Retour à l’opé français !
For many, Maria Callas has de loin (by far) delivered the best Delilah performance à ce jour ( to this day)
* * *
Many a great opera singer has chanted the célèbre la Roumaine Elena Cernei, the Russian Olga Borodina , or the American Shirley Verrett ; few of these mezzo-soprano voices, however, have come close to the performance somptueuse Maria Callas .
* * *
VIDEO
Denise de Freitas sings “Printemps qui commence “
* * *
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtCjoh3AGyw
The delightful “Russian touch”, by Olga Borodina…
* * *
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMkv-IHzY2Q
…not to forget la regreté e (the late-lamented) Shirley Verrett
* * *
VIDEO
And finally, la grande diva , Maria Callas
* * *
Printemps qui commence,
Spring blossoms
Portant l’espérance,
Bringing hope
Aux cœurs amoureux,
To the hearts of lovers
Ton souffle qui passe,
Your passing breath
De la terre efface,
Erases off the face of the earth
Les jours malheureux…
The unhappy days…
Tout brûle en notre âme,
Everything burns in our soul
Et ta douce flamme,
And your soft flame
Vient sécher nos pleurs,
Dries our tears
Tu rends à la terre,
Your restore to earth
Par un doux mystère
By a soft mystery
Les fruits et les fleurs…
Fruits and flowers…
En vain je suis belle,
My beauty is in vain
Mon cœur plein d’amour,
My heart full of love,
Pleurant l’infidèle,
Weeping the unfaithful
Attend son retour,
Awaits his return,
Vivant d’espérance,
Living the hope,
Mon cœur désolé…
My grieving heart…
Garde souvenance,
Recall
Du bonheur passé,
The past happiness
A la nuit tombante,
When night falls,
J’irai, triste amante,
I, the sad lover, shall go,
M’assoir au torrent,
Sit by the river
L’attendre en pleurant…
Waiting and crying…
Chassant ma tristesse,
Driving away my sadness
S’il revient un jour,
If he is one day to come back,
A lui ma tendresse,
To him my tenderness
Et la douce ivresse,
And the sweet drunkenness
Qu’un brûlant amour,
A burning love,
Garde à son retour…
