Luisa Miller Act III, excerpt from N. 13. Scena e Duetto

In Act III of Luisa Miller, Luisa has procured her father's release from prison by agreeing to sacrifice her relationship with Rodolfo, a young nobleman. Although compelled to make the sacrifice by the love she feels for her father, the consequences of the sacrifice - living without Rodolfo's love, and him believing her to be deceptive and unfaithful - have driven her to contemplate suicide. She has written a letter to Rodolfo entreating him to join her in the afterlife, where she will no longer be bound by the oath she swore to save her father, and she and Rodolfo can be reunited. Miller, upon learning of his daughter's plans, is understandably distraught at the news and urges her to think of the effect her suicide will have on him, her loving father. Luisa is immediately overcome with remorse at the thought of what her suicide will do to her father and agrees to stay alive for him, thereby making another sacrifice - that of her youthful existence - in order to spend her life forever at her father's side.

In the lengthy cantabile section of the duet, rather than expressing their emotional reaction to the conflict in asides, the two express their views to each other, and resolve the conflict in a series of contrasting sections.

LUISA La tomba e un Zetta sparso di jiori, The grave is a bed strewn with flowers, In cui de/ giusto la spoglia dorme: In which the just sleep soundly: Sol pei colpevoli, tremanti cori Only for guilty, trembling hearts Veste la morte orride forme; Does death wear horrible forms; Ma per due candide a/me fedeli But for two innocent, faithful souls La sua presenza non ha terror ... Its presence holds no terror... E dessa un angelo che schiude i cieli, It is an angel that opens the heavens, Ove in eterno sorride amor. Where love eternally smiles.

MILLER Figlia? .. Compreso d'orror io sono! Daughter? I am filled with horror! Figlia ... potresi... contra ... te stessa? ... Daughter... could you... against yourself? ... Pel suicida non v'ha perdono! There isn't forgiveness for suicide!

LUISA Eco/pa amore? ... Is love a sin?

MILLER Cessa ... dehl cessa! Cease, oh cease!

Di rughe ii volto ... mira, ho solcato ... Look, my face is furrowed with wrinkles ... II crin m 'imbianca /'eta piu greve ... my hair is whitened by my oppressive age ... L 'amor che un padre ha seminato In his later years, a father Ne' suoi tardi anni raccoglier deve ... should gather the love he has sown ... Ed apprestarmi, crude/, tu puoi And you, cruel one, prepare for me Messe di pianto e di dolor? ... a harvest of tears and grief? Ah! nella tomba che schiuder vuoi Ah! may your father be the first Fia primo a scendere ii genitor! to descend into the grave you want to open!

LUISA Ah! no ... ti ca/ma, o padre mio ... Ah! no ... calm yourself, o my father ... Quanta colpevole, ahime, son io! Alas, how guilty I am! Non pianger. .. m'odi! Don't weep ... listen to me!

MILLER Luisa ... Luisa ...

LUISA Ilfoglio I'm tearing up the letter, I destroy it Lacero, annul/a ...

MILLER Vuoidunque? Do you want then ... ?

LUISA Io voglio I want, for you, dear father Per te, buon padre restare in vita. to stay alive.

MILLER Figlia! ... Daughter!

LUISA La figlia, vedi, pentita Your daughter, repentant, Al pie ti cade. Falls at your feet.

MILLER No, figlia mia. . . No, my daughter. Sorgi... deh! sorgi ... Qui sul mio car. Rise! Rise, here on my heart.

BOTH In quest amplesso l'anima oblia Ah! In this embrace my soul forgets Quanti martiri prow) finor. All the torments it suffered up to now.

Rigoletto Act I, Scene IX

The opening of the first act of Rigoletto introduces us to the title character as the jester of the Duke of Mantua, a position in which he abets the Duke in dishonoring young women, and insults the nobility. His first duet with Gilda shows us the other side of his character: a man who cherishes his daughter above all other possessions and who is willing to do anything to protect her. Unfortunately he keeps her locked up in a secret house, allowing her to leave only to attend mass. (This precaution has, alas, been in vain, as the Duke has already seen her and is waiting for the right moment to seduce her.) Gilda, only recently reunited with her father, begs him for information about him, her mother, and her family. In his zeal to protect her, Rigoletto refuses to give her any information, insisting that his position as father is enough - as she is everything to him, so shall he be for her.

Throughout the tempo d 'attacco and cantabile sections of the duet, the distance between the characters is evident. As in the example from Luisa Miller, the cantabile is composed of dissimilar musical statements, and the dramatic energy is continuous.

(Tempo d 'attacco) RIGOLETTO Figlia! Daughter!

GILDA Mio Padre! My father!

RJGOLETTO Ate d 'appresso My oppressed heart finds joy Trova sol gioia ii core opresso. Only near you. GILDA Oh quanta amore ! Oh, such love!

RIGOLETTO Mia vita sei! You are my life! Senza in terra qua! bene avrei? Without you, what love would I have on earth?

GILDA Oh quanta amore! Padre mio! Oh, what love, my father!

RIGOLETTO Ohfiglia mia! Oh, my daughter!

GILDA Voi sospirate! ... che v 'ange tanto? You sigh! ... What worries you so? Lo dite a questa povera figlia. Tell your poor daughter. Se v 'ha mistero ... per lei sia If there's some mystery ... reveal it to her franto ... Ch 'ella conosca la sua famiglia ... Let her know about her family ...

RIGOLETTO Tu non he hai ... You have none ...

GILDA Qua! name avete? What is your name?

RIGOLETTO A te che importa? What does it matter to _you?

GILDA Se non volete If you don't want to speak to me about di voi parlarmi ... yourself...

RIGOLETTO Non uscir mai. Never go out.

GILDA Non vo che al tempio. I only go to church.

RIGOLETTO Or ben tu fai. Oh, that is well.

GILDA Se non di voi, a/men chi sia If not of yourself, then at least Fate ch 'io sappia la madre mia. Let me know who my mother is.

(Cantabile) RIGOLETTO Deh non par/ate al misero Ah, don't speak to a poor wretch Del suo perduto bene ... About his lost love ... Ella sentia, quell 'angelo She that angel, Pie ta, de/le mie pene ... Felt pity for my sufferings ... Solo, dijforme, povero Alone, deformed, poor, Per compassion mi amo She loved me out of compassion. Ah! Moria ... maria ... Oh! ... She died ... she died ... Le zolle coprano May the clods lightly cover Lievi quel capo amato. That beloved head. Sola or tu resti al misero. Now only you remain to the wretch. Dio, sii ringraziato! God be thanked!

GILDA Quanta dolor! che spremere Oh! How much grief! How much grief! Si amaro pianto puo? What can force such bitter tears? Padre, non piu, calmatevi ... Father, no more, no more, be calm ... Mi lacera ta! vista! This sight breaks my heart! n name vostro ditemi, Tell me your name. fl dual che Sl V 'attrista. This grief saddens you so.

RIGOLETTO A che nomarmi? e inutile. Why tell my name? It's useless. Padre ti sono, e basti. I'm your father; let that suffice. Me forse al mondo temono, Perhaps people in the world fear me, D 'alcuno ho forse gli asti ... Some perhaps may resent me ... Altri mi maledicono ... Others curse me ...

GILDA Patria! parenti! amici! Have you no homeland, Voi dunque non avete? No relatives or friends?

RIGOLETTO Patria! parenti! amici! Homeland! Relatives! Friends! Culto, famiglia, la patria, Religion, family, and home, fl mio universo e in te! My universe is in you!

. GILDA Ah se puo lieto rendervi, Ah, if it can make you happy, Gioia e la vita a me! Then my life is joy for me! Translation ©William Weaver, Seven Verdi Librettos

La traviata Act II, N. 5. Seen a e Duetto

Violetta Valery, a well-known Parisian courtesan, has fled Paris to pursue a simpler life in the country with her young lover, Alfredo Germont. She suffers from tuberculosis and knows that while her condition is terminal, her new lifestyle will help delay the end - the only cost being selling her possessions to pay the rent. Her idyllic dreams are cut short when Alfredo's father arrives and asks her to leave Alfredo for the sake of his daughter, whose engagement is in jeopardy because of her brother's liaison. Unlike our other heroines, Violetta is not the elder Germont's true daughter, but she is, nonetheless, subject to his patriarchal dictates. She argues that to leave Alfredo would mean to sacrifice her very life, but Germont is deaf to her reasons. Eventually she realizes that no matter what changes she makes in her life, or how she atones, society will never see her as more than a fallen woman. Asking him to embrace her like a daughter, she gives in to Germont's demands.

GERMONT Madamigella Valery? ... Mademoiselle Valery?

VIOLETTA Son io. I am she.

GERMONT D'Alfredo il padre in me vedete! In me you see Alfredo's father!

VIOLETTA Voi? You?

GERMONT Si, dell'incauto, che a ruina corre, Yes, father of the heedless boy, who rushes Ammaliato da voi. To his ruin, bewitched by you.

VIOLETTA Donna son io, signore, ed in mia I am a woman, sir, and in my own house; casa; Ch 'io vi lasci assentite, Allow me to leave you, Piu per voi, che per me. More for your sake than mine. GERMONT (Quai modi!) Pure .. . (What manners!) And yet...

VIOLETTA Tratto in error voi foste ... You were mistaken ...

GERMONT De' suoi beni He wants to make you a gift Dono vuol Jarvi ... Of his possessions ...

VIOLETTA Non l'osofinora ... He never dared before ... Rifuterei. I would refuse.

GERMONT Pur tanto lusso ... Still, all this luxury ...

VIOLETTA A tutti e mistero quest'atto .. . This deed is a secret from everyone ... A voi no! sia ... But not from you ...

GERMONT Ciel! che discopro! Heavens! What's this I discover? D'ogni vostro avere You mean to deprive yourself Or volete spogliarvi? Of everything you own? Ah il passato perche, perche Ah, why, why does the past accuse you? ... v'accusa? ...

VIOLETTA Piu non esiste ... It exists no more ... Or amo Alfredo, e Dio Now I love Alfredo, and God lo cancello col pentimento mio Erased it, with my repentance!

GERMONT Nobili sensi invero! Noble feelings, indeed!

VIOLETTA Oh come dolce Ah, how sweet your words Mi suona il vostro accento! Sound to me!

GERMONT Ed a tai sensi And I ask a sacrifice un sacrifizio chieggo. Of those feelings.

VIOLETTA Ah no .. . tacete ... Ah no ... don't speak ... Terribil cosa chiedereste certo ... You'd surely ask something terrible ... fl previdi... v'attesi. .. I foresaw it.. .I was expecting you ... Era felice troppo ... I was too happy ...

GERMONT D'Alfredo il padre Alfredo's father here la sorte, l'avvenir domanda or qui Asks of you the destiny, the future de' suoi due figli!. .. Of his two children!...

VIOLETTA Di due figli! Two children!

GERMONT Si. Yes. Pura siccome un angelo Pure as an angel lddio mi die una figlia; God gave me a daughter; Se Alfredo nega riedere If Alfredo refuses to return In seno alla famiglia To his family's bosom, L 'amato e amante giovine, The beloved an loving youth Cui sposa andar dovea, Whose bride she was to be, Orsi ricusa al vincolo Will now reject the tie Che lieti ne rendeva. That made them so happy. Deh non mutate in triboli Ah, don't change into trials Le rose dell'amor ... The roses of love. A' prieghi miei resistere Your heart must not resist Non voglia ii vostro car. My entreaties, no, no.

VIOLETTA Ah! comprendo .. . Ah! I understand ... Dovro per alcun tempo I'll have to go away Da Alfredo allontanarmi... doloroso From Alfredo for a while .. . Fora per me... pur... It will be painful for me ... still...

GERMONT Non e cio che chiedo ... That isn't what I'm asking ...

VIOLETTA Cielo! che piu cercate? ... Heaven! What more do you want? O'JJersz).ff, • assaz.., ... I've offered so much!...

GERMONT Pur non basta. And yet it's not enough.

VIOLETTA Volete che per sempre You want me to give him up a lui rinunzi? forever?

GERMONT Ed'uopo. It's necessary.

VIOLETTA Ah no! giammai!. .. no, mail Ah no! never!. .. no, never! Non sapete quale affetto Don't you know the love, Vivo, immenso m 'arda in petto? Vital, immense, that burns in my heart? Che ne amici, ne parenti That I have no friends, lo non canto tra' viventi? No relatives among the living? E che Alfredo m 'ha giurato And that Alfredo has sworn to me Che in lui tutto trovero? That in him I'll find everything? Non sapete che colpita Don't you know that my life D'atro morbo e la mia vita? Is stricken by a dire disease? Che gia presso ilfin ne vedo? ... That I can already see its end near? Ch'io mi separi da Alfredo!. .. For me to leave Alfredo!... Ah il supplizio e si spietato, Ah, the torment is so merciless, Che a morir preferiro. That I'd prefer to die.

GERMONT E grave il sagrifizio The sacrifice is hard; Ma pur tranquilla uditemi. Yet listen to me calmly. Bella voi siete e giovine ... You are beautiful and young ... Col tempo ... In time ...

VIOLETTA Ah piu non dite ... Ah, say no more .. . V'intendo ... m 'e impossibile ... I understand you ... it's impossible for me ... Lui solo amar vogl'io .. . I want to love only him ...

GERMONT Sia pure ... ma volubile That may be .. . but men Sovente e l 'uom ... Are often fickle ... VIOLETTA Gran Dio! Good God!

GERMONT Un di, quando le veneri One day, when time has put fl tempo avra Jugate, Carnal desire to flight, Fia presto il tedio a sorgere ... Boredom will follow quickly ... Che sara allor? ... Pensate ... Then what will happen? ... Think ... Per voi non avran balsamo You won't have the solace I piu soavi affetti! Of tenderer affections! Poiche dal ciel non furono ... Since these bonds were not... Tai nodi benedetti Blessed by heaven ...

VIOLETTA E vero! It's true! It's true!

GERMONT Ah dunque sperdasi Ah, then let this seductive dream tal sogrzo seduttore ... Be dispelled ... Siate di mia famiglia Be the consoling angel !'angel consolatore ... Of my family ... Violetta, deh pensateci, Violetta, ah, think it over, ne siete in tempo ancor ... You are still in time ... E Dia che ispira, o giovine, Ah, young lady, it is God tai detti a un genitor. Who inspires a father's words.

VIOLETTA (Casi all misera, ch'e un di caduta, (So, for the wretched girl, who one day fell, Di piu risorgere Speranza e muta! Any hope of rising again is silent! Se pur benefico le indulga Iddio, Even if God is kind and indulgent to her, L 'uomo implacabile per lei sara.) Mankind will always be implacable.)

Dite al/a giovine si be/la e pura, Tell the young girl, so beautiful and pure Ch 'avvi una vittima de/la sventura That there is a victim of misfortune Cui res ta un unico raggio di bene .. . Who has a single ray of happiness ... Che a lei sagrifica e che morra. Which she sacrifices to her, and who will die.

GERMONT Piangi, piangi, o misera. Weep, weep, o unhappy girl. Supremo, ii veggo, e ii sagrifizio I am asking, I see, Ch'ora ti chieggo... The supreme sacrifice of you now ... Senta nell'anima gia le tue pene.. . Already in my spirit I feel your sufferings ... Coraggio, e ii nobil tuo car Courage, your noble heart Vincera! Will win out!

VIOLETTA lmponete. Command me.

GERMONT Non amarlo ditegli. Say you don't love him.

VIOLETTA Nol credera. He won't believe it.

GERMONT Partite ... Leave ...

VIOLETTA Seguirammi. He will follow me.

GERMONT Allor... Then ... VIOLETTA Qua! figlia m 'abbraciate .. forte Embrace me as a daughter. .. Casi saro. Then I will be strong. Tra breve ei vi fia reso He will be given back to you soon, Ma affiitto oltre ogni dire ... A suo But unspeakably grieved ... conforto Di cola volerete. From there you will hasten to console him.

GERMONT Che pensate? What are you thinking of?

VIOLETTA Sapendol, v'opporreste al pensier If you knew, you would oppose my idea ... mio.

GERMONT Generosa! ... e per voi che far Generous girl!. .. What can I do for you? poss'io?

VIOLETTA Morro!. .. la mia memoria I'll die ... I'll die ... don't allow him Nonfia ch'ei maledica, To curse my memory, Se le mie pene orribili Let someone at least tell him Vi sia chi a/men gli dica. Of my horrible sufferings.

GERMONT No, generosa vivere No, you must live, E lie ta voi dovrete ... Generous and happy ... Merce di queste lagrime One day you'll receive from heaven Dal cielo un giorno avrete. A reward for these tears.

VIOLETTA Conosca ii sagrifizio Let him know the sacrifice Ch 'io consummai d'amore ... That I made for love ... Che sara suafin !'ultimo And that even the last sigh Sospiro de/ mio car. Of my heart will be his.

GERMONT Premiato ii sagrifizio The sacrifice of your love Sara de! vostro amore, Will be rewarded, D'un'opra cosi nobile You'll be proud then Sarete fiera allor, si, si. Of such a noble deed, yes, yes.

VIOLETTA Qui giunge alcun: partite. Someone is coming: leave.

GERMONT Oh grato v'e ii car mio! Oh, my heart is grateful to you!

VIOLETTA Non ci vedrem piuforse... Perhaps we won't see each other again.

BOTH Siate felice ... Addia! Be happy ... farewell!

Translation ©William Weaver, Seven Verdi Librettos SUZANNE RAMO, Soprano OMA Lecture Recital DAVID SMALL, Baritone ELDEN LITTLE, Piano ~hurs g ay, November 14, 2013 I 10:00 AM MRH 2.614 rvo~ ~ CJ { LECTURE Emotional Extortion and Sacrifice: The Father-Daughter Relationship in Verdi Operas

GIUSEPPE VERDI Luisa Miller (1813-1901) Act Ill, N. 13 Scena e Duetto "Pallida!...mesta sei!"

Rigoletto Act I, N. 4. Duetto "Figlia!. .. Mio padre!"

La traviata Act II, N. 5. Scena e Duetto "Madamigella Valery? ..."

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts.

140th event of the Butler School of Music 2013-2014 season

CELEBRATING YEARS 11-loo 0 'MUSIC