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The Mapleson Cylinders - Program Notes

Libretti

Verdi: LA TRAVIATA

Verdi: LA TRAVIATA

In 1900-01, the season's only performance of La Traviata starred Nellie Melba. After she left the company, Marcella Sembrich succeeded to the part, which she had first sung at the house nearly two decades earlier, during its opening season; she gave one performance in 1901-02, four in 1902-03 (three of them prior to the first of the year). Mapleson captured souvenirs of both these Violettas.

Band 3

Act I: Un dì felice excerpt : "[Ah, se ciò è ver,] fuggitemi!" ... "Vi garba il patto?"

Nellie Melba (s), Violetta

Andreas Dippel (t), Alfredo

Aristide Masiero (t), Gaston

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra--Phillippe Flon

March 16, 1901

[Snake; Glackens 75.]

Alfredo Germont has loved the courtesan Violetta Valery from afar, and finally meets her at a party in her house. As the guests move into the next room to dance, Violetta feels faint: Alfredo remains with her and pleads his love, but she puts him off. (The cylinder continues briefly after the end of their duet, though some music is lost from groove lifts.)

[original]

VIOLETTA

[Ah, se ciò è ver,] fuggitemi!
Solo amistade io v'offro;
amor non so, nè soffro
un così eroico amore.
Io sono franca, ingenua;
altra cercar dovrete;
non arduo troverete
dimenticarmi allor.

ALFREDO
O amore! misterioso,

VIOLETTA
non arduo troverete

ALFREDO
misterioso, altero,

VIOLETTA
dimenticarmi allora, Simultaneous singing begins
dimenticarmi, dimenticarmi allor,
dimenticarmi allor,
dimenticarmi allor,
dimenticarmi,
dimenticar,
ah! ah!
dimenticarmi allor!

ALFREDO
croce, croce e delizia,
croce e delizia, delizia al cor,
delizia, delizia al cor,
delizia, delizia al cor,
croce e delizia, delizia al cor,
ah! ah!
croce e delizia al cor! Simultaneous singing ends

GASTON (at the door)
Ebben? che diavol fate?

VIOLETTA
Si folleggïava!

GASTON
Ah! ah! sta ben! restate! (he goes back.)

VIOLETTA
Amor dunque non più!
Vi garba il patto?

[translation]

VIOLETTA

Ah, if that's true, then flee from me!
Friendship alone I offer;
I know not love, nor could I bear
such an heroic love.
I am sincere and ingenuous;
you must find someone else;
you won't find it difficult
to forget me then.

ALFREDO
Oh love! mysterious,

VIOLETTA
you won't find it difficult

ALFREDO
mysterious and proud,

VIOLETTA
to forget me then, Simultaneous singing begins
to forget me, to forget me then,
to forget me then,
to forget me, then,
to forget, me,
to forget,
ah! ah!
to forget me then.

ALFREDO
a burden, a burden and a delight,
a burden and a delight, a delight to the heart,
a delight, a delight to the heart,
a delight, a delight to the heart,
a burden and a delight, a delight to the heart,
ah! ah!
a burden and a delight to the heart! Simultaneous singing ends

GASTON (at the door)
Well then? What the devil are you doing?

VIOLETTA
We're having a good time!

GASTON
Ha! Ha! That's good! Stay there! (he goes back.)

VIOLETTA
No more talk of love, then!
Will you agree to that?

Band 4

Act I: Sempre libera excerpt : "Amor, amor è palpito" ... "dee volar il pen[sier]"

Marcella Sembrich (s), Violetta

Carlo Dani (t), Alfredo

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra--Luigi Mancinelli

February 27, 1903

[Glackens 67: "Feb. 27"; year deduced from Annals --and from two other Glackens listings for excerpts from the same performance, which give the year. One of those cylinders, described as "Splendid! clear all through. Applause and encore beginning 'follie,'" evidently followed this one, but has vanished; the other, of "Ah fors'è lui," may be the cylinder from the Mapleson Music Library on Side 12/Band 6, although its playing speed is different.]

After Violetta's guests leave, she muses on the love Alfredo has offered, then rejects it in favor of her endless round of pleasure. From outside the window, she hears Alfredo singing of love.

[original]

ALFREDO

Amor, amor è palpito Simultaneous singing begins
dell'universo,
dell'universo intero,

VIOLETTA
O! o amore! Simultaneous singing ends

ALFREDO
misterioso, misterioso, altero,
croce, croce e delizia,
croce e delizia, delizia al cor.

VIOLETTA
Follie! follie! Ah!
gioir, gioir! Ah, si!
Sempre libera degg'io folleggiare
di gioia in gioia,
vo' che scorra il viver mio
pei sentieri del piacer.
Nasca il giorno, o il giorno muoja,
sempre lieta ne' ritrovi, ah! ah!
A deletti sempre nuovi dee volare
il mio pensier,
dee volar, dee volar, dee volar
il mio pensier,
dee volar, dee volar,
il pen[sier.]

[translation]

ALFREDO

Love, love is the heartbeat Simultaneous singing begins
of the universe,
of the whole universe,

VIOLETTA
Oh! Oh, love! Simultaneous singing ends

ALFREDO
mysterious and proud,
a burden, a burden and a delight,
a burden and a delight, a delight to the heart.

VIOLETTA
Folly! Folly! Ah!
Enjoy! Enjoy! Ah, yes!
Ever free, I must go madly,
from one pleasure to the next,
I wish my life to run
through the paths of pleasure.
Whether day is dawning or dying,
always joyful I find it again,
to always new delights must fly
my thoughts,
must fly, must fly, must fly
my thoughts,
must fly, must fly
my thoughts.