Hace ya ocho meses que escuche esta maravilla por primera vez . No se ciertamente quien es más sublime si su interprete o Monteverdy.... gracias a los dos.
i am not a fan at all of counter tenors, but this is not only very beautifully done but i am convinced that this is a nurse or old lady singing it as well.
So here it is a countertenor? I read on the Wiki page that it could be a tenor or contralto, and I found that rather odd. That would have to be some tessitura for either the contralto if it were kept low, or a not so good one for a tenor if it were high. But why would they have a skirt role in Baroque? Could nurses be men or something? I don't understand.
Yes, this is a countertenor, although this part can also be sung by a very low alto, (with a few notes changed around); I have a version with a woman singing Arnalta. The skirt role in the Baroque was for comic relief, most of Arnalta's songs and the things she says are "ignorant" and comical, her character is meant to be laughed at. Cross-dressing would also be seen as funny. After hearing this aria howver, it is hard to picture someone thinking this character as stupid.
Ya, that's what I didn't get at all. I knew that this was a serious aria, and the skirt role would have made no sense. Could you show me the version of the contralto ARnalta?
This is all of part of Monteverdi's genius, which is only apparent if one sees the whole opera. Sure enough, Arnalta provides comic relief and she is the typical countrywoman, simple and uneducated but this does not mean that she is incapable of deeper feeling. This aria expresses the love Arnalta has for Poppea, her surrogate daughter, so to speak.
The countertenor makes this scene all the more pathetic, for pathos is what Monteverdi wanted to achieve here.
I thoght he did. I knok what video of which you are speaking, and I have seen it. I thought he sounded liek a tenor in that video! It was jsut weird hat he would sing counter in this, too.
This is a role for either a falsettist countertenor or a high tenor (like Alexander Oliver singing here) who can move into falsetto. It's not only countertenors who use falsetto! Historically all male voice types have made use of it.
One last comment: Here in Hawai'i and also in England is a tradition of men singing in falsetto....here called ki'e ki'e....In the States it doesn't exist as far as I know....too femme???? for them. Ha!
Who ever took this wonderful inspiring sublime exquisite video off Youtube may you rot in the Seventh Level of Hell boiling in the stale urine of Satan!!
The most beautiful lullaby in history of the Music.
triarius 9 months ago
Hace ya ocho meses que escuche esta maravilla por primera vez . No se ciertamente quien es más sublime si su interprete o Monteverdy.... gracias a los dos.
ganimedes1700 1 year ago
Podría llorar con esa pieza TT^TT
FadoWind 1 year ago 2
@FadoWind de hecho, si uno está más sensible que de costumbre, esta aria seguro te saca las lágrimas.
ImperatrixInfernalis 1 year ago
This is the beautiful, haunting aria. i can listen to it endlessly.
peachmelba16 1 year ago
belllllllllllisimo
ganimedes1700 1 year ago
meraviglia sovraumana
donalfonsotube 2 years ago
This is a great highlight of this opera for me, it is so beautiful! Thanks!
clydesight 2 years ago
unbeleivable.
simply unbeleivable.
golaxo 2 years ago
This is one of the best arias in an opera filled with splendid arias. Monteverdi was a genius!
clydesight 2 years ago
i am not a fan at all of counter tenors, but this is not only very beautifully done but i am convinced that this is a nurse or old lady singing it as well.
moghedien13 2 years ago
So here it is a countertenor? I read on the Wiki page that it could be a tenor or contralto, and I found that rather odd. That would have to be some tessitura for either the contralto if it were kept low, or a not so good one for a tenor if it were high. But why would they have a skirt role in Baroque? Could nurses be men or something? I don't understand.
olympicfreak678 3 years ago
Yes, this is a countertenor, although this part can also be sung by a very low alto, (with a few notes changed around); I have a version with a woman singing Arnalta. The skirt role in the Baroque was for comic relief, most of Arnalta's songs and the things she says are "ignorant" and comical, her character is meant to be laughed at. Cross-dressing would also be seen as funny. After hearing this aria howver, it is hard to picture someone thinking this character as stupid.
jfbecks17 3 years ago
Ya, that's what I didn't get at all. I knew that this was a serious aria, and the skirt role would have made no sense. Could you show me the version of the contralto ARnalta?
olympicfreak678 3 years ago
This is all of part of Monteverdi's genius, which is only apparent if one sees the whole opera. Sure enough, Arnalta provides comic relief and she is the typical countrywoman, simple and uneducated but this does not mean that she is incapable of deeper feeling. This aria expresses the love Arnalta has for Poppea, her surrogate daughter, so to speak.
The countertenor makes this scene all the more pathetic, for pathos is what Monteverdi wanted to achieve here.
Jammy7000 3 years ago
Yes, I get that, the aria she sings to Poppea after her first night with Nero also shows this, she is worried about the safety of Poppea.
jfbecks17 3 years ago 2
He sings tenor, too, and very beautifully. Check out another scene from this same performance, where he sings a duet with Poppea.
palcika1 3 years ago
I thoght he did. I knok what video of which you are speaking, and I have seen it. I thought he sounded liek a tenor in that video! It was jsut weird hat he would sing counter in this, too.
olympicfreak678 3 years ago
This is a role for either a falsettist countertenor or a high tenor (like Alexander Oliver singing here) who can move into falsetto. It's not only countertenors who use falsetto! Historically all male voice types have made use of it.
olialto7 2 years ago 2
Really beautifully sung.
lmspr 3 years ago
Hooray! It's back I'm trying to memorize it....my comments were tongue in cheek...thank you for having it up agian....
shtonker8 3 years ago
One last comment: Here in Hawai'i and also in England is a tradition of men singing in falsetto....here called ki'e ki'e....In the States it doesn't exist as far as I know....too femme???? for them. Ha!
shtonker8 3 years ago
Thank you...and here's the lovely words:
Oblivion soave/ Let gentle oblivion
I dolci sentimenti/ Lull your tender feelings
In te, figlia, addormenti./ To sleep my child
Posatevi occhi ladri,/ Close, theiving eyes:
Aperti deh che fate,/ what can you do when open
Se chiusi anco rubate?/ if you still steal hearts when shut?
Poppea, rimanti in pace; Poppea, sleep in peace.
Luci care e gradite, Dear sweet orbs,
Dormite omai dormite. Go to sleep now, go to sleep
shtonker8 3 years ago
you know, a better translation for Luci, is eyes, it's poetic, since it literally means "lights".
jfbecks17 3 years ago
Nevermind....
shtonker8 3 years ago
oh wow...i just got chills... who played poppea in this one, do you know?
bcbdrums 3 years ago
Rachel Yakar.
jfbecks17 3 years ago
Who ever took this wonderful inspiring sublime exquisite video off Youtube may you rot in the Seventh Level of Hell boiling in the stale urine of Satan!!
shtonker8 3 years ago
uh, it's here -_- chill...
bcbdrums 3 years ago
monteverdi--the king of early barock....
aelfricbetera 3 years ago
Oh my. It is a guy. *Alexander* Oliver? O__o
MerlinTheDraconic 3 years ago 2
Contraltos sound so odd, almost like a guy with his nose plugged. Countertenors are also odd.
MerlinTheDraconic 3 years ago