The Greatest Love Duets & Arias of Opera

What better time spent on this Valentine’s Day than to bathe in the gifts of the operatic canon. I’ve selected only one from a given composer (i.e. we know Puccini or Verdi alone could fill an ENTIRE list). I tried to balance obvious choices with some less so. Surprisingly, none from Mozart inspired inclusion here.

Some embody a new or even first love (such as the Louise and Rigoletto selections), others a more mature, spiritual love (such as Tristan und Isolde and Die Tote Stadt). I’ve included translation excerpts in a few instances, where the text is particularly purple and ripe. I hope you enjoy this collection.

And, by all means, share your favorites, or any I missed in the comments. it was a challenge to narrow down, as you can imagine. Admittedly, the offerings are much more lean in the baroque realm, and none from modern opera <sad trombone>. And, yes, it’s terribly heteronormative, but alas, if you’re like me, you can project all sorts of fantasies onto these stories too ;-P

So, draw up a warm bubble bath, light some candles, get a great view of the stars, hop in the sack, and push <PLAY!>…

Und du wirst mein Gebieter sein (duet)
Arabella (Richard Strauss)

Depuis le jour
Louise (Charpentier)

“Since the day I gave myself my destiny seems all flower-strewn. I think I’m dreaming under a fairy sky my soul still intoxicated by your first kiss! What a beautiful life! My dream wasn’t a dream! / Oh! I’m so happy! Love is spreading its wings over me! In the garden of my heart sings a new joy!”

Ja vas lyublyu
Queen of Spades (Tchaikovsky)

O Nuit Divresse (duet)
Les Troyens (Berlioz)

“Endlessly intoxicating night of ecstasy.”

Signore ascolta
Turandot (Puccini)

“Her heart is breaking! My, how long I’ve walked with your name in my soul. With your name on these lips!”

Gluck das mir verblieb (duet)
Die tote Stadt (Erich Wolfgang Korngold)

“Joy, that near to me remains, come to me, my true love. Night sinks into the grove, you are my light and day. Anxiously beats heart on heart. Hope itself soars heavenward.”

Mild Und Leise
Tristan und Isolde (Wagner)

“Don’t you see it? Brighter and brighter how he shines, illuminated by stars rises high? …(It) sounds out of him, invades me, swings upwards, sweetly resonating rings around me? …be engulfed — unconscious — supreme delight!”

A te o cara (duet)
I Puritani (Bellini)

Caro Nome
Rigoletto (Verdi)

“Sweet name, you who made my heart throb for the first time, you must always remind me the pleasures of love! My desire will fly to you on the wings of thought and my last breath will be yours, my beloved.”

A levé toi
Romeo et Juliette (Gounod)

Dove sei
Rodelinda (Handel)

Signore deh non partire
L’Incoronazione di Poppea (Claudio Monteverdi)

Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix
Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns)

“My heart opens itself to your voice.”

Any glaring omissions, or ones you would like to add in the comments? Fire away!

Introducing: “Vinyl Divas”

I just discovered the most potent porn for any opera, LP, or LP cover design lover or fanatic: Vinyl Divas! If you’ve never had the pleasure of visiting the site, sprint there now. It’s a true well of greatness, an opiate for opera queens. For long-time aficionados, it will take you WAY back…for newbies, it will introduce you to some of THE golden and notorious recordings and singers.

I had so much fun perusing V.D. that I’ve gathered up my favorite covers out of the lot (this isn’t about the recordings themselves), and compiled them for you here. BUT, be sure to visit the site, as this is just the tip of the immense iceberg, and my aim is to honor and spread V.D.! I’ve categorized the covers here differently from the original site. (Click on the thumbnails to view them larger.)

The Paragon

Flawless styling, lighting, composition, depth of field, and Régine in her prime: slam dunk!

Worship at the Altar of Diva

These put us in a sort of trance, through the beauty, allure and irrestistability of the diva. Never have Elisabeth, Edita, or Elena looked more “like buttah.” Leontyne’s art song LP was recorded when she was a young Julliard graduate.

The Famed DIVA Totem Pole

Fanatics at SF’s “Opera in the Park”

 

I was just reminiscing with a friend about one my most fond demented personal operatic moments. In anticipation of SF Opera in the Park (1999), I wanted to come up with something to match the spirit of the lifesized cardboard Callas figure an opera queen had used to stake out his picnic site in a previous year (at right, from the EMI Unknown Recordings ad campaign). I thought…what might create some buzz, embody my fanaticism for my diva(s), and yet be practical enough to be carried down to Golden Gate Park?

My creation: the DIVA Totem Pole, which I fashioned from portraits of my top seven favorites. A friend or two were initially embarrased (especially during the morning walk into the park: a parade of shame?), but by the end of the day, I think they too fell under its irresitable spell. Once we reached Sharon Meadows, we marked our territory by posting it in the ground. We had a ball in the shadow of the totem: drinkin’, noshin’, ‘n hangin’.

The Interview

 

Thankfully, SF Chronicle Senior Writer Bob Graham was in attendance that day, and was also wooed by the totem’s magic. He did a casual on-site interview with me. The next morning, I rushed down to retrieve the newspaper from my mailbox, quickly opened the Datebook section, and was thrilled to see my local color included in his review of the day: Fresh Air and Free Arias in the Park. Best of all, it included the listing of the divaaaaahhhs, as well as my own hilarious self-billing: a “part-time professional countertenor now on sabbatical.”

The Divas

 

The totem features, from the bottom 7. Renée Fleming (with David Daniels inset), 6. Elisabeth Rethberg, 5. Christa Ludwig, 4. Montserrat Caballé, 3. Eleanor Steber, 2. Lisa Della Casa, 1. LEONTYNE PRICE. You can see, although I am also devoted to Kunst Divas, I do favor Stimm Divas, when push comes to shove. That’s right, no Callas, although I admire her art greatly!

Numbers 7 through 6 would be different now, BUT 5 though 1 would remain quite intact, and La Price would still reign supreme. I felt compelled to include a living/performing diva (and countertenor!), and was very into Renée (ie: her Eschenbach Four Last Songs recording) and Daniels at the time. Next to their portraits, it read “BONUS DIVAS: STILL ON STAGE”. Stemme, Melton, Borodina, or Baltsa would likely topple both of them now as the active divas, were I to revisit this adoration. And, Eileen Farrell would HAVE to make a climb up the totem too.

Next up…Diva Masks at SF Opera in the Park (2002)!