Sebben, crudele is an aria

Aria

An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...

 from Antonio Caldara

Antonio Caldara

Antonio Caldara was an Italian Baroque composer.Caldara was born in Venice , the son of a violinist. He became a chorister at St Mark's in Venice, where he learned several instruments, probably under the instruction of Giovanni Legrenzi...

's 1710 opera La costanza in amor vince l'inganno (Faithfulness in love conquers treachery). Although the opera itself has been rarely performed in modern times, Sebben, crudele remains a popular concert aria. It has been recorded by Cecilia Bartoli

Cecilia Bartoli

Cecilia Bartoli is an Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. She is best-known for her interpretation of the music of Mozart and Rossini, as well as for her performances of lesser-known Baroque and classical music...

, Beniamino Gigli

Beniamino Gigli

Beniamino Gigli was an Italian opera singer. The most famous tenor of his generation, he was renowned internationally for the great beauty of his voice and the soundness of his vocal technique. Music critics sometimes took him to task, however, for what was perceived to be the over-emotionalism...

 and Janet Baker

Janet Baker

Dame Janet Abbott Baker, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English mezzo-soprano best known as an opera, concert, and lieder singer.She was particularly closely associated with baroque and early Italian opera and the works of Benjamin Britten...

, amongst others.

Libretto

Sebben, crudele

mi fai languir,

Sempre fedele

ti voglio amar.

Con la lunghezza

del mio servir

la tua fierezza

sapro stancar



Although, cruel love,

you make me languish,

I will always

love you true.

With the patience

of my serving

I will be able to tire out

your pride.


translation: copyright Bertram Kottmann
source: http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=22466