1940 Ezio Pinza sings Oblivion Soave from Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione Di Poppea. F. Kitzinger piano

1940. RCA Victor recording. No. 17915.
Ezio Pinza, Bass, Fritz Kitzinger, piano accompaniment.
Ezio Pinza was 48 when he made this recording. It is from a three record set made in 1940 called “Italian Songs of the 17th and 18th centuries.”
He made another like it 8 years later.
From the opera L’Incoronazione by Claudio Monteverdi.
Libretto by
Giovanni Francesco Busenello
This is Arenalta’s Lullaby (soprano) in this Opera.
A synopsis of this moment is written by Josh Lee whom I happened to come across here on CZcams (JoshLee415):
“Oblivion comes at a moment in the opera when all hell is breaking loose - vengeance, murders, exile - major [#*#!] is afoot! But here I think we see one of Monteverdi’s most profound and ironic moments as an artist. Instead of employing more high pitched drama and conflict to fuel the opera toward its twisted end (spoiler alert the bad guys win and the good guys die), he drops the pressure and gives us a lullaby. Sung by the character Arnalta, the comedic nurse of the titular Poppea, this aria stops the motion of the opera in its tracks. What is created is an uncomfortably fragile pause as Poppea slumbers while violence clears the way for her to wed the mad emperor, Nero. “
Played with a Burmese Colour Needle (thorn)
www.burmesecol...
Oblivion soave
i dolci sentimenti
in te, figlia, addormenti.
Posatevi, occhi ladri; aperti, deh, che fate,
se chiusi ancor rubate?
Poppea, rimanti in pace;
luci care e gradite, dormite, omai dormite
May gentle oblivion
lull sweet thoughts
in you, my child.
Now rest, thievish eyes; why stay open
if you can steal all hearts even when closed?
Poppea, rest calmly;
dear eyes, fond eyes,
sleep now, sleep.
Photo: Ezio Pinza
Played on a Victrola IX (1918) with a Victor No. 4 reproducer and BCN!

[@MichaelStBede]

So lovely !

[@burmesecolourneedles4680]

Another utter treasure. You find such incredible records Mary!

[@marylittlefield9091]

I thought of you when I bought it! I thought- - I bet Andy’s going to like this. Glad you do!! Such a deep soulful voice he has! It’s from a wonderful old record dealer in California who has “retired” (but she will never really retire). ❤️

[@marylittlefield9091]

Thanks for listening