Joyce Di Donato- Where shall I fly? (Händel)

American mezzosoprano Joyce Di Donato (as Dejanira) sings "Where shall I fly?" from Händel's Hercules, HWV 60.
Aix-en-Provence, 2004.
Les Arts Florissants, conductor: William Christie.

WHERE SHALL I FLY?
(Dejanira, Recitativo accompagnato)

"Where shall I fly? Where hide this guilty head?
Oh fatal error of misguided love!
Oh cruel Nessus, how art thou revenged!
Wretched I am! By me Alcides dies!
These impious hands have sent my injured lord
untimely to the shades!
Let me be mad!
Chain me, ye furies, to your iron beds.
And lash my guilty ghosts with whips of scorpions!

See! See! They come! Alecto with her snakes,
Megaera fell, and black Tisiphone!
See the dreadful sisters rise.
Their baneful presence taints the skies!
See the snaky whips they bear!
What yellings rend my tortured ear!"

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Joyce
• Di
• Donato
• mezzosoprano
• Händel
• Hercules
• Dejanira
• Toby
• Spence
• William
• Cristie
• Aix-en-Provence
• Les
• Arts
• Florissants

[Homoclassicus]

The production is ugly, but what a presence, what an intense vocalism, what a credible characterization by DiDonato! She knows how to sing Händel with near excellent technique and style and still be dramatic in the extroverted way people like nowadays. This is one of the best furious Mad Scene interpretations I've ever seen. Really terrifying, in the best sense of that word!

[compeld2sing]

Awesome singer AND awesome actress!

This is beyond good!

[dubonetducon]

Poor cdbaxte. Doesn't realize that this over-the-top emotion is exactly what is required at this moment. DiDonato is spine-chilling in this rendition. It's just what the piece requires and seldom gets. You should try to feel something, cdbaxte. You're stuck in your cerebral, constipated musicology.  Tsk,tsk,tsk..

[cdbaxte]

I think that if this performance is vocally refined keeping the same intensity but adding clarity through the melismas, greater attention to the details of the da capo form, and with a greater sense of direction, I think the brilliant DiDonato would take another step in showing the world how extraordinary art is.

[JaimieAppleton]

Her vocal and emotional range is INSANE. DiDonato is so fierce in this video.

[classicalgalNYC]

Absolutely amazing Joyce can do no wrong! =D

[jgdmol4l]

her acting here is siiiick. She needs to do more dramatic repertoire like this. I'd pay good money to see a (total) performance like that.

[Poveda89]

VAYA BASURAMEN

[MultiGargiulo]

I don't like this expressionistic approach

[StandingRoom]

@xoxpenguinxox You'll need some backstory for this: When Dejanira and Hercules had just got together, a centaur called Nessus offered to help them cross a river, then tried to make off with Dejanira. Hercules shot him with a poisoned arrow, and the dying Nessus gave his blood-and-venom-soaked shirt to D., saying it had magic powers to stop H. from going after other women. Which it did, only not in the way she was hoping for. Here, D. realises her trying to keep her husband actually killed him.

[JordanSean]

Triumphant and powerful!!

[xoxpenguinxox]

I fell in love with this aria the first time i saw it performed... however, what is it about?! LOL what's going on in the opera by this point?