The Twenty Most Beautiful Mezzo Arias
In opera, the mezzo-soprano (literally "half soprano") is rarely the bride, more often the bridesmaid – or just the maid. If sopranos tend to be angelic objects of idealized love, Mezzos are more often earthier. They are dignified, feisty and strong willed, not to mention aware of their charms, as is certainly the case with Carmen, the most famous mezzo character of all. Some of them take destiny into their own hands, but many also suffer at the hands of others: Dido, for example, the heartbroken Queen of Carthage abandoned by Aeneas. This playlist presents Dido as composed by both Purcell and Berlioz, as well as a series of other memorable characters from operas both well-known and rarely heard. We also feature oratorio with the inclusion of "Erbarme dich" from Bach's 'St Matthew Passion', one of most beautiful and moving arias of all.
- Purcell•Dido and Aeneas Z 626: 'Thy Hand, Belinda' (Dido, Act III)•Thy hand, Belinda – When I am laid in Earth (Dido's Lament)
- Saint-Saëns•Samson et Dalila op. 47 R 288: 'Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix' (Dalila, Act II)•Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix
- Berlioz•La damnation de Faust op. 24 H 111: 'D'amour l'ardente flamme' (Marguérite, Part 4)•D'amour l'ardente flamme
- Bach•Matthäus-Passion (St. Matthew Passion) BWV 244•Part II • No. 39 Aria 'Erbarme dich, mein Gott' (Alto)
- Massenet•Werther: 'Va! Laisse couler mes larmes' (Charlotte, Act III)•Va! Laisse couler mes larmes
- Handel•Rinaldo HWV 7: 'Lascia ch'io pianga' (Almirena, Act II)•Lascia ch'io pianga
- Gounod•Sapho (Paris 1851): 'Où suis-je?' (Sapho, Act III)•Où suis-je? – O ma lyre immortelle
- Mozart•Le nozze di Figaro KV 492: 'Voi, che sapete' (Cherubino, Act II)•Voi, che sapete
- Bellini•I Capuleti e i Montecchi: 'Lieto del dolce incarco' (Romeo, Act I)•Lieto del dolce incarco – Ascolta! Se Romeo t'uccise un figlio – La tremenda ultrice spada
- Donizetti•Maria Stuarda (Mary Stuart): 'Io vi rivedo alfin' (Mary Stuart, Anna, Familiars, Act III)•Io vi rivedo alfin – Deh! Tu di un'umile preghiera il suono
- Bizet•Carmen WD 31: Habanera 'L'amour est un oiseau rebelle' (Carmen, Act I)•L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
- Mozart•La clemenza di Tito KV 621: 'Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio' (Sesto, Act I)•Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio
- Rimsky-Korsakov•Tsarskaia Nevesta (The Tsar's Bride): 'Snaryzhai skorei, matushka rodimaya' (Lyubasha, Act I) (Lyubasha's Aria)•Snaryzhai skorei, matushka rodimaya
- Thomas•Mignon: 'Connais-tu le pays?' (Mignon, Act I)•Connais-tu le pays?
- Prokofiev•Alexander Nevsky, Cantata op. 78 (1938-1939)•6. Mertvoe pole (The Field of the Dead) 'Ia poidu po poliu belomu' (Mezzo-Soprano, Chorus)
- Massenet•Cendrillon: 'Allez, laissez-moi seul' (Le Prince charmant, Act II)•Allez, laissez-moi seul – Cœur sans amour, printemps sans roses!
- Wagner•Götterdämmerung WWV 86D: 'Höre mit Sinn, was ich dir sage' (Waltraute, Act I)•Höre mit Sinn, was ich dir sage – Seit er von dir geschieden
- Berlioz•Les Troyens H 133•Act V • No. 47. Scene 2. Monologue 'Ah! Ah! Je vais mourir!' (Dido)
- Berlioz•Les Troyens H 133•Act V • No. 48. Scene 2. Aria 'Adieu, fière cité' (Dido)