Thursday, September 17, 2009

Maria Callas: "Voi lo sapete" Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni)

Maria Callas sings "Voi lo sapete, o mamma"; Santuzza's aria from Cavalleria Rusticana:




Role: Santuzza, a peasant girl
Voice Part: soprano
Fach: spinto
Setting: Easter Sunday in the main square of a Sicilian village, Italy, late 1800s
Range: B4 to A6. Tessitura : F4 to G5
Synopsis: Santuzza tells Mamma Lucia that when her son left to join the Army, he promised to marry Lola. When he came back, however, Lola had married someone else. So, he fell in love with Santuzza which made Lola so jealous that she has stolen him away from Santuzza.

English Translation

You know, mamma, that
Before he went off to be a soldier
Turiddu swore to Lola
To be eternally faithful
He returned to find her married;
And with a new love
He wanted to extinguish the flame
That burnt in his heart:
He loved me, I loved him.
She, envious of my happiness,
Forgotten by her husband,
Burning with jealousy,
She stole him from me.
I am left, dishonoured:
Lola and Turiddu love each other,
And I weep!