One of the Great Tenor Arias [UPDATED]

And yet it is one that you are not going to be thinking of, usually. It from Lalo's opera Le Roi d'Ys. It is called "Vainement, ma bien­aimée". I think it is one of the most gorgeous things in the world. It can make my throat catch and my eyes water. When it is done well, it makes me feel unsteady in the way anything truly beautiful does. It is so sweet and the melody has some bittersweetness to it. Lalo's interesting and subtle use of harmony (People, he seamlessly moves from A-flat to A in just a couple of bars [don't try this at home-- leave it to the pros]!) makes for a sonic landscape that can be populated by my most treasured "what-if" memories and my melancholies for those who are gone.

Here is Nicolai Gedda's version complete.

Note the lovely high-note (an A) that he sings so high and sweet (twice) and also his masculine phrasing in other sections. This is quite my favorite version.

Here are the words (I hope they are all correct! I cut and pasted this):

MYLIO
(paraît au milieu de ses compagnons)
Puisqu'on ne peut fléchir ces jalouses gardiennes,
Ah! laissez­moi
Conter mes peines
Et mon émoi.
Vainement, ma bien­aimée!
On croit me désespérer;
Près de ta porte fermée
Je veux encore demeurer.

JEUNES FILLES
Vainement près de sa porte
Il veut encor demeurer.

MYLIO
Les soleils pourront s'étendre.
Les nuits remplacer les jours.
Sans t'accuser et sans me plaindre
Là, je resterai toujours.

JEUNES FILLES
Toujours, toujours!

MYLIO
Je le sais, ton âme est douce,
Et l'heure bientôt viendra
Où la main qui me repousse
Vers la meinne se tendra.

JEUNES FILLES
Vrainement près de sa porte
Il veut encor demeurer!

MYLIO
Ne sois pas trop tardive
A te laisser attendrir,
Si Rozeen bientôt n'arrive,
Je vaix, hélas! mourir.

And here is a translation:

Since it is impossible to move these jealous guardians,
ah, let me tell you of my sorrows and my fears!

In vain, my love,
do they think to make me lose hope.
Near your locked gate
I will remain.

Suns may fade,
Night turn into day,
before I accuse you or complain;
there will I remain forever!

Well I know that your soul is kind;
and soon shall come the hour
when that hand, which pushes me away,
will be held out to mine!

But be not too slow
in allowing yourself to take pity.
If Rozenn comes not soon,
I shall die, alas.

For Classicists in the room, it's a sort of paraclausithyron [a serenade at the door of the beloved]. The tenor is awaiting his beloved and she does appear in just a moment.



I have some excerpts from other tenors for you. Here is part of the version from Roberto Alagna. (He you may recall stormed off the stage at La Scala not long ago). What do you think of this one?



Here is Alfredo Kraus in 1995 when he was really rather old. He sounds good and better than many a younger man.

Here is Edmond Clement from early in the 20th century. TRH is particularly fond of this one.



Alain Vanzo here shows it how it is done from a complete recording in the 70s. I really like him as a singer, period.



This is a real fav of mine, dating from the 20s I think. This guy, Rogatchewsky, really made me choke up with his high note and the way he had with the notes immediately after (and the lead-in too, come to think of it). Aw guy, you went and made me cry, whyawannagoanddothat, huh?

Here is reminder of Gedda

And to conclude, here of all people is the earstwhile Rossini tenor Bruce Ford coming up with a very nice version in English.
(Ford's version complete).

I hope you liked this and that some of the sense of wonder that this piece of music awakens in me has be brought across to you.

[It seems that Jose Aparicio could excel in this aria.]