Thursday, February 27, 2014

Ebben? ... N'andro lontana

La Wally is short for Walburga, the heroine of this tragic opera. The opera is based on a book that fictionalizes the daring act of the real Anna Stainer-Knittel. She went down a cliff on a rope to take eagle hatchlings in order the raise them so they wouldn't feed on the village lambs.

In this aria, La Wally is threatened by her father to marry a man of his choosing or leave home. La Wally leaves to live far away in the mountains.

.
.
.
.
.
.
English translation from Cantolopera.

Well? ... I will go far away
Like the echo of the sacred bell ...
There, among the white snows!...
There, among the golden clouds!...
There, where hope
Is regret, is sorrow!...

O happy house of my mother,
Wally is going very far from you,
And perhaps she will never come back to you,
And you will never see her again!...
Never again, never again!
I will go alone and far away
Like the echo of the sacred bell,
There, among the white snows;
I will go alone and far away
And among the golden clouds...!

But firm and pious
I go that long way
I go.

The end of the opera has something to do with an avalanche. But much mischief weaves through the village before this end, so read the synopsis someday and watch or listen to the opera. I love Renata Tebaldi's version of Wally.

No comments:

Post a Comment