Cecilia Bartoli: "La mort d'Ophélie" (Hector Berlioz)

A beautiful and touching performance of Berlioz's French art song "La mort d'Ophélie" sung by Cecilia Bartoli with Myung-Whun Chung on piano. (English subtitles)

Cecilia Bartoli, mezzo soprano
Myung-Whun Chung, piano
Decca, 1996

LA MORT DOPHÉLIE
Auprès d'un torrent Ophélie
cueillait, tout en suivant le bord,
dans sa douce et tendre folie,
des pervenches, des boutons d'or,
des iris aux couleurs d'opale,
et de ces fleurs d'un rose pâle
qu'on appelle des doigts de mort.

Puis, élevant sur ses mains blanches
les riants trésors du matin,
elle les suspendait aux branches,
aux branches d'un saule voisin.
Mais trop faible le rameau plie,
se brise, et la pauvre Ophélie
tombe, sa guirlande à la main.

Quelques instants sa robe enflée
la tint encor sur le courant
et, comme une voile gonflée,
elle flottait toujours chantant,
chantant quelque vieille ballade,
chantant ainsi qu'une naïade
née au milieu de ce torrent.

Mais cette étrange mélodie
passa, rapide comme un son.
Par les flots la robe alourdie
bientôt dans l'abîme profond
entraîna la pauvre insensée,
laissant à peine commencée
sa mélodieuse chanson.

THE DEATH OF OPHELIA
Beside a brook, Ophelia
gathered along the water's bank,
in her sweet and gentle madness,
periwinkles, buttercups,
opal-tinted irises,
and those pale purples
called dead men's fingers.

Then, raising up in her white hands
the morning's laughing trophies,
she hung them on the branches,
the branches of a nearby willow.
But the bough, too fragile, bends,
breaks, and poor Ophelia
falls, her garland in her hand.

Her dress, spread wide,
bore her on the water awhile,
and like an outstretched sail
she floated, still singing,
singing some old ballad,
singing like a naiad
born amidst the stream.

But this strange melody
died, fleeting fast as a snatch of sound.
Heavy from the water, her wet garment,
soon into the deep abyss,
dragged the poor distracted girl,
leaving her melodious song
hardly yet begun.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Cecilia Bartoli
• Myung-Whun Chung
• Hector Berlioz
• Tristia
• Le mort d'Ophélie
• Hamlet
• William Shakespeare
• Ernest Legouvé
• piano
• mezzo-soprano
• soprano
• French
• France
• classical music
• Romantic era
• Romantic music

[ruthy247]

Oh so sweet.

[SsteinwayS]

@ruthy247 Bittersweet. :(

[classicalfan7]

I think it defies any era. Other wordly inspiration passed down from God to three amazing human vehicles. Four, if you include the singer.

[SsteinwayS]

Stroke of pure literary and musical genius...

[classicalfan7]

This is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard.

[SsteinwayS]

It truly is.

[thecelticspirit]

Wow, love this piece. Very sweet, almost painful to listen to...

[SsteinwayS]

I agree with you whole-heartedly. There is such sincere expression and emotion conveyed through her voice - it perfectly reflects the Romantic era.

[progbassftw]

Bartoli's voice and technique is so unique... In my opinion in matches the lyrical expression and the blend of sweetness and pain found in Berlioz's music perfectly

[SsteinwayS]

Yeah I love this piece so much! The poetry is so beautiful and the music is so touching. Bartoli's singing is so tender and sincere. I want to cry every time I hear it!