Quando me n’vò
Encyclopedia
"Quando me'n vo", also known as "Musetta's Waltz", is a soprano
aria in 3/4 time
(a waltz
) from act 2 of Puccini
's opera
La bohème
. It is sung by the character Musetta, in the presence of her bohemian
friends, and is directed toward Marcello in order to make him jealous.
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
aria in 3/4 time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
(a waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
) from act 2 of Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
's opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
La bohème
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
. It is sung by the character Musetta, in the presence of her bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
friends, and is directed toward Marcello in order to make him jealous.
Libretto
Quando me'n vo' soletta per la via, la gente sosta e mira, e la bellezza mia tutta ricerca in me, ricerca in me Da capo a' piè. Ed assaporo allor la bramosia sottil che dagli occhi traspira e dai palesi vezzi intender sa alle occulte beltà. Così l’effluvio del desìo tutta m'aggira, felice mi fa! E tu che sai, che memori e ti struggi, da me tanto rifuggi? So ben: le angosce tue non le vuoi dir, non le vuoi dir, so ben, ma ti senti morir! |
When I walk alone in the street People stop and stare at me And everyone looks at my beauty, Looks at me From head to foot. And then I relish the sly yearning Which escapes from their eyes And which is able to perceive My most hidden beauties. Thus the scent of desire is all around me, And it makes me happy! And you who know, who remember and yearn, You shrink from me? I know it very well: You do not want to express your anguish, I know so well that you do not want to express it but you feel as if you are dying! |
External links
- Complete lyrics and dialogue at Abmusica.com (with spelling errors) sung by Anna NetrebkoAnna NetrebkoAnna Yuryevna Netrebko is an Russian operatic soprano. She now holds dual Russian and Austrian citizenship and currently resides in Vienna. She has been nicknamed "La Bellissima" by fans.-Biography:...
at The PromsThe PromsThe Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London...