Favorite Song from a Musical or Aria from an OperaMusic

[Danoff]

I figured the music forum needed a little more class. To get the ball rolling (hopefully) I'll post one of each.

Phantom of the Opera - All I ask of you

It's very climactic when they belt out

"Anywhere you go let me go to!"

and then later the phatom uses exactly the same melody

"You will curse the day you did not do... all that the phantom asked of you" Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun right back into the phatom's theme. Music of the night is also really great.

Nessun Dorma Aria from Puccini's Turandot:

Vincero!!! Vincero!!! Vinceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerroooooo!!!


Ok so where's your favorite from? Carmen? Cats? West Side Story?

 

[Omnis]

one of pavarotti's performances of nessun dorma is amazing. I have it on my CD. anyway, this doesn't really count as an aria, but i love vivaldi's 3 songs of Summer in the four seasons. my mom and grandma were both singers, and my granpa has a really great voice too.

the matador's song from carmen is also pretty fun.

oh, and for the record, Il Divo is severely overrated.

 

[Solid Lifters]

My favorite is a cantanta by not well known Carl Orff. It's called Carmina Burana. The music and lyrics crap over anything else I've ever heard. The lyrics are on the left and the English translation are on the right. The music will make you crap your pants. Tell me there's something better, and I call you a liar.


O Fortuna O Fortune,
velut luna like the moon
statu variabilis, you are changeable,
semper crescis ever waxing
aut decrescis; and waning;
vita detestabilis hateful life
nunc obdurat first oppresses
et tunc curat and then soothes
ludo mentis aciem, as fancy takes it;
egestatem, poverty
potestatem and power
dissolvit ut glaciem. it melts them like ice.

Sors immanis Fate - monstrous
et inanis, and empty,
rota tu volubilis, you whirling wheel,
status malus, you are malevolent,
vana salus well-being is vain
semper dissolubilis, and always fades to nothing,
obumbrata shadowed
et velata and veiled
michi quoque niteris; you plague me too;
nunc per ludum now through the game
dorsum nudum I bring my bare back
fero tui sceleris. to your villainy.

Sors salutis Fate is against me
et virtutis in health
michi nunc contraria, and virtue,
est affectus driven on
et defectus and weighted down,
semper in angaria. always enslaved.
Hac in hora So at this hour
sine mora without delay
corde pulsum tangite; pluck the vibrating strings;
quod per sortem since Fate
sternit fortem, strikes down the string man,
mecum omnes plangite! everyone weep with me!

 

[Omnis]

Carmina Burana might just be the most played, yet most unknown piece of music out there. It's a song cycle, not an aria. but it is definitely pretty kickass.

 

[Danoff]

Solid,

O Fortuna is a good one. Have you heard the knockoff they did for the soundtrack to Glory? Track 10 of the Glory soundtrack is increadibly similar to O Fortuna. I imagine you can listen to the first part of it on Amazon.com.

 

[Solid Lifters]

Solid,

O Fortuna is a good one. Have you heard the knockoff they did for the soundtrack to Glory? Track 10 of the Glory soundtrack is increadibly similar to O Fortuna. I imagine you can listen to the first part of it on Amazon.com.

Yeah, I've heard that one before. It was different enough, but way to similar to be an original song.

Isn't Glory the movie where you can see a teenage black kid, as a Union Soldier, wearing a digital watch?

 

[Danoff]

I dug this thread up to mention the Man of La Mancha. Lots of good tunes from that one. They just played a medly of Man of La Mancha from Quantum Leap (didn't see the episode) on streaming soundtracks, and I'm reminded of how good the music is.

Something about that line from "The Impossible Dream":
"To fight for the right".

They do a key change or hit an accidental there or something... not quite sure... but it works.


Dulcinea!

 

[donbenni]

Ah, nice thread: well revived 👍

My 'A Level' music teacher at school was an soprano opera singer so loved her Arias. She would make us listen to at least one excerpt each lesson, so i've heard quite a few now(!), but my favourite has to be from Mozart's Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute). The second act - Die Holle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen is just fantastic. The piece opens with a barrage of almost shrieked German; which puts the 'chorus' in a nice contrast. My teacher would bang on about how skilled the soprano has to be to perform the staccato and arpeggiaic (might have just made that word up) sections and when you listen to it you do feel suitably amazed.

Have a listen

Die Zauberflote is written beautifully and when performed properly is difficult to beat

 

[Danoff]

Here's a boy singing the same aria (the whole thing). I agree, the queen of the night aria is one of the most difficult to sing. I don't find it that beautiful myself, just impressive - very very impressive.



by contrast, this baby tugs at your heartstrings

 

[donbenni]

Here's a boy singing the same aria (the whole thing)....

Christ, that is an good example. He was a bit off in places, but what a talented chap 👍

by contrast, this baby tugs at your heartstrings...

Ah, a classic. Yes good choice. Never heard that from the beginning before, but it is a lovely piece, and of course the main theme is such a great one. Fantastic finale.

 

[Solid Lifters]

"Don Giovanni! a cenar teco m'invitasti!" would have been a perfect aria, (though not a REAL aria) to play right now, considering what happened to Saddam a few hours ago. But, no luck finding it.

This is the aria from Mozart's Don Giovanni when the statue of the Commendatore drags Don Giovanni to hell, even though he thought he didn't deserve it. Kind of fitting, don't ya' think?

Gee, I hope I just didn't ruin that opera for you guys.

EDIT: Great! Why do I always find this stuff AFTER I made my post. It's from the movie Amadeus.

 

[Danoff]

I remember that scene from the movie Amadeus. It's a fairly powerful scene when you get the backstory. You're right, it does seem fitting for Saddam.