Noob.

If you instead believe it involves going at it like rabid bunnies, their veins brimming with stimulants and aphrodisiacs, their lungs chocking on opium, their bodies glistening after showers of wine and liquor, their minds trying to remember to call upon Abigor's blessing in each peak of orgiastic fun up until the climatic (would you believe me if I said the pun wasn't intended?) battle begins I will just say I perceive a bright future in front of you at the left hand of God and leave it at that.

However, that's not what they are doing either.

They are preparing to marry each other in celebration of their chaste love.

… Yeah.

Whatever.

Leonora is sad, Manrico comforts her with the kind of promises most men love to make even when they are utterly unable to keep, and they sing about how chaste their love is. Then Ruiz rushes in to crush their mood by telling Manrico they are about to burn his mom just outside his window, reminding him Italian Opera is about overpowering passion and being either horny or angry. Manrico then powers up and they rush out to kick some tail by means of manly singing, epic chorus, and awesome music.



—> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8xO4DHZ1z4 <—

Sala adiacente alla Cappella in Castellor, con il verone nel fondo.

Adjoining room to Castellor's chappel, with the balcony in the background.

Leonora: Quale d'armi fragor poc'anzi intesi?

Leonora: What is that clashing of arms little before was heard?

Manrico: Alto è il periglio! Vano dissimularlo fora! Alla novella aurora assaliti saremo!

Manrico: Great is the danger! In vain to cover it! At the new dawn we will be attacked!

Leonora: Ahimè! Che dici!

Leonora: Alas! What do you say!

Manrico: Ma de' nostri nemici avrem vittoria… Pari abbiam al loro ardir, brando e coraggio!

Manrico: But from our enemies we'll take victory… Equal we have to their daring, sword, and corage!

Manrico, a Ruiz: Tu va'; le belliche opre, nell'assenza mia breve, a te commetto. Che nulla manchi!

Manrico, to Ruiz: You go; the works of war, in my absence short, to you I consign. Nothing must be lacking!

Ruiz parte.

Ruiz leaves.

Leonora: Di qual tetra luce il nostro imen risplende!

Leonora: By what dismal light is our wedding lit! (to be quite honest I don't know what Imen is meant to mean, and neither does any dictionary I have. All translations seem to translate that as wedding or wedding night, so I'll be going with that.)

Manrico: Il presagio funesto, deh, sperdi, o cara!

Manrico: The disastrous omen, god, disperse, o dear!

Leonora: E il posso?

Leonora: And it is possible?

Manrico: Amor… sublime amore, in tale istante ti favelli al core. Ah! sì, ben mio, coll'essere io tuo, tu mia consorte, avrò più l'alma intrepida, il braccio avrò più forte;
ma pur se nella pagina de' miei destini è scritto ch'io resti fra le vittime dal ferro ostil trafitto, fra quegli estremi aneliti a te il pensier verrà e solo in ciel precederti la morte a me parrà!

Manrico: Love… Majestic love, in such an instant you speak to the heart. Ah! Yes, good of me, with me being of you, you my consort, I have the soul intrepid, the arm I have stronger; but if in the page of my destiny it is written that I must rest victim of a piercing hostile iron , by those extreme yearnings to you the thought will come and only in heaven to precede you death to me will be. (Now that was a mouthful)

Odesi il suono dell'organo della vicina cappella.

It is heard the sound of the adjoining chappel's organ.

Leonora, Manrico: L'onda de' suoni mistici pura discende al cor! Vieni; ci schiude il tempio gioie di casto amor.

Leonora, Manrico: The wave of mistic sounds pure descends into the heart! Come; Let us open the joyful temple of chaste love.

Ruiz sopraggiunge frettoloso.

Ruiz arrives hurredly.



—> Click me! <—

Ruiz: Manrico?

Ruiz: Manrico?

Manrico: Che?

Manrico: What?

Ruiz: La zingara, vieni, tra ceppi mira…

Ruiz: The gypsy woman, come, is in shackles, look…

Manrico: Oh Dio!

Manrico: Oh god!

Ruiz: Per man de' barbari accesa è già la pira…

Ruiz: By hand of barbarians lit is the pyre…

Manrico, accostandosi al verone: Oh ciel! Mie membra oscillano… Nube mi copre il ciglio!

Manrico, closing to the balcony: Oh heaven! My limbs tremble… Cloud covers the eyes of me!

Leonora: Tu fremi!

Leonora: You shake!

Manrico: E il deggio! Sappilo. Io son…

Manrico: And that I must! Know it. I am…

Leonora: Chi mai?

Leonora: Whoever?

Manrico: Suo figlio! Ah! vili! Il rio spettacolo quasi il respir m'invola… Raduna i nostri, affrettati… Ruiz… va… torna… vola…

Manrico: Her son! Ah! Cowards! The bitter spectacle almost the breath steals of me… rally our troops, with haste… Ruiz… leave… go back… fly…

Ruiz parte.

Ruiz leaves.

Manrico: Di quella pira l'orrendo foco tutte le fibre m'arse. Avvampò! Empi, spegnetela, o ch'io fra poco col sangue vostro la spegnerò… Era già figlio prima d'amarti, non può frenarmi il tuo martir. Madre infelice, corro a salvarti, o teco almeno corro a morir!

Manrico: Of that pyre the horrid fire every fibre of me it burns. I burst in flames! Wicked ones, extinguish it out, that I otherwise with your blood will extinguish it… Was I already son before loving you, it will not restrain me your ordeal. Unhappy mother, I run to save you, or with you at least I run to die!

Leonora: Non reggo a colpi tanto funesti… Oh, quanto meglio saria morir!

Leonora: I can't bear a strike so terrible… Oh, how much better would it be to die!

Ruiz torna con Armati.

Ruiz returns with men-at-arms.

Ruiz & armati: All'armi, all'armi! Eccone presti a pugnar teco, teco a morir!

Ruiz and the men-at-arms: To arms, to arms! Here we are willing to fight with you, to die with you!

Manrico parte frettoloso seguito da Ruiz e dagli Armati.

Manrico leaves hurriedly, followed by Ruiz and the men-at-arms.



Now that's more like it, I totally love that scene. Were I Leonora I would be jealous I didn't manage to get abducted so that he would charge to rescue me defying odds and armies instead of just standing there telling how he will never, ever, touch me because he's too nice of a guy.

In any case, the story will now make the last time skip and drop us right into the final chapter, where we will discover the outcome of the battle and much drama will take place as the story approaches it's inevitable and very operistic conclussion.

I promise not to take a month on it, too.






@ Kz3r0

Sorry about the sudden disappearance. I really need to stop changing email accounts every other day so people can keep in touch with me both when I go emo and the (very, very) rare occasion on which I get serious about something.

:hug: Huggies!
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 27, 2012
Messages
3

Thank for the upload BC :salute: I liked the first part - at least audially, though by the looks of it the second part is better. Unfortunatelly I didn't get to listen to the second part because I got "this video is unavailable in your country", and no amount of proxy servers helps with that. Weird. Must be the new YouTube anti-proxy thing.

Anyway, I unfortunatelly skipped listening to that part and read only your translation, though to me it seemed the most interesting bit. Funny thing how Manrico rushes to rescue his mother leaving his lover, whom he promised eternal love, behind. Must be the heroic thing. :)

Now we have to wait for Leonora to try to commit suicide out of longing for our intrepid heroe. Also, nice to see how the count sends whole armies after her, defying the odds with burning passion…

@ Mrowak

I'm always impressed about how much you react just like those of my friends who have known me since I was smallish. "She went off again? Nah, don't worry. She'll come when she's hungry or lonely."

:glomp: Huggies!

I will take that as an undeserved compliment. I am just glad that things are looking up for you. Keep at it. :) And take your time.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Dec 13, 2010
Messages
88
Now I'm pissed off. YouTube can go please itself with something rough and barbed.

Go there instead: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqg9jk_il-trovatore-part-the-thirteenth-b_music

That aside, you are pretty much right on your comments. Manrico, being a designated good guy, must be good guy first and foremost. He will never do something truly wrong from a moral or ideological perspective, not even for Leonora's gain. Quite the contrary: He leaves her in a besieged castle by herself as he leads his forces in a suicidal charge out the frotress' gates, giving Leonora to the Count and Castellor to Aragon in a silver platter. Not to mention besieged castles aren't the best places for girls to be.

I like the Count more, myself. He does as much for Leonora's love as Manrico does, if not more, yet she notices nothing. Gee, I didn't saw Manrico leading his army against the Count and his allies back when she was in the count's hands, and the mere fact she was about to be married when Manrico decides to doom them all can only mean, in the context of the story, the Count was a perfect gentleman to her, which is quite a lot when said of someone who had to be restrained by his own men when faced by Manrico and Ruiz's overwhelming force at the end of the second act.
 
Joined
Apr 27, 2012
Messages
3
Now I'm pissed off. YouTube can go please itself with something rough and barbed.

Go there instead: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqg9jk_il-trovatore-part-the-thirteenth-b_music

As luck would have it I didn't manage to even see your post before they removed your video from Daily Motion. Regardless of that, thank you ;)

I am now searching for some live performances, but I fear currently Potatoland cannot into Il Trovatore. :/ Would you recommend seeing Nabucco to someone almost completely ignorant of Opera? Hmm… there's also Traviata, but it's late in June…

That aside, you are pretty much right on your comments. Manrico, being a designated good guy, must be good guy first and foremost. He will never do something truly wrong from a moral or ideological perspective, not even for Leonora's gain. Quite the contrary: He leaves her in a besieged castle by herself as he leads his forces in a suicidal charge out the frotress' gates, giving Leonora to the Count and Castellor to Aragon in a silver platter. Not to mention besieged castles aren't the best places for girls to be.

I like the Count more, myself. He does as much for Leonora's love as Manrico does, if not more, yet she notices nothing. Gee, I didn't saw Manrico leading his army against the Count and his allies back when she was in the count's hands, and the mere fact she was about to be married when Manrico decides to doom them all can only mean, in the context of the story, the Count was a perfect gentleman to her, which is quite a lot when said of someone who had to be restrained by his own men when faced by Manrico and Ruiz's overwhelming force at the end of the second act.

You are right. The Count strikes me as more energetic of the two and somehow more believeable. As an antagonist he easily overshadows our heroe - which is quite an accomplishment, given how hard it's to relate to villains in normal circumstances.
 
Joined
Dec 13, 2010
Messages
88
Alright. That's fixed, in a way. Just go back to the original post and use the updated link.

That aside, I don't really believe being neither ignorant nor a connoisseur has anything to do with enjoying this or that Opera. Check the opera on YouTube or hunt a recording around, if you get my drift, and then give it a shot if you find it to be to your liking. Though given how much variation there is between two presentations of the same opera done by different casts, or even by mostly the same cast at different times, I would say just go for it.

However, I would actually recommend to listen to the opera at least once while at the same time reading the libretto before going to a live presentation if you don't speak the language that particular opera is written in, unless the live presentation itself is using a translated libretto. While the powerful segments remain powerful, a lot of the fun is lost if you aren't following what is happening and have to make do with just the little synopsis they give you to read at the entrance.
 
Joined
Apr 27, 2012
Messages
3
Alright. That's fixed, in a way. Just go back to the original post and use the updated link.

Thanks again. :salute: As expected, the second part is much better to mind it 'sounds' more dramatic. Somehow our heroe becomes twice as much energetic than in the previous scene.

However, I would actually recommend to listen to the opera at least once while at the same time reading the libretto before going to a live presentation if you don't speak the language that particular opera is written in, unless the live presentation itself is using a translated libretto. While the powerful segments remain powerful, a lot of the fun is lost if you aren't following what is happening and have to make do with just the little synopsis they give you to read at the entrance.

Yes, thanks to your LP I've figured out that much. Figuring things out as the Opera goes without understanding what actors are saying even with the live-interpretation would be pretty daunting challenge. I picked Verdi because I liked what I've seen heard here. Already booked tickets for that 'La Traviata' performance in June. It turns out I have somehow found quite a sizeable bunch of people to enjoy the spectacle with. ;)
 
Joined
Dec 13, 2010
Messages
88
Back
Top Bottom