Vincenzo Bellini - I Capuleti ed i Montecchi - "Oh! quante volte" (Hei-Kyung Hong)

Giulietta's superb opening romanza is all but too well-known to the audience, though, in this case, the renown is more than justified.

Bellini could have easily gone away with another full cavatina (rather logical after the full arias of both Tebaldo and Romeo) but he chooses to go with a much more elegant and, in the context of the situation (Giulietta, as far as I can see from the text, is almost completely dressed for her imminent wedding ceremony and awaits her lover, in almost complete desperation) and the elegiac character of the young woman, a much more plausible solution: a highly romantic aria in basic couplet form, slightly reminiscent of Rossini's take on Shakespeare's Willow Song, though on a smaller (though no less musically rich) scale.

Hei-Kyung Hong is a most sympathetic heroine, possessing a clear, sweet voice completely welcome in the aria. Hope you'll enjoy :)!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bellini
• belcanto
• coloratura
• classical

[carosaxone]

Straordinaria! Un'aria meravigliosa e cantata in maniera eccellente

[kathberry8]

@icylakepaxphile gladly I will try to cheer her with love..I'm very sorry for her grief.."..but all the world is bound by love's ties, how could I alone escape?.." - Chinese Book of Songs

[icylakepaxphile]

@kathberry8 yes get married and have 3children. and she's now over her 50s..b.u.t her husband passed away from cancer 2 years ago. and she was very depressed, so canceled many perfomances like Traviata in Royal Opera House for 1 year. now you can console her soul with your love ; )

[7CALLAS]

SILLS IS THE BEST

[Cissy97]

One of the BEST versions of this aria on Youtube. Bravo!

[kathberry8]

does the sweet voiced maiden get married....so beautiful a rendition....

[AminaBellini]

Thank you Lindoro!!!! this singer, Hei-Kyung Hong is one of the good ones!!!! she is amazing, has a sweet voice and very good vocal technic!

[npa589]

Beautiful...

[RVP57]

This is beautiful! So much more so than any other current so-called soprano (Dessay, et al....)

[1964stellina]

questa voce dà veramente vita al personaggio, anzi questa voce è il personaggio.

grazie