476 3483

ORCHESTRE

PHILHARMONIQUE

DE MONTE-CAR LO

RICHARD MILLS

Rosario

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1 La mia letizia infondere from I Lombardi alla prima crociata 2’05Music by Giuseppe Verdi 1813-1901. Words by Temistocle Solera 1815-1878.

2 Torna a Surriento 2’46

Music by Ernesto de Curtis 1875-1937, arranged by Peter Hope. Words by Giambattista De Curtis 1860-1926.

3 Pecchè? 3’07

Music by Gaetano Errico Pennino 1859-1918, arranged by Richard Mills. Words by Carlo de Flaviis 1885-?.

4 Granada 3’57

Music and words by Agustín Lara 1897-1970, arranged by Albert Guinovart.

5 Se quel guerrier io fossi!...Celeste Aidafrom Aida 4’54Music by Giuseppe Verdi. Words by Antonio Ghislanzoni 1824-1893.

6 Addio, fiorito asil from Madama Butterfly 1’48

Music by Giacomo Puccini 1858-1924. Words by Luigi Illica 1857-1919 and Giuseppe Giacosa 1847-1906.

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£ Questa o quella from Rigoletto 1’56

Music by Giuseppe Verdi. Words by Francesco Maria Piave 1810-1876.

$ Maria Marì 2’52

Music by Eduardo Di Capua 1865-1917, arranged by Richard Mills. Words by Vincenzo Russo 1876-1904.

% O Holy Night 3’52

Music by Adolphe Adam 1803-1856. Original French words by Placide Cappeau 1808-1877. English words by John Sullivan Dwight 1812-1893.

^ You Are My Heart’s Delight from The Land of Smiles 3’11

Music by Franz Lehár 1870-1948. Original German words by Ludwig Herzer 1872-1939and Fritz Löhner 1883-1942. English words by Harry Graham 1874-1936.

ROSARIO LA SPINA tenorOrchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo

(Lisa Kerob leader)RICHARD MILLS conductor

7 Tu, ca nun chiagne! 2’42

Music by Ernesto de Curtis, arranged by Richard Mills. Words by Libero Bovio 1883-1942.

8 Nessun dorma from Turandot 2’58

Music by Giacomo Puccini. Words by Giuseppe Adami 1878-1946 and Renato Simoni 1875-1952.

9 Recitar! mentre preso dal delirio…Vesti la giubba from Pagliacci 3’31Music and words by Ruggero Leoncavallo 1857-1919.

0 O paese d ’ ’o sole 3’00

Music by Vincenzo d’Annibale 1894-1950, arranged by Richard Mills. Words by Libero Bovio.

! Core ’ngrato 4’40

Music by Salvatore Cardillo 1874-1947, arranged by Richard Mills. Words by Riccardo Cordiferro 1875-1940.

@ Ah sì, ben mio from Il trovatore 2’69

Music by Giuseppe Verdi. Words by Leone Emanuele Bardare 1820-1874and Salvatore Cammarano 1801-1852.

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The General Manager, Rudolf Bing, who ruled the Metropolitan

Opera in New York from 1950 to 1972, made the following

surprising statement:

The reason tenors demand so much money is because the

timbre of their voice is a sexual stimulant.

While this remains a statement to be pro ved conclusively,

it is not an unfair claim that the tenor v oice, particularly in

romantic opera, has the capacity to excite and thrill audiences

more than any other vocal type. The brilliance and sheer power

of the tone as a tenor ascends to the higher notes may indeed

increase his wage-earning capacity and the great tenor s of the

Italian and German schools earned vast amounts of money at

the peak of their careers.

For rising star Rosario La Spina, however, the career shift from

bricklayer to opera singer was not a matter of money: ‘Once

the music grabs you, it doesn’t let you go. It was always

smouldering inside me, even though I didn ’t realise it.’ In fact,

his new vocation demanded an abrupt straitening of

circumstances, waving farewell to his weekly pay packet and

embracing the poverty of student living. The gamble paid off,

and Rosario is now in demand at opera houses around the

world, from La Scala in Milan to the Sydney Opera House.

This is the land of sun,

this is the land of the sea,

this is the land where all words,

whether sweet or bitter,

are words of love!from O paese d’ ’o sole

volume. The result was a decline in the use ofcoloratura – fast, brilliantly agile singing – in allvocal types except the highest and brightestsopranos. A glorious top C in chest voiceconsequently became (and still remains) one ofthe important goals for the tenor in romanticopera and certainly an important element in theaudience’s appraisal of a tenor ’s performance.

Perhaps the greatest composer of Italian operawas Giuseppe Verdi. The tenor voice by this timehad become associated with romanticcharacters, and even in his early operas, churnedout to keep up with public demand, Verdi gavethe tenor an important part to play. Many ofthese works have only fairly recently returned tothe regular repertory, but selected items havenever disappeared from the concert repertoire ofthe operatic tenor. Amongst these is the aria Lamia letizia infondere, from Verdi’s fourth opera,I Lombardi alla prima crociata (1843). It is sungby the young Oronte, son of the Saracen r uler ofAntioch, who has fallen in love with the Christianprisoner Giselda.

In Rigoletto (1851), the tenor is no longer thetypical good guy leading man of romantic opera.The opera is based on a pla y by Victor Hugo, Leroi s’amuse, and the character of the Duke ofMantua was based on the historical figure of theFrench king, Francis I. The Duke is rich, powerful,charming and utterly unscrupulous when itcomes to indulging his interest in w omen; whenhe sets his sights on Gilda, the daughter of his

servant, the jester Rigoletto, he unleashes atrain of vengeance, love and loyalty that will endin Gilda’s death and Rigoletto’s despair. TheDuke, however, escapes scot-free, still revellingin the condescending attitude to womendisplayed at the beginning of the opera in thecharming, elegant music of Questa o quella.

Verdi’s Il trovatore (1853) is an opera that givesthe old closed forms of bel canto one finaldazzling workout. It had been traditional toprovide major characters with at least one formalaria that consisted of a slow, lyrical cavatinafollowed by a fast concluding movement knownas a cabaletta. The aria Ah sì, ben mio is abeautiful example of a cavatina in triple time,with a cantilena that allows the tenor to exhibithis lyrical powers with cadences that arereminiscent of the elegance of Mozart. Manrico,the troubadour of the opera’s title, is in love withLeonora – the two are about to be mar ried asManrico sings this tender, passionate declarationof his feelings – but she has been claimed b y theCount di Luna. The hatred between the two menis fuelled by more than lovers’ rivalry: Manrico isthe son of Azucena, the gypsy woman who killedthe Count’s infant brother in revenge for thekilling of her mother – or so it is belie ved.Leonora ultimately takes her own life rather thansubmit to the Count; he in his jealous rage hasManrico executed, and Azucena reveals intriumph that Manrico was in fact the Count’smissing brother: her mother is avenged at last.

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Tenor voices may be divided into the followingcategories:

Leggero: A light voice specialising in roles withcoloratura and music with a high tessit ura; rolesinclude Almaviva in The Barber of Seville, Elvinoin La sonnambula, Fenton in Falstaff

Lyric: Slightly heavier in quality than a leggerotenor; musically less extensive in range(The Duke in Rigoletto, Alfredo in La Traviata )

Spinto: A voice with the brightness and range ofa lyric tenor but with greater v ocal weight and adarker timbre (Oronte in I Lombardi, Manrico in Il trovatore, Radamès in Aïda, Pinkerton inMadama Butterfly, Canio in Pagliacci )

Dramatic: A very powerful ringing sound with arange generally not as extensive as the lightertypes. This is nowadays a very rare vocal type.(Calaf in Turandot, Otello)

It is not uncommon for a tenor to start life as alyric and gradually progress into spinto and e vendramatic repertoire as his voice becomes darkerand heavier. That was Caruso’s experience, and itis certainly the case with Rosario La Spina: whilenot abandoning the spinto and lyric roles inwhich he gained his earliest successes, he isgradually turning towards the coveted dramaticroles of the Italian repertory. This albumshowcases not only the qualit y of his voice, butalso the breadth of his career to date, from TheDuke in Rigoletto to Calaf in Turandot.

There are of course great singers of man ynationalities, but it is the tenors of the It alianschool who have become firm favourites in theminds and hearts of the public: whether born inItaly, like Enrico Caruso, Beniamino Gigli andLuciano Pavarotti, or trained in the It aliantraditions, like Jussi Björling and PlácidoDomingo. The great school of Italian tenorsactually started with a Frenchman, Gilbert LouisDuprez, who was officially the first tenor toexecute a top C in chest voice; this he introducedinto a performance of Rossini’s William Tell inArnold’s cabaletta ‘Amis, secondez la vengeance’.

This top C created a sensation with the public,who marvelled at the clarion-like quality, whilethe composer complained that such a sound hadnot been his intention and likened it to the noiseof a capon getting its throat cut! The originalcreator of the role of Arnold, Adolphe Nourrit,who like other tenors had always taken the highnotes as a mix of head and c hest tones, was indespair seeing the public’s enthusiasm for thenew technique. Resolving to discover this newtechnique of producing high notes, he embark edon a series of lessons with Doniz etti in Italywhich proved so disastrous that he committedsuicide in 1839.

With the development of the 19th-centuryorchestra with its bigger numbers andconsequent capacity to produce more colourful(and louder) effects, the need arose for voices tocompete, armed with greater brightness and

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left incomplete at the time of the composer’sdeath in 1924, premiered in 1926 as completedby Franco Alfano) has survived its use as atheme song for soccer World Cup Finals andtalent show contestants. However, the aria’spopularity due to its exposure in mass mediaevents has increased the public’s enthusiasm forthe opera itself, which is now included amongstthe dozen most performed operas in the currentrepertory – a ranking that would have beenconsidered unthinkable only 50 years ago. Thestory is set in imperial China: the princess,Turandot, is a dazzling beauty with a heart of ice,who requires of her many suitors that theyanswer three riddles before she will consent tomarry them; if they answer incorrectly, they arebeheaded. Calaf is the first to ha ve passedTurandot’s grisly test, and she is incandescentwith rage at the prospect of having to marryhim, but Calaf offers her a way out: until now, hehas kept his identity secret, but if the princesscan discover his name before morning, he willsubmit to the executioner’s axe. Turandot ordersher subjects to work through the night to tr y tofind the answer, on pain of death; Calaf,however, is confident that when the morningcomes, he will be victorious (Nessun dorma –‘None shall sleep’).

The great 20th-century operetta composer FranzLehár considered his leading man, the tenorRichard Tauber, to be an indispensible ingredientin the success of his latest piece. Solos w ere

conceived with the singer ’s voice in mind andcollectively designated by the composer as‘Tauber-Lieder’. In their day, these operettaswere performed throughout Europe in everyconceivable language and were much admiredby no less a person than Giacomo P uccini. TheLand of Smiles (1929) – in the original German,Das Land des Lächelns – is the tale of a lovewhich does not survive the strains of trying tostraddle two cultures. Prince Sou-Chong hasfallen in love with an Austrian countess andbrought her back to live with him in China; she,though deeply in love with him, is accustomedto the freedoms of life in the West and findsChinese society intolerable. Eventually shereturns to her homeland, leaving Sou-Chongalone to conceal his sorrow beneath a smile, ascustom requires. The operetta is a reworking ofan earlier, less successful piece entitled Dergelbe Jacke (The Yellow Jacket) and the songDein ist mein ganzes Herz, a highlight of thenew version, was originally based on a smallpiece of incidental music from the earlier piece.It became one of Tauber’s signature tunes and inperformance he would give multiple encores invarious European languages. It is performedhere in English as You Are My Heart’s Delight.

The genre of Italian popular song has much tothank for the mediums of recording and radio inensuring its fame worldwide. Less subtle thanthe arie antiche of the 17th and 18th centuries,certainly less sophisticated than the art song of

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By the time of the composition of Aïda (1871),Verdi had shaken off the formal restraints of thebel canto operatic forms and no longer required afast movement to follow a slow aria. The ariaCeleste Aida occurs at the beginning of theopera, where it is sung by Radamès, the Egyptiancommander who harbours a secret passion forthe ‘heavenly Aida’, an Ethiopian princess whohas been taken prisoner by the Egyptians and isnow a slave. She is also in love with him, but thetwo will be united only in death, when Radamèsis buried alive for helping the Ethiopians, and Aidasneaks into his tomb to die in his arms. The operawas written to mark the opening of the KhedivialOpera House in Cairo. Verdi was not able toattend, but he made it clear that he was nothappy that the event was to be open only toofficials, and closed to the general public. Thepublic performances in Milan which hesupervised the following year were, as far asVerdi was concerned, the opera’s true premiere.

By the end of the 19th century, Italian operaturned towards subjects that were more realisticin manner and occasionally even contemporaryin setting. To match subjects that were morepassionate in nature than earlier operas, adifferent vocal approach was required from thesingers that frequently demanded a morepassionate delivery which even extended tospoken, shouted or sobbed effects – devicesthat never would have been dreamed of in a bel canto opera.

Leoncavallo claimed that his opera Pagliacci (1892)was based on a real-life incident where an actorhad stabbed his wife in a jealous rage: a case triedby the composer’s magistrate father. The ariaVesti la giubba allows the performer to show therange of the new verismo vocal techniques toconvey the clown Canio’s despair upon finding thathis wife Nedda is unfaithful to him.

The role of Lieutenant Pinkerton in MadamaButterfly (1904) was originally conceived byPuccini for the talents of the dramatic tenorGiovanni Zenatello, whose extensive voiceallowed the composer to unleash a largeromantic-sized orchestra freely. As is wellknown, the premiere of the opera at the Teatroalla Scala in Milan was an outstanding debacle;the aria Addio fiorito asil was added to the lastact of a revised version that launched the operato worldwide fame a few months later. It is sungby Pinkerton near the end of the opera: he hasreturned to Japan after three years to discoverthat the marriage which he had dismissed as anamusing exotic episode was, in the eyes of hisyoung Japanese wife, a life-long commitment,heart and soul. She has been w aiting for himpatiently and faithfully; he has brought with himhis new, American, ‘real’ wife. Pinkerton, at lastrealising that he has been playing withButterfly’s life rather than his own fantasies, isoverwhelmed by guilt and self-loathing.

As a testament to its greatness and durabilit y,the aria Nessun dorma from Turandot (an opera

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other European nations, Italian song has becomealmost exclusively associated with the tenorvoice and is now an indispensable part of everyoperatic tenor’s repertoire as an uninhibiteddemonstration of a singer ’s vocal powers.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Italianmusic publishing houses profited from thepopularity of Neapolitan song. With massemigration of Italians seeking their fortunes inother parts of the globe trying to establish abetter future for their families, Italian songsprovided an indispensable link to the old w orld –a popularity that was boosted with thedevelopment of the gramophone.

Amongst the many composers who wrote in thegenre, special mention must be made ofErnesto de Curtis whose songs such as Torna aSurriento (1902) and Tu ca nun chiagne! (1915)rank amongst the most beloved by singers andaudiences. Many singers recorded versions ofthese songs, none more notable than EnricoCaruso who was the dedicatee of SalvatoreCardillo’s Core ’ngrato and who made the firstdiscs of many Neapolitan songs which were sold worldwide.

Copyright was a significant issue for many of thecomposers writing these songs. Eduardo diCapua, for example, lived a hand-to-mouthexistence despite turning out some of the mostpopular pieces of the genre including O sole mioand Maria Marì, for which he sold the rights in

order to survive. Even though he witnessed theworldwide popularity of his music during hislifetime, he died in 1920 in extreme poverty.Other composers such as Gaetano Pennino(Pecchè?) and Vincenzo d’Annibale (O paese d’’o sole), who wrote almost exclusively in thefield of popular song, were cannier financiallyand made significant fortunes from theircompositions.

Although he never set foot in the city, Mexicancomposer Augustin Lara scored a worldwide hitwith Granada. While he went on to write manysongs that became popular and film scores, thissong extolling the beauty of the Spanish city andits surroundings has attracted singers fromvarying vocal disciplines including Frankie Laineand Frank Sinatra.

Adolphe Adam’s Cantique de Nöel remains themost popular of the composer ’s non-theatricalcompositions. Composed in 1847 and betterknown in English as O Holy Night, it holds thedistinction of being the first piece of musicknown to have been broadcast on radio, on 24December 1906 in a version played on the violin.

Andrew Greene

Oronte:1 La mia letizia infondere I wish I could pour my joy

Vorrei nel suo bel core; into her lovely heart;Vorrei destar coi palpiti I wish that the throbbingDel mio beato amore of my blissful love could awakenTante armonie nell’etere, as many harmonies in the heavensQuanti pianeti egli ha; as there are planets;Ir seco al cielo ed ergermi ah, to go with her to hea ven and ascendDove mortal non va! where mortals may not go!

Torna a Surriento2 Vide ’o mare quant’è bello, Look at the sea, how beautiful it is,

Spira tantu sentimento, stirring so many feelings,Comme tu a chi tiene mente, just as you do to the man who thinks of y ouCa scetato ’o faie sunnà. making him dream even when he is awake!

Guarda, gua’, chistu ciardino; Look at these gardens,Siente, sie’ sti sciure arance: smell the orange blossoms,Nu profumo accussi fino a fragrance so fineDinto ‘o core se ne va… it goes straight to the heart.

E tu dice: ‘I’ parto, addio!’ And you say: ‘I am leaving, farewell!’T’alluntane da stu core… You would go far from my heart,Da sta terra de l’ammore… from this land of love…Tiene ’o core ’e nun turnà? If you have a heart, how can you not return?

Ma nun me lassà, But don’t leave me,Nun darme stu turmiento! don’t torment me so!Torna a Surriento, Come back to Sorrento,Famme campà! and let me live!

Pecchè?3 Canta ll’auciello dint’ ’a casa antica A bird is singing in the old house

Addó’ primma cantave pure tu... where once you used to sing…E sento pure ’a voce ’e n’ata amica and I hear the voice of another loveCa mme cunziglia ’e nun te penzá cc hiù!... advising me not to think of y ou any more.

Carmè’.. Carmè…Si aggio lassato a mamma mia pe ’ te, Since I left my mother for you,Si t’hê pigliato ’a primma giuventù... you took away the prime of my youth…Pecché, nun tuorne a me!? why won’t you come back to me?

Mme pare ca è cagnata ’sta fenesta It seems to me that this windo w has changed’A dó’ vuttaste ’o primmo sciore a me. since you stood there and threw the first

flower to me.E n’ata rosa, ’a dint’a n’ata testa, And another rose, in another head,Mo mme cunziglia ’e nun penzá cchiù a te... is telling me not to think of y ou any more.

Granada4 Granada, tierra soñada por mi, Granada, land of my dreams,

Mi cantar se vuelve gitano my song turns gypsyCuando es para ti. when I sing it to you.Mi cantar, hecho de fantasia; My song, woven of fantasyMi cantar, flor de melancolia, my song, a flower of melancholyQue yo te vengo a dar. that I have come to offer you.Granada, tierra ensangrentada Granada, land drenched in bloodEn tardes de toros, from afternoons of bullfighting,Mujer que conserva el embrujo a woman who keeps the spellDe los ojos moros. of Moorish eyes.De sueno, rebelde, gitana Land of dreams, a rebel, a gypsyCubierta de flores, covered with flowers,Y beso tu boca de grana, and I kiss your scarlet mouth,Jugosa manzana a juicy appleQue me habla de amores. that speaks to me of love.Granada, manola, cantada Granada, sung

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En coplas preciosas, in precious coupletsNo tengo otra cosa que darte I have nothing to give youQue un ramo de rosas, except a bouquet of roses,De rosas de suave fragancia delicately perfumed rosesQue le dieran marco a la Virgen morena. worthy to adorn the brown-skinned Virgin.Granada, tu tierra esta llena Granada, your soil is fullDe lindas mujeres, de sangre y de sol. of lovely women, blood and sun.

Radamès:5 Se quel guerrier io fossi! If only I were that warrior!

Se il mio sogno si avverasse! If only my dream might come true!Un esercito di prodi da me guidato An army of brave men with me at their head,E la vittoria e il plauso di Menfi t utta! and victory, and the acclaim of all Memphis!E a te, mia dolce Aïda, And to return to you, my sweet Aida,Tornar di lauri cinto crowned with laurel,Dirti: per te ho pugnato, and to say to you: for you have I fought,Per te ho vinto! for you have I conquered!

Celeste Aïda, forma divina, Heavenly Aida, divine form,Mistico serto di luce e fior, mystical garland of light and flowers,Del mio pensiero tu sei regina, you are the queen of my thoughts,Tu di mia vita sei lo splendor. the splendour of my life.Il tuo bel cielo vorrei ridarti, I would like to return your beautiful sky to you,Le dolci brezze del patrio suol the sweet breezes of your homeland,Un regal serto sul crin posarti, to place a royal garland on your brow,Ergerti un trono vicino al sol! and raise up a throne for you, beside the sun.

Pinkerton:6 Addio, fiorito asil di letizia e d’amor! Farewell, flower-filled refuge of joy and love!

Sempre il mite tuo sembiante To see your little face will alwaysCon strazio atroce vedrò. pierce me with cruel torment.Addio, fiorito asil, Farewell, flower-filled refuge,non reggo al tuo squallor. I cannot bear your misery.Fuggo, fuggo, ah, son vil! I must flee, ah, I am vile!

Tu, ca nun chiagne!7 Comm’è bella ’a muntagna stanotte... How lovely the mountain is tonight…

Bella accussí, nun ll’aggio vista maje! I’ve never seen it so beautiful!N’ánema pare, rassignata e stanca, It’s like a tired, resigned soulSott’ ’a cuperta ’e chesta luna janca... under the cover of this white moon…

Tu ca nun chiagne e chiágnere mme faje, You who do not weep, you who make me weep,Tu, stanotte, addó’ staje? where are you tonight?Voglio a te! I want to be with you!Chist’uocchie te vonno, n’ata vota, vedé! These eyes want to see you again!

Comm’è calma ’a muntagna stanotte... How calm the mountain is tonight…Cchiù calma ’e mo, nun ll’aggio vist a maje! I’ve never seen it calm like this before!E tutto dorme, tutto dorme o more, And everything is asleep, asleep or dead,E i’ sulo veglio, pecché veglia Ammore... and only I am awake, because Love keeps vigil…

Calaf:8 Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma! None shall sleep! None shall sleep!

Tu pure, o Principessa, Ah, Princess, you tooNella tua fredda stanza in your cold roomGuardi le stelle che tremano are watching the stars trembleD’amore e di speranza! with love and hope!Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me, But I hold my secret hidden within,Il nome mio nessun saprà. no-one shall know my name!No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò, No, no, I will speak it on y our lips

1716

Quando la luce splenderà! when the glory of morning dawns!Ed il mio bacio scioglierà And my kiss shall breakIl silenzio che ti fa mia! the silence which makes you mine.Dilegua, o notte! Tramontate, stelle! Depart, O night! Set, you stars!All’alba vincerò! Vincerò! Vincerò! At dawn I shall win! I shall win! I shall win!

Canio:9 Recitar!... mentre preso dal delirio! Perform! When you’re so delirious

Non so piu quel che dico e quel che faccio! you don’t know what you’re saying or doing!Eppur...e d’uopo...sforzati! And yet… You have to… Force yourself!Bah, sei tu forse un uom? Bah, do you think yourself a man?Tu sei Pagliaccio! You’re Pagliaccio the clown!

Vesti la giubba e la faccia infarina. Put on the costume and powder your face.La gente paga e rider vuole qua. The people pay, and they want to laugh.E se Arlecchin t’invola Colombina, And if Harlequin should steal your Columbine,Ridi, Pagliaccio... e ognun applaudira! laugh, Pagliaccio… and everyone will applaud!Tramuta in lazzi lo spasmo ed il pianto; Turn the stabs of pain and the tears into jokes;In una smorfia il singhiozzo e’l dolor... the sobs and the sorrow into a funny face…Ridi, Pagliaccio, sul tuo amore infranto! Laugh, Pagliaccio, over your broken love!Ridi del duol che t’avvelena il cor! Laugh from the suffering that poisons your heart!

O paese d’ ’o sole0 Ogge stó’ tanto allero Today I’m so happy

Ca, quase quase, mme mettesse a chiagnere that I almost feel like cryingPe’ ’sta felicitá... for happiness…Ma è overo o nun è overo But is it true, can it be trueCa só’ turnato a Napule? that I have come back to Naples?Ma è overo ca stó’ ccá? Is it true that I am here?’O treno steva ancora ’int’ ’a stazione The train was still in the stationQuanno aggio ’ntiso ’e primme manduline... when I first heard the mandolins…

Chist’è ’o paese d’ ’o sole, This is the land of sun,Chist’è ’o paese d’ ’o mare, this is the land of the sea,Chist’è ’o paese addó’ tutt’ ’e pparole, this is the land where all w ords,Só’ doce o só’ amare, whether sweet or bitter,Só’ sempe parole d’ammore! are words of love!

’Sta casa piccerella, This little house,’Sta casarella mia ’ncoppo Pusilleco, my little house far about Posilipo,Luntano, chi t’ ’a dá?... who gave it to you?’Sta casa puverella, This simple little house,Tutt’addurosa ’anèpeta, perfumed with mint –Se putarría pittá: lovely enough to paint,A ccá nu ciardeniello sempe ’nfiore with its little garden always in flowerE de rimpetto ’o mare, sulo ’o mare! overlooking the sea, nothing but the sea!

Core ’ngrato! Core, core ’ngrato, Ungrateful heart,

T’aie pigliato ’a vita mia, you stole my life away;Tutt’è passato e nun’nce pienze cchiù! now that it’s over, you don’t give me

another thought!Catarì, Catarì, Catarì, Catarì,Pecchè me dici sti parole amare; why do you speak such bitter words to me?Pecchè me parle why does my heart torment meE ’o core me turmiente, Catarì? when you speak to me, Catarì?Nun te scurdà ca t’aggio date ’o core, Don’t forget that I gave my heart to you,Catarì, nun te scurdà! Catarì, don’t forget!Catarì, Catarì, che vene a dicere stu parlà Catarì, Catarì, why do you say these thingsCa me dà spaseme? that cause me such agony?Tu nun’nce pienze a stu dulore mio, You never think about my suffering,Tu nun’nce pienze, tu nun te ne cure. you never think about it, you don’t care.Core, core ’ngrato, Ungrateful heart,T’aie pigliato ’a vita mia, you stole my life away;Tutt’è passato e nun’nce pienze cchiù! now that it’s over, you don’t give me

another thought!

1918

Manrico:@ Ah sì, ben mio; coll’essere Ah yes, my love: when I am your consort

Io tuo, tu mia consorte, and you are mine,Avrò più l’alma intrepida, my soul will be braver,Il braccio avrò più forte. my arm stronger.Ma pur, se nella pagina And yet, if it is writtenDe’ miei destini è scritto in the pages of my destinyCh’io resti fra le vittime, that I am to remain among the victims,Dal ferro ostil trafitto, pierced by an enemy sword,Fra quegli estremi aneliti in those final momentsA te il pensier verrà, my thoughts will fly to you,E solo in ciel precederti and death, to me, will be nothing moreLa morte a me parrà! than reaching heaven before you!

The Duke:£ Questa o quella per me pari sono This woman, that woman – to me they’re

just likeA quant’altre d’intorno mi vedo, so many others I see all around me.Del mio core l’impero non cedo I won’t surrender my heartMeglio ad una che ad altre belta. to one beauty over any other.La costoro avvenenza è qual dono Their charm is a giftDi che il fato ne infiora la vit a; from fate, to make their lives more pleasant;S’oggi questa mi torna gradita, if today it’s this one who appeals to me,Forse un’altra doman lo sarà. maybe it will be a different one tomorrow.

La costanza, tiranna del core, Constancy is the heart’s tyrant;Detestiamo, qual morbo crudele, I hate it like a cruel disease.Sol chi vuole si serbi fedele; Let those who want, keep themselves faithful;Non v’ha amor se non v’è libertà. there’s no love without freedom.De’ i mariti il geloso furore, I laugh at the jealous rages of husbandsDegli amanti le smanie derido, and the woes of lovers;Anco d’Argo i cent’occhi disfido I’ll defy even Argus with his hundred eyesSe mi punge una qualche beltà. if a beautiful girl t akes my fancy.

Maria Marì$ Arápete fenesta! Open the window!

Famme affacciá a Maria, Let me see Maria face to face –Ca stóngo ’mmiez’â via... here I am, standing in the middle of the roadSperuto da vedé... desperate to see her…Nun trovo n’ora ’e pace: I can’t get an hour ’s peace:’A notte ’a faccio juorno, night and day are the same to me,Sempe pe’ stá ccá attuorno, always waiting here,Speranno ‘e ce parlá! hoping to speak to her!

Ah Maria, Marì, Oh, Maria, Maria,Quanta suonno ca perdo pe’ te! how much sleep I’ve lost over you!Famme addurmí, Let me fall asleep,Abbracciato nu poco cu te! holding you in my arms for a little!Oje Marì, oje Marì! Oh Maria, Maria!

Pare che giá s’arape It looks like one of the shuttersNa sénga ’e fenestella... is opening…Maria cu ’a manella, Maria is waving her handNu segno a me mme fa! at me!Sòna chitarra mia! Come, my guitar: play out!Maria s’è scetata!... Maria is awake!Na scicca serenata, I’ll get her listeningFacímmole sentí. with a lively serenade.

O Holy Night% O holy night, the stars are brightly shining.

It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth;Long lay the world in sin and error pining,Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.Fall on your knees! O hear the angel v oices!

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O night divine! O night when Christ w as born.

Truly he taught us to love one another;His law is love and his gospel is peace.Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother,And in his name all oppression shall cease.Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,Let all within us praise his holy name.Fall on your knees! O hear the angel v oices!O night divine! O night when Christ w as born.

Prince Sou-Chong:^ You are my heart’s delight,

And where you are, I long to be!You make my darkness bright, When like a star you shine on me.Shine, then, my whole life through:Your life divine bids me hope anewThat dreams of mine may at last come trueAnd I shall hear you whisper, ‘I love you.’

In dreams when night is fallingI seem to hear you callingFor you have cast a net around meAnd ’neath a magic spell hath bound me,Yours, yours alone.A wondrous air is your beautiful hair;Bright as a summer sky is the light in your eyes;Soft as a turtle dove is the voice of my love.

as Radamès in Aida(Seattle Opera)

as Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto (Opera Australia)

as Pinkertonin Madama Butterfly(Opera Australia)

Rosario La Spina Rosario La Spina trained at the QueenslandConservatorium of Music, continuing hisstudies at the Royal Northern College ofMusic in Manchester under the tutelage ofJoseph Ward OBE. During this period, hemade guest appearances as Arturo in Lucia diLammermoor at the Stadttheater Bern inSwitzerland, and as a soloist in opera g alaswith the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast and theCairo Symphony Orchestra in Egypt.

Having gained first prize in the tenorcompetition held at the La Scala Academy in2000, Rosario La Spina embarked on theAcademy’s two-year Young Singers’ Course,where he studied with Luciana Serra and LeylaGencer. This culminated in his La Scala debutas The Messenger in Samson and Delilah,where he appeared with Placido Domingo andOlga Borodina. In 2002, Rosario La Spina wonfirst prize in the Mario Del MonacoInternational Opera Competition and made hisprincipal role debut at La Scala as Riccardo inVerdi’s Oberto, reprising the role in Genoa.

The following year saw his debut at the VerdiFestival in Parma’s Teatro Regio as Arvino (I Lombardi) – he also covered the role ofManrico (Il trovatore) for Welsh NationalOpera and appeared as Alfredo (La traviata)in Modena and Luigi ( Il tabarro) in Osaka. In2004, he sang The Duke (Rigoletto)

for New Zealand Opera, Cavaradossi (Tosca)under Richard Hickox at the St EndellionFestival, and Canio (Pagliacci) with the TaipeiSymphony Orchestra, as well as touringSpain in concert with the Parma Ensemble.He made his Opera Australia debut in 2005 asCavaradossi and has subsequently appearedas The Prince (The Love for Three Oranges),Alfredo, Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), ThePrince (Rusalka), Calaf (Turandot), Rodolfo (La bohème) and in the title role of The Talesof Hoffmann. Other operatic engagementshave included Alfredo and Pinkerton for WestAustralian Opera and, in 20 07, his Americandebut as Rodolfo for Seattle Opera.

Rosario La Spina has also been a regularguest soloist with Australia’s leadingsymphony orchestras. In 2009, he performedthe tenor solos in Verdi’s Requiem with TheQueensland Orchestra under JohannesFritzsch, and with the Adelaide SymphonyOrchestra under Arvo Volmer. Recent andforthcoming appearances include Pinkertonand Don José (Carmen) in Sydney andMelbourne, Radamès (Aida) in Toronto, Seattle,Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, andHoffmann in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

Recent recordings include Puccini Romance(with soprano Antoinette Halloran and TheQueensland Orchestra) and the DVD releaseClassical Spectacular (with baritone JoséCarbó and the Melbourne SymphonyOrchestra), both on the ABC Classics label.

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Japan. The Orchestra Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon,Decca, EMI Classics and Phillips, all receiv edfavourably by the international press, and inmany cases earning prestigious prizes.

In December of 2003, under the direction ofMarek Janowski and together with the BerlinRadio Symphony Orchestra plus the Berlin andLeipzig Radio Choirs, the OrchestrePhilharmonique de Monte-Carlo performed theBerlioz Requiem, first in the Berlin Cathedral andthen in Monaco’s Grimaldi Forum. March 2007brought a new musical meeting for theOrchestra’s anniversary season, with amemorable interpretation of Schoenberg’sGurrelieder in conjuction with the Berlin RadioSymphony Orchestra, the Berlin and LeipzigRadio Choruses and an array of internationalvocal soloists, at the Grimaldi Forum and in thehistoric Berlin Philharmonie concert hall.

The Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo ispresided over by H.R.H. The Princess of Hanover.It enjoyed the support and encouragement ofPrince Rainier III throughout the duration of hisreign and its musicians will always rememberhim fondly. Now that Prince Albert II has takenover his father’s position, the Orchestra offershim its full confidence and esteem, whilepursuing its chosen purpose in accordance withhis will: to preserve its authenticity and, at thesame time, look toward the future with adynamic policy of development.

The Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlobenefits from the support of EFG Bank, theSociété des Bains de Mer and the Association of Friends of the Orchestra.

Richard Mills Richard Mills is one of Australia’s most sought-after composers and music directors, and haspursued a diverse career as a composer,conductor and artistic director which has seenhim working with almost all of the nation’smusic organisations.

Currently, he is Artistic Director of the WestAustralian Opera, a post he has held since 1 997.From 2002 to 2008 he was Director of theAustralian Music Project for the TasmanianSymphony Orchestra. In 2007/8, as well as beingawarded an Ian Potter Foundation Fellowship, heconducted the Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmanian

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Orchestre Philharmoniquede Monte-CarloFounded in 1856, the Orchestra Philharmoniquede Monte-Carlo has enjoyed wide internationalrecognition and the honour of working withmany of the world’s finest conductors: Sabata,Toscanini, Richard Strauss, Mitropoulos, BrunoWalter, Cluytens, Ancerl, Bernstein, Münch,Sawallisch, Jochum, Giulini, Kubelik, Kondrashin,Maazel, Mehta, Solti and many others.

The list of its Musical Directors includes PaulParay, Igor Markevitch, Lovro von Matačić,Lawrence Foster, Gianluigi Gelmetti, JamesDePreist and Marek Janowski. Yakov Kreizberg isthe current Artistic Director.

Since 1953 the ‘Orchestre National de l’Opérade Monte-Carlo’, renamed ‘Orchestre

Philharmonique’ in 1980, has played a major rolein support of contemporary operatic,choreographic and symphonic composition. La Damnation de Faust (Berlioz), L’Enfant et lesSortilèges (Ravel) and Pénélope (Fauré) werecreated in Monaco.

In the year 2000, Marek Janowski’s nominationto the position of Artistic Director brought anincrease in the number of permanent musiciansto a total of 100. He was also responsible for anartistic evolution entailing more audaciousprogramming: Messiaen’s Des canyons auxétoiles… and Turangalîla-Symphonie, concertversions of Strauss’ Elektra and Wagner’sParsifal and works by Dutilleux, Jolas, Canat de Chizy, Henze, Pärt, Penderecki, Sciarrino and Zimmermann.

Since 1956 the Orchestra has participated inmajor festivals in Europe, the USA, Korea and

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Executive Producers Martin Buzacott, Robert

Patterson (ABC Classics), Cyrus Meher-Homji

(Universal Music Australia)

Recording Producer Tim Oldham

Associate Producer Cyrus Meher-Homji

Recording Engineer Sylvain Denis

Consultant Elisabeth Turner

Editorial and Production Manager Hilary Shrubb

Publications Editor Natalie Shea

Booklet Design Imagecorp Pty Ltd

Cover Photograph Paul Gosney

Photography Paul Gosney (Rosario La Spina),

OPMC/Marco Borggreve (Orchestre Philharmonique

de Monte-Carlo), Rachel Hirsch (Richard Mills),

Rozarii Lynch (top, p21), Branco Gaica (middle, p21),

Jeff Busby (bottom, p21)

Hair and Make-up Garry Siutz

Recorded 9-13 September 2008 in the AuditoriumRainier III, Monte Carlo.

I Lombardi alla prima crociata, Madama Butterflyand Turandot are published by Universal MusicPublishers Ricordi S.R.L.

Granada is published by Peer Music of New York.

Aida, Il trovatore and O Holy Night are published by Kalmus.

Pagliacci is published by Casa Musicale Sonzogno diPiero Ostali.

The Land of Smiles is published by Glocken Verlag of London.

Many people have been instrumental in the making of this project and Rosario would especiallylike to thank:Joseph Ward OBE for the guidance given throughout my career since my early days atQueensland Conservatorium.To my wonderful sister Anna-Maria; my parents Alfio and Francesca for their generosity, love andsupport along the way.A special thank you to Cyrus Meher-Homji andMartin Buzacott for driving the wheel and makingthings happen.The generous Liz Turner and of course, to mymanager Patrick Togher and the team for keeping it all coordinated and the cogs e ver turning.Last but by no means the least, to m y beautifulpartner and love of my life Milijana, for not onlyputting up with me, but for being there alongside me every step of the journey.

This CD was made possible through the kindassistance of Di Bresciani (Youth Music Foundationof Australia) and Piercarlo Casula.

Universal Music Australia and ABC Classics wouldlike to thank Peter Alexander, Leisa Radford, AndrewGreene, Rebecca Ameriks, Laura Hitchcock, AlexandraAlewood, Katherine Kemp and Virginia Read.

� 2009 Australian Broadcasting Corporation/Universal MusicAustralia Pty Limited. � 2009 Australian BroadcastingCorporation/Universal Music Australia Pty Limited. Distributedin Australia and New Zealand by Universal Music Group, underexclusive licence. Made in Australia. All rights of the owner ofcopyright reserved. Any copying, renting, lending, diffusion,public performance or broadcast of this record without theauthority of the copyright owner is prohibited.

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Symphony Orchestras as well as The QueenslandOrchestra, Orchestra Victoria and Aida and TheMagic Flute for West Australian Opera.

Since his debut as an opera conductor at OperaQueensland with The Magic Flute, he now has alarge repertoire of standard works, as well as areputation for conducting contemporary operaand his own compositions.

Richard Mills is one of the few Australiancomposers who have been commissioned towrite operas for main-stage performances inAustralia, and whose works (Summer of theSeventeenth Doll, Batavia and The Love of theNightingale) have not only been presented byopera companies and festivals across Australiabut have also received the country’s mostprestigious awards.

In 2009 his Passion according to St Mark wasperformed by the Tasmanian and West Australian Symphony Orchestras and TheQueensland Orchestra.

Richard Mills’ works are regularly performedthroughout the world. His compositions includea Concerto for Violin and Viola, a Flute Concertocommissioned by James Galway, EarthPoem–Sky Poem for Aboriginal dancers, singersand electronic sound, Soundscapes forpercussion and orchestra, music for the balletSnugglepot and Cuddlepie, FantasticPantomimes and The Little Mermaid for theMelbourne Symphony Orchestra, and Tenebrae,

Emblems and Totemic Journeys for the SydneySymphony Orchestra. He was Musica Viva’sComposer of the Year in 2008, in the course ofwhich three of his string quartets wereperformed by the Goldner, Takács and JerusalemQuartets and a new song cycle was premieredby Peter Coleman-Wright, Cheryl Barker andPiers Lane.

His extensive CD catalogue on the ABC Classicslabel includes Richard Mills: Orchestral Workswith the Queensland Symphony Orchestra andRichard Mills: Concertos for Strings with theTasmanian Symphony Orchestra. His three-volume album of the film music of F ranzWaxman with the Queensland SymphonyOrchestra, released on Sarabande Varese, wasawarded the German Record Critics Prize.

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