The use of cameras or recording equipment during the 

performance is not allowed. Please be sure that cell phones,

pagers, and other electronic devices are turned off.

Please note that late entry or reentry ofthe 

West Building after 6:30 pm is not permitted.

For the convenience of concertgoers, 

the Garden Cafe remains open for light refreshments

until 6:00 pm on Sundays.

Music Department

National Gallery ofArt

Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue nw

Washington, DC

www.ngfl.gov

cover: Francesco Zuccarelli, Mountainous River Landscape with Bathers,

National Gallery of Art, Washington, Wolfgang Ratjen Collection, 

Patrons’ Permanent Fund

The Seventieth Season of

The William Nelson Cromwell and F. Lammot Belin

Concerts

National Gallery ofArt

2,846th Concert

Kate Vetter Cain, soprano 

Ole Hass, tenor

with

Harmonious Blacksmith

Presented in honor of

Italian Master Drawingsfrom the

Wolfgang Ratjen Collection: 1525-1835

September 25, 2011

Sunday, 6:30 pm

West Building, West Garden Court

Admissionfree
Program “Prima la musica, dopo le parole?

”

Italian arias from Monteverdi to Haydn

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)

FromL’Orfeo

“Vi ricorda”/“In un fiorito prato”/“Tu se’ morta”

Jacopo Peri (1561-1633) “Tutto ‘1 di piango”

Antonio Cesti (1623-1669)

From Orontea

“Addio Corindo”

Dario Castello (c. 1590-c. 1658)

From Sonate concertate in stil moderno, Book2

Sonata no. 12d3

Monteverdi

From Lincoronazione di Poppea

Duet:

“Pur ti miro”

Monteverdi

From Scherzi musicali “Zefiro torna”

INTERMISSION

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) 

From Nine German Arias “SliRe Stille, sanfte Quelle

”

Handel

From La Resurrezione

Recitative: “Di quai novi portenti”

Aria:“Ecco il sol ch’esce dal mare”

Handel

From Xerxes

Duet:“Troppo oltraggi la mia fede”

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Concerto inG Minor, RV 103

Allegro ma cantabile

Largo

Allegro non molto

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Duet:“Come il foco”
The Musicians

KATE VETTER CAIN

Praised by The Washington Post for her “sweetness oftimbre and vocal

power,” soprano Kate Vetter Cain has performed at the Ash Lawn-Highland

Festival, Bowdoin Summer Music Festival, Brevard Music Festival, Caramoor

Festival Opera, Gamper Festival ofContemporary Music, and Tanglewood

Music Festival, and has earned acclaim as a soloist with the Orchestra of St.

Luke’s, ‘Rebel’ Baroque Orchestra, and Washington Bach Consort. She has

sung principal roles in operas by Britten, Donizetti, Handel, Monteverdi,

and Mozart, under conductors Will Crutchfield, David Effron, Christopher

Larkin, Kenneth Slowik, and Ransom Wilson. A 2007 finalist in the Vocal

Arts Society ofWashington Discovery Series Competition, she has performed in recital on the “Promising Artists ofthe 21st Century Series” in

San Jose, Costa Rica, and with pianist Nino Sanikidze at the Cleveland Art 

Song Festival. She has also appeared as a soloist in oratorios by Beethoven,

Mozart, and Vivaldi with the Charlottesville Summer Chamber Symphony;

the Masterworks Chorus and Orchestra ofWashington, DC; New York’s

Trinity Church; and Yale University Bach Society.

OLE HASS

Born in Hamburg, Germany, tenor Ole Hass was a member ofthe boys’

choir at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Hamburg, where he sang with Dietrich

Fischer-Dieskau, Hermann Prey, Peter Schreier and other noted artists.

At home in the Washington, DC area, Hass has performed as soloist with

Cantate Chamber Singers, the newly formed City Choir ofWashington

under Robert Shafer, the New Dominion Chorale, and the Washington Bach

Consort. His performances as Evangelist in Bach’s St. John Passion at the

National Cathedral and in the Christmas Oratorio at Strathmore Hall 

received critical acclaim. Recent song recitals include Schumann’s Dichterliebe on the dacor recital series in Washington as well as a performance of

4

Schubert’s Die schone Mullerin with guitarist Jaume Torrent. Hass holds a

dma in vocal performance from the University of Maryland, College Park,

and serves as editor for German-language music journals for ripm (Retrospective Index to Music Periodicals).

HARMONIOUS BLACKSMITH

Uniquely focused on the connection between composition and improvisation in Renaissance and baroque music, Harmonious Blacksmith looks back

to the age-old practices ofimprovising dance music and ornamenting songs.

The name ofthe ensemble comes from the title of a famous set of harpsichord variations by George Frederic Handel. Although the title was given by

Handel’s publisher, it provides a resonant image—not just of a blacksmith

whistling while working, but also ofmusicians shaping harmonies into

works of art. The group’s name also alludes to Pythagoras’ ancient discovery 

of acoustics, as he passed a blacksmith’s forge and noticed the higher and

lower pitches ofsmaller and larger hammers striking the anvil.

JOSEPH GASCHO

Cofounder with Justin Godoy of Harmonious Blacksmith, harpsichordist

Joseph Gascho enjoys a varied career as a baroque keyboardist and conductor,

performing as a soloist and collaborative artist; conducting operas, orchestras,

and choirs; editing and arranging scores; and teaching and lecturing. He has

won numerous grants and prizes, including first prize in the 2002 Jurow

International Harpsichord Competition. In addition to numerous performances in the United States, he served as claveciniste repetiteur and directed

a chamber music program at the Academie d’Art-Lyrique in Aix-en-Provence, 

France. A 2010 recipient ofthe doctor ofmusic degree at the University of

Maryland, Gascho teaches at the George Washington University and at the

Oberlin College Conservatory of Music’s Baroque Performance Institute.

5
WILLIAM SIMMS

Equally adept on the guitar, baroque guitar, lute, and theorbo, William Simms

holds degrees from the Peabody Conservatory of Music and the College

ofWooster. He appears regularly with the early music ensembles Modern 

Musick, Olde Friends Concert Artists, and Opera Lafayette. Simms is a

founding member ofthe baroque ensemble La Rocinante. In demand as a

continuo player, he has performed numerous operas and oratorios, including 

performances with the Cleveland Opera and New York State Baroque. He

serves on the faculties of Hood College, where he is founder and director of

the Hood College Early Music Ensemble, the Interlochen Center for the Arts,

and Mount Saint Mary’s College. He has recorded for the Centaur, Dorian,

and Eclectra labels.

DOUG POPLIN

Violoncellist Doug Poplin performs regularly in venues throughout the 

metropolitan Washington, DC, area as a recitalist, chamber musician, and

ensemble member. His artistic flexibility includes both early music—

performing and recording on the Dorian label with the Bach Sinfonia and

concertizing with the Washington Bach Consort on baroque violoncello— 

and experimental music on electric ‘cello with the avant-garde ensemble

blk w / bear. Poplin received his bachelor ofmusic degree from the University

ofMinnesota and continued his studies at the University of Maryland, where

he was an orchestra fellow and worked with the Guarneri String Quartet.

His teachers include Kenneth Slowik ofthe Smithsonian Institution and

Harvey Shapiro ofthe Juilliard School.

6

Justin Godoy’s recorder playing has been praised as “sublime” (The Washington

Post) with “nimble articulation, technical bravura, and range of expressive

nuance” (The Baltimore Sun). In addition to his work with Harmonious

Blacksmith, Godoy has performed with many leading period ensembles,

including the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra, Hesperus, Tempesta 

di Mare, and La Donna Musicale. As a winner ofthe Frank Huntington

Beebe Grant, Godoy spent two years performing, teaching, and studying in 

Holland. He studied recorder with Saskia Coolen, Gwyn Roberts, and Heiko

ter Schegget, and composition with Nicholas Maw. He is president ofthe 

Boston Recorder Society.

LESLIE NERO

A native ofWashington, DC, Leslie Nero was professionally active for fifteen

years in Ontario and Quebec, Canada, playing in several orchestras. Upon 

returning to the Washington metropolitan area, she began playing as a

freelance violinist and violist with both modern and baroque ensembles.

She often performs with the Bach Sinfonia, the Folger Consort, Modern 

Musick, Opera Lafayette, the Vivaldi Project, and the Washington Bach

Consort. She also enjoys teaching violin to many eager fourth- and fifthgrade students in the Alexandria, Virginia, public schools.

JUSTIN GODOY

7
Program Notes

This concert, a compendium ofItalian and German arias from Monteverdi

to Haydn, forms a musical parallel to Italian Master Drawingsfrom the

Wolfgang Ratjen Collection: 2525-1835, an exhibition ofsixty-five superb drawings assembled by the European private collector Wolfgang Ratjen (1943- 

1997)- which remains on view in the West Building through November 27,

2011. The splendors of Italian draftsmanship from the late Renaissance to

the height ofthe neoclassical movement are showcased in works by many

ofthe most important artists ofthe period, from Giulio Romano (1499-1546)

to Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1727-1804). Ratjen, one ofthe most discerning collectors in the twentieth century, sought outstanding works by

lesser-known artists as well as some ofthe few first-rate drawings by famous

artists that were still on the market in the last quarter ofthe twentieth century. Following that example, the musicians have chosen not only arias from

acknowledged masterworks, such as Monteverdi’s L’ Orfeo and Handel’s

Xerxes, but also delightful surprises from little-known operas of Peri and

Cesti and from the instrumental works of Dario Castello.

The composer of vocal music achieves perfection by striking a balance

between a recitative, homophonic style on one hand and a more florid,

melismatic, and sometimes polyphonic style on the other. Some periods 

in history have favored one style over the other. In the second half ofthe 

sixteenth century, the Florentine Camerata, a group oftheorists and composers, set out to recreate the way the ancient Greeks were supposed to have

incanted their prose and poetry, a style that the Camerata believed should be

a cross between spoken recitation and singing. Their stile recitativo (recitative

style) became the basic method for composing their monodies and culminated in the first operas. This concert follows the historical sweep from the 

stile recitativo, as it manifested itselfin the seventeenth century, through a

reversal ofstyles during the period offlorid baroque opera, and back to the

straightforwardness ofthe classical period, when the enlightenment brought

renewed interest in ancient Greece and Rome.

8

Composers with a mind for musical revolution have often turned to the

story of Orpheus, the first great musician of antiquity, and this concert begins

and concludes with excerpts from two treatments ofthe subject. Jacopo Peri,

a member ofthe Florentine Camerata, is credited with writing the first

opera, Euridice, in 1600. As the title suggests, it is the story as told from the 

perspective of Orpheus’ wife. Monteverdi’s I’Orfeo, first performed only

seven years later, set the standard and still has a foothold in opera repertory 

today. In the scene consisting ofthree arias at the outset ofthis program, 

Orpheus is rejoicing, together with a group ofshepherds, in his recent marriage to Eurydice, when Sylvia, a companion of Eurydice, arrives and reports

that Eurydice has been fatally bitten by a snake. Orpheus grieves and swears

to follow Eurydice into the underworld, either to bring her back or to stay

there with her.

Peri’s setting of a sonnet by Petrarch (1304-1374), “Tutto ‘1 di piango,” is

another lover’s lament. It gives a fitting chromatic and expressive setting to

a melancholic poem.

Antonio Cesti lived a double life as Franciscan friar and opera composer

and singer. His opera Orontea was written for the carnival season of 1656,

when he was employed by the Archduke ofTyrol. Not long thereafter, Cesti

was called back to Rome by his order and installed as a tenor in the choir 

ofthe Sistine Chapel. In the opera, a beautiful young man (Alidoro) arrives

wounded at the court of queen Orontea, who soon forsakes her plans to

stay single forever. Silandra, a courtesan, is also attracted to the handsome

stranger, and in the aria “Addio Corindo” she tells her lover, Corindo, to

leave her alone, so that she may shower her favors on Alidoro.

Dario Castello was engaged as an instrumentalist at the Basilica di San

Marco in Venice, working with Monteverdi. His two books ofsonatas were

first published in the 1620s, and were reprinted many times, attesting to the 

popularity and influence ofhis compositions. “In stil moderno” (in modern

style) describes what is now called baroque style, as opposed to the older 

Renaissance style. Like most ofCastello’s sonatas, Sonata 12 comprises a

single movement, but it features strongly contrasting sections, epitomizing

the dramatic nature of early Italian baroque music.

9
The duet “Pur ti miro” is the final aria in Monteverdi’s mature opera

L’incoronazione di Poppea, composed in 1642. After Poppea has used her

sensual charms to get what she wants and Nero has removed all obstacles

between Poppea and himself(including his former wife, Ottavia, and his advisor,

the philosopher Seneca), the two join for a deceptively sincere love duet.

Monteverdi’s collection of arias titled Scherzi musicali (Musical Jokes)

includes the joyful serenade “Zefiro torna,” set over a ground bass for the

continuo. Composed for two high voices, it is often performed by two tenors,

but can be just as effective when sung by a tenor and a soprano.

As a salute to Wolfgang Ratjen, whose collection includes even more

fine German drawings than Italian ones, the performers have included one

ofthe German arias of Handel, a composer who has many Italian arias to

his credit as well. While in England and in charge ofthe Italian opera at the

Haymarket Theater in London, Handel set texts by the Hamburg senator

Barthold Heinrich Brockes, an acquaintance from his student days in Halle. 

Handel excerpted nine arias from Brockes’ complete cantata texts, Irdisches

VergniXgen in Gott (Earthly Joy in God), and set them for soprano voice,

obbligato instrument, and continuo. The aria “SiiRe Stille, sanfte Quelle”

meditates on the calming prospect of eternity.

Handel’s oratorio La Resurrezione comes from his time in Italy. It was 

produced in 1708 at the Roman palace ofthe marchese Francesco Maria

Ruspoli, Handel’s patron at the time. Documents from the archive ofthe

Fondo Ruspoli give ample detail about the production, including an elaborate

stage set. The performance was guided by the famous violinist Arcangelo

Corelli. Based primarily on the Gospel according to John, the oratorio

describes the events from Good Friday to Easter Sunday, including the story

of Christ’s descent into Hell. In the recitative “Di quai novi portent,” Saint

John the Evangelist ponders on the upheaval ofthe elements at the death of

Jesus. He then sings the aria “Ecco il sol ch’esce dal mare,” noting the rising

sun as a possible sign ofthe coming resurrection of Christ.

10

The most famous aria from Handel’s opera Xerxes is the serene “Ombra

mai fu” (Never was a shade), sung by a castrato in Handel’s time. King

Xerxes' musings are soon interrupted by a comedy of errors, and calm is not

restored until the end ofthe opera. Xerxes falls in love with Romilda, who in

turn loves his brother Arsamene. In one ofmany twists and turns ofthe plot,

Arsamene comes upon Romilda as she is about to leave, holding suitcases as

well as a love letter to Xerxes (written by his wife, who has been hiding in

men’s clothes). Romilda and Arsamene engage in a sweet brawl in the form

ofthe duet “Troppo oltraggi la mia fede.”

Perhaps surprisingly, Vivaldi’s Concerto in G Minor is not a work for a

string ensemble and one or more soloists. The term concerto was more

loosely applied by Vivaldi and his contemporaries—for example, vocal works 

that J. S. Bach titled Concerti we now call sacred cantatas. In the case of

Vivaldi’s RV 103, the instrumentation is that of a trio sonata, but the musical

form closely follows a traditional concerto structure, alternating repetitions

ofthe ritomello with contrasting musical episodes.

Haydn’s last opera, L’anima delfilosofo ossia Orfeo ed Euridice, was written

in 1791, intended for performance at the same (rebuilt) London Haymarket

Theatre where Handel had performed his Italian operas. However, the royal

patent for the theater was denied and the performance cancelled, removing

the need to apply finishing touches to the score. The first complete performance was given in Florence, Italy, in 1951. The libretto by Carlo Francesco

Badini sets the classical tone, introducing Orpheus as the savior of Eurydice, 

which he does by taming the beasts ofthe forest with an aria. In response,

Eurydice’s father, Creonte, finally gives his permission for the two to marry. 

Euridyce and Orpheus pledge eternal love to each other in the duet, “Come

il faco,” with which this evening’s concert comes to a close.

Program notes by Joseph Gascho and Ole Hass

u
Texts and Translations

Italian and German Arias from Monteverdi to Haydn

September 25, 2011

Recitative and Arias from L ’Orfeo

Music by Claudio Monteverdi; libretto by Allessando Striggio

Recitative: Vi ricorda

Orfeo

Vi ricorda, o bosch’ombrosi,

De' miei lungh’aspri tormenti,

Quando i sassi ai miei lamenti 

Rispondean fatti pietosi?

Sol per te, bella Euridice,

Benedico il mio tormento;

Dopo il duol vie piu contento,

Dopo il mal vie piu felice.

Pastore

Mira, deh mira, Orfeo, che d’ogni intomo

Ride il bosco e ride il prato.

Segui pur col plettro aurato 

D’addolcir l'aria in si beato giomo.

Messaggiera

Ahi caso acerbo, ahi fat’empio e crudele.

Ahi stelle ingiuriose, ahi ciel avaro.

Pastore

Qual suon dolente il lieto di perturba?

Messaggiera

Lassa! dunque debb’io,

Mentre Orfeo con sue note il ciel consola, 

Con le parole mie passargli il core?

Pastore

Questa e Silvia gentile,

Dolcissima compagna

Della bell’ Euridice: oh, quanto e in vista

Dolorosa! Or che fia? Deh, sommi Dei,

Non torcete da noi benigno il guardo.

Messaggiera

Pastor, lasciate il canto,

Ch’ogni nostra allegrezza in doglia e volta.

Do You Recall

Orpheus

Do you recall, o shady woods, 

my long, bitter torments, 

when the rocks, their hearts softened,

replied to my laments?

Through you alone, lovely Eurydice,

I bless my torments;

after sorrow, one is all the more content,

after woe, one is all the happier.

Shepherd

See, O see, Orpheus, how all around 

the woods and the meadow smile.

Then continue, with your golden plectmm, 

to sweeten the air on so blessed a day.

Messenger

Ah, bitter blow! Ah, wicked, cruel fate!

Ah, baleful stars! Ah, avaricious heaven!

Shepherd

What mournful sound disturbs this happy day?

Messenger

Alas! Must I then,

while Orpheus delights heaven with his music,

pierce his heart with my words?

Shepherd

This is the gentle Sylvia,

fair Eurydice's sweetest companion

Oh, what sadness is in her face!

What has happened now? Ah, ye gods above,

do not avert your kindly gaze from us!

Messenger

Shepherd, cease your singing,

for all our gaiety has turned to pain.
Orfeo

D'onde vieni? ove vai? Ninfa, che porti?

Messaggiera A te ne vengo, Orfeo,

Messaggiera infelice,

Di caso piu infelicee piu funesto:

La tua bella Euridice ...

Orfeo

Oime, che odo?

Messaggiera

La tua diletta sposa

e morta.

Orfeo

Oime!

Aria: In un fiorito prato

Messaggiera

In un fiorito prato

Con l'altre sue compagne

Giva cogliendo fiori

Per fame una ghirlandaa le sue chiome,

Quand' angue insidioso,

Ch'era fra l'erbe ascoso,

Le punse un pie con velenoso dente.

Ed ecco immantinente

Scolorirsi il bel visoe nei suoi lumi

Sparir que’ lampi, ond 'ella al sol fea scomo.

Allor noi tutte sbigottitee meste

Le fummo intomo, richiamar tentando

Gli spirti in lei smarriti

Conl’onda frescae con possenti carmi,

Ma nulla valse, ahi lassa,

Ch’ellai languidi lumi alquanto aprendo,

E te chiamando, Orfeo,

Dopo un grave sospiro,

Spiro fra queste braccia; ed io rimasi

Piena il cor di pietadee di spavento.

Orpheus

Whence do you come and whither are you 

going? Nymph, what news do you bring?

Messenger I come to you, Orpheus, 

as an ill-fated bearer oftidings 

still more ill-fated and more tragic.

Your lovely Eurydice ...

Orpheus

Alas! what doI hear?

Messenger

Your beloved bride is dead.

Orpheus

Alas!

Ina Flowery Meadow

Messenger

Ina flowery meadow,

with her other companions,

she was wandering, gathering flowers

to make ofthem

a garland for her tresses,

whena treacherous snake

that was lurking in the grass

bit her in the foot with its venomous fangs.

And lo, immediately her fair face

paled, and in her eyes that luster

with which she put the sun to shame grew dim.

Then we all, horrified and dismayed,

were around her, seeking to revive

her ebbing spirits

with cold water and powerful spells;

but alas! all was in vain,

for opening her drooping eyesa little 

and calling for you, Orpheus,

aftera deep sigh

she expired in my arms; andI was left

with my heart full ofpity and fear.

Aria: Tu se’ morta

Orfeo

Tu se’ morta, mia vita, ed io respiro?

Tu se’ da me partita

Per mai piu non tomare, ed io rimango?

No, che sei versi alcuna cosa ponno,

N’andro sicuroa’ piu profondi abissi;

E intenerito il cor del Re deH'ombre,

Meco trarrottia riveder le stelle,

O, se cio negherammi empio destino,

Rimarro teco in compagnia di morte.

Addio terra, addio cieloe sole, addio.

You Are Dead, andI Still Live?

Orpheus

You are dead, my life, andI still breathe?

You have gone from me,

never more to return, andI remain?

No, for ifmy songs have any power at all I will surely descend to the deepest abyss and,

having softened the heart ofthe King ofShadows,

will bring you back with me to see the stars again.

Or, ifmalign destiny denies me this, I will remain with you in the company of death.

Farewell, earth! Farewell, sky, and sun, farewell!

Tutto‘I di piango

Music by Jacopo Peri; text by Petrarch

All DayI Weep

TuttoT di piango,e poi la notte, quando 

Prendon riposoi miseri mortali,

Trovomi in pianto,

e raddoppiarsii mali;

Cosi spendoT mio tempo lagrimando.

All day

I weep, and then at night, when 

the miserable mortals rest, I find myselfin tears and my misfortunes double;

ThusI pass my time in weeping.

In tristo umor vo li occhi consumando, E '1 cor in doglia; e son fra li animali

L'ultimo, si che li amorosi strali

Mi tengon ad ogni or di pace in bando.

In

a sad moodI wear out my eyes,

and my heart in grief.I am the lowest 

of animals, for the loving arrows 

keep me at every hour bereft ofpeace.

Lasso, che pur da Tunal’altro sole

E da Tun’ ombra a l'altra,

6 giaT piu corso

Di questa morte che si chiama vita.

I am weary, since from one sun to the next,

and from on shadow to the next

I have already

spent most ofthis death that is called life.

Piul’altrui fallo cheT mi’ mal mi dole,

Che Pieta viva,e '1 mio fldo soccorso

Vedem’ arder nel foco,e non m'aita.

It is more the fault of another thatI grieve,

because living pity and my faithful aid 

see me on fire and do not help me.

Aria: Addio Corindo

From Oronteo

Farewell, Corindo

Music by Antonio Cesti; libretto by Giacinto Andrea Cicognini

Addio Corindo;

Rivolto ad altra sfera

Della fiamma primiera

Non si rammenta piu Fegro cor mio.

Addio, Corindo, addio.

Farewell, Corindo; I am going to another sphere:

my infirm heart no longer remembers 

that first flame.

Farewell, Corindo, farewell.

Vieni, Alidoro,

Consola chi si more,

E, temprando il mio ardore,

Godi in grembo

a SilandraI di sereni,

Vieni, mia vita.

Come, Alidoro, 

comfort one who is dying,

and appease my ardor.

Enjoy blissful days on Silandra’s breast.

Come, my life.
Aria: Pur ti miro I Gaze at You

From L ’Incoronazione di Poppea

Music by Monteverdi; libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello

Pur ti miro, Pur ti godo,

Pur ti stringo, Pur t'annodo,

Piu non peno, Piu non moro,

O mia vita, o mio tesoro.

I gaze at you, delight in you,

embrace you, wind you in my arms.

I strive no more, think no more of death,

Oh my life, my treasure.

Io son tua, tuo son io

Speme mia, dillo, di,

Tu sei pur l'idol mio

Si, mio ben, Si, mio cor, mia vita, si.

I am yours, yours am I,

my dearest, say it, say

you are the idol ofmy heart,

oh yes, my love, my heart, my life.

Zefiro Torna

Music by Monteverdi; text by Ottavio Rinuccini

Return, O Zephyr

Zefiro torna e di soavi accenti

L’aer fa grato e’il pie discioglie a l’onde

Return, O Zephyr, and with gentle motion 

Make pleasant the air and scatter the grasses 

in waves

e, mormoranda tra le verdi fronde,

fa danzar al bel suon su'l prato i fiori.

And murmuring among the green branches 

Make the flowers in the field dance to your

sweet sound;

Inghirlandato il crin Fillide e Clori Crown with a garland the heads of Phylla and 

Chloris

note temprando lor care e gioconde 

e da monti e da valli ime e profonde

raddoppian l'armonia gli antri canori.

With notes tempered by love and joy,

From mountains and valleys high and deep 

And sonorous caves that echo in harmony.

Sorge piu vaga in ciel Faurora, e’l sole, The dawn rises eagerly into the heavens and

the sun

sparge piu luci d’or; piu puro argento 

fregia di Teti il bel ceruleo manto.

Scatters rays of gold, and ofthe purest silver,

Like embroidery on the cerulean mantle of

Thetis.

Sol io, per selve abbandonate e sole,

l'ardor di due belli occhi e’l mio tormento, 

come vuol mia ventura, hor piango hor canto.

But I, in abandoned forests, am alone.

The ardor oftwo beautiful eyes is my torment; 

As my Fate wills it, now I weep, now I sing.

Susse Stille, sanfte Quelle Sweet Quietness, Gentle Source

Music by George Frideric Handel; text by Barthold Heinrich Brockes

SiiBe Stille, sanfte Quelle

Ruhiger Gelassenheit!

Selbst die Seele wird erfreut,

Wenn ich mir nach dieser Zeit

Arbeitsamer Eitelkeit

Jene Ruh’ vor Augen stelle,

Die uns ewig ist bereit.

Sweet quietness, gentle source 

of peaceful serenity!

Even my soul rejoices 

when I, after all this time 

ofself-indulging industriousness, 

contemplate the peace 

that awaits us in eternity.

Aria: Di quai novi portend What New Marvels

From La Resurrezione

Music by Handel; libretto by Carlo Sigismondo Capece

Di quai novi portenti

Ha la terra oggi ancora il sen fecondo:

Piansero gli elementi

Del lor fabbro immortal la morte fiera,

E d’un giomo che spera

Di vederlo risorto

Con gl’istessi tremori

Par che il suolo paventi i primi albori.

Ma forse dell’ inferno,

Che del Dio vincitor l’asta percosse,

Gli ultimi sforzi son, l’ultime scosse.

What new marvels does earth

yet bear within its fertile womb today?

The very elements have wept

for the cruel death oftheir immortal creator,

and this day, when we await

with hope to see him risen,

the earth shakes again

as ifit feared the dawn.

But these may be the final throes ofHell,

struck down by the spear ofthe triumphant God,

and writhing in its last struggles.

Ecco il sol ch’esce dal mare,

E piu chiaro che non suole

Smalta I prati, I colli indora.

Ma chi sa che di quell sole,

Ch’oggi in vita ha da tomare,

Questo sol non sia 1’aurora.

Ecco il sol....

Behold the sun which rises from the sea,

and, shining with unwonted brilliance,

enamels the fields and gilds the mountain-sides.

Perchance this sun may be

the herald ofthat Sun which we expect 

to rise again today, returned to life.

Behold the sun....

Duet: Troppo oltraggi la mia fede You Insult My Faithfulness

From Xerxes

Music by Handel; Anonymous libretto after Silvio Stampiglia

Romilda

Troppo oltraggi la mia fede,

Alma fiera, core ingrato!

Romilda

You insult my faithfulness, 

beastly soul, ungrateful heart!

Arsamene

Troppo inganni la mia fede,

Alma fiera, core ingrate!

Arsamene

You betray my faithfulness, 

beastly soul, ungrateful heart!

Romilda

E tiranna la mercede, che riceve

Il mio petto inamorato.

Romilda

Tyranny is the reward for 

my loving heart.

Arsamene

Non e questa la mercede, che si deve

Al mio petto inamorato.

Arsamene

This is not the right reward 

for my loving heart.
Duet: Come il foco As the Fire

From L ’Anima delfilosofo ossia Orfeo ed Euridice

Music by Joseph Haydn; libretto by Carlo Francesco Badini

Orfeo

Come il foco alio splendore 

A te unita e l’alma mia.

Il mio cor dal tuo bel core

Mai diviso son sara.

Euridice

Se per me tu senti amore,

Per te awampa Talma mia.

Il mio cor dal tuo bel core 

Mai diviso non sara.

Orfeo

Caro nume sospirato.

Euridice

Caro sposo, idolo amato.

Orfeo ed Euridice

Sento il nettare di Giova 

Che piovendo in sen mi sta.

Orfeo

Cari detti.

Euridice

Dolci affetti.

Orfeo

Io t’adoro.

Euridice

Mio tesoro.

Orfeo ed Euridice

Ne la sorte, ne la morte 

L’amor mio cangiar potra.

Orpheus

As the fire to its radiance, 

my soul is one with yours.

My heart will never be 

parted from yours.

Eurydice

If you feel love for me,

my soul blazes for you.

My heart will never be

parted from yours.

Orpheus

Dear longed-for goddess.

Eurydice

Dear spouse, beloved idol.

Both

I feel the nectar ofJupiter

raining into my breast.

Orpheus

Dear utterances,

Eurydice

Sweet affection.

Orpheus

I adore you.

Eurydice

My dearest.

Both

Neither fate nor death 

can ever change