Opera: “Ascanio in Alba” (1771)
Libretto by Giuseppe Parini (1729–1799)
Silva’s Aria “Si, ma d’un altro amore”
“Yes, but of another love”
This aria is a reflection of the main heroine, who recalls a dream about an ideal young man—an image of the kind of love her soul truly longs for. Yet, she rejects this temptation, because her life is destined for another marriage, one she must follow. This aria expresses the joy of anticipating true love, while at the same time, a conscious decision not to stray from her fate.
Faun’s Aria “Se il labbro più non dice”
“If the lips speak no more”
This aria is performed by a young shepherd, a representative of the Alba people. Through his virtuosic coloratura singing, the Faun praises the beauty of nature and anticipates future happiness for his country. This aria is a vivid example of a bravura Baroque aria, in which technical sophistication and the lightness of ornamentation highlight the hero’s directness and festive spirit.
Opera: “Le nozze di Figaro” / “The Marriage of Figaro” (1786)
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749–1838), based on the play by Beaumarchais (Pierre-Augustin Caron, 1732–1799)
Susanna’s Aria “Venite, inginocchiatevi”
“Come, kneel down”
This aria-recitativo features Susanna attempting to dress Cherubino in women’s clothing, so he can hide from Count Almaviva, who has just sent him off to the army. She gives him practical instructions on how to wear the dress and behave like a lady, all the while teasing him about his awkwardness.
Susanna’s Aria
“Giunse alfìn il momento… Deh vieni, non tardar”
“At last the moment has come… Oh, come, do not delay”
In this aria from the final act of Mozart’s opera, Susanna, disguised in the Countess’s dress, sings a lyrical serenade. She invites her “beloved” to meet her in the garden among flowers and murmuring brooks, creating an image of a calm, romantic night. But this is actually a clever trick—Susanna wants to lure the Count and expose his intentions. So, the serenade becomes not just a beautiful song, but a vital part of her plan to restore justice.
Opera: “Don Giovanni” (1787)
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749–1838)
Zerlina’s Aria “Batti, batti, o bel Masetto”
“Beat me, beat me, dear Masetto”
This is a two-part aria of action, in which Zerlina, after her flirtation with Don Giovanni on her wedding day, uses all her feminine charm to calm the justified anger of her fiancé, Masetto. In the first part, she begs for forgiveness, willing to accept any punishment. In the second, sensing reconciliation is near, the clever girl paints a bright future, where together they will spend “days and nights in joy and pleasure.”
Zerlina’s Aria “Vedrai, carino”
“You’ll see, my darling”
In her next aria, Zerlina comes to comfort her poor fiancé, wounded by Don Giovanni, and offers him the best medicine—her beating heart, inviting him to feel its trembling if he behaves himself.
Opera: “Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti” /
“Thus Do They All, or The School for Lovers” (1789–1790)
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749–1838)
Despina’s Aria “In uomini, in soldati”
“In men, in soldiers—hope for fidelity?”
In this aria, the maid Despina wryly mocks the naivety of the sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella, who lament their supposedly departed officer fiancés. She’s convinced that fidelity shouldn’t be expected—they are as fickle as the wind. Despina advises them to play the same game in return—to love as the mood and convenience strike, paying them back in their own coin.
Despina’s Aria “Una donna a quindici anni”
“A girl at fifteen”
Despina continues giving the sisters lessons in the art of dealing with men. In her opinion, at fifteen, a girl should already know “where the devil hides his tail” and masterfully control her feelings and glances. A worldly-wise young woman, Despina believes, should “command like a queen from her high throne.” This aria is a kind of hymn to Despina’s own wisdom: “Long live Despina, who knows how to serve!”
Opera: “Die Zauberflöte” / “The Magic Flute” (1791)
Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder (1751–1812)
Pamina’s Aria “Ach, ich fühl’s”
“Ah, I feel it, all is lost”
This lament-aria expresses Pamina’s deep despair, abandoned by her mother and imprisoned by Sarastro. Believing she had finally found true love in Prince Tamino, she is suddenly left by him as well. Not knowing Tamino is enduring the trial of silence and cannot speak with her, Pamina is certain that her final hope for happiness is gone. In this hopeless state, she comes to believe that “peace will only come to her in death.”
Opera: “Le nozze di Figaro” / “The Marriage of Figaro” (1786)
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749–1838), based on the play by Beaumarchais (Pierre-Augustin Caron, 1732–1799)
Countess Almaviva’s Aria “Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro”
“Grant, oh Love, some relief”
At the start of the opera’s second act, Countess Almaviva, left alone in her room, sings this heartfelt cavatina, lamenting her husband’s faded love. The Count, once passionately in love with her (the former young Rosina), has grown cold and now seeks pleasure elsewhere, even trying to seduce her maid Susanna. In her grief and solitude, the Countess implores the god of love: to either return her husband’s affection or grant her peace in death.
Countess Almaviva’s Recitative and Aria
“E Susanna non vien… Dove sono i bei momenti”
“And Susanna still doesn’t come… Where have those happy moments gone”
In Act Three, Countess Almaviva anxiously waits for Susanna, whose actions are crucial to the success of their clever plot against the Count. Immersed in memories of past happiness, she mournfully asks where those sweet moments and vows of love and fidelity that once bound her to her husband have gone.
While in “Porgi, amor” Rosina only contemplates her sorrow, this aria of action marks a striking contrast: here, we see the heroine’s internal transformation. From deep nostalgic sadness and quiet despair, the Countess gradually shifts to passionate hope and resolve—her steadfast loving heart may yet win back the Count’s wandering affection and change him. “Ascanio in Alba” (1771)
Libretto by Giuseppe Parini (1729–1799)
Silva’s Aria “Si, ma d’un altro amore”
“Yes, but of another love”
This aria is a reflection of the main heroine, who recalls a dream about an ideal young man—an image of the kind of love her soul truly longs for. Yet, she rejects this temptation, because her life is destined for another marriage, one she must follow. This aria expresses the joy of anticipating true love, while at the same time, a conscious decision not to stray from her fate.
Faun’s Aria “Se il labbro più non dice”
“If the lips speak no more”
This aria is performed by a young shepherd, a representative of the Alba people. Through his virtuosic coloratura singing, the Faun praises the beauty of nature and anticipates future happiness for his country. This aria is a vivid example of a bravura Baroque aria, in which technical sophistication and the lightness of ornamentation highlight the hero’s directness and festive spirit.
Opera: “Le nozze di Figaro” / “The Marriage of Figaro” (1786)
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749–1838), based on the play by Beaumarchais (Pierre-Augustin Caron, 1732–1799)
Susanna’s Aria “Venite, inginocchiatevi”
“Come, kneel down”
This aria-recitativo features Susanna attempting to dress Cherubino in women’s clothing, so he can hide from Count Almaviva, who has just sent him off to the army. She gives him practical instructions on how to wear the dress and behave like a lady, all the while teasing him about his awkwardness.
Susanna’s Aria
“Giunse alfìn il momento… Deh vieni, non tardar”
“At last the moment has come… Oh, come, do not delay”
In this aria from the final act of Mozart’s opera, Susanna, disguised in the Countess’s dress, sings a lyrical serenade. She invites her “beloved” to meet her in the garden among flowers and murmuring brooks, creating an image of a calm, romantic night. But this is actually a clever trick—Susanna wants to lure the Count and expose his intentions. So, the serenade becomes not just a beautiful song, but a vital part of her plan to restore justice.
Opera: “Don Giovanni” (1787)
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749–1838)
Zerlina’s Aria “Batti, batti, o bel Masetto”
“Beat me, beat me, dear Masetto”
This is a two-part aria of action, in which Zerlina, after her flirtation with Don Giovanni on her wedding day, uses all her feminine charm to calm the justified anger of her fiancé, Masetto. In the first part, she begs for forgiveness, willing to accept any punishment. In the second, sensing reconciliation is near, the clever girl paints a bright future, where together they will spend “days and nights in joy and pleasure.”
Zerlina’s Aria “Vedrai, carino”
“You’ll see, my darling”
In her next aria, Zerlina comes to comfort her poor fiancé, wounded by Don Giovanni, and offers him the best medicine—her beating heart, inviting him to feel its trembling if he behaves himself.
Opera: “Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti” /
“Thus Do They All, or The School for Lovers” (1789–1790)
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749–1838)
Despina’s Aria “In uomini, in soldati”
“In men, in soldiers—hope for fidelity?”
In this aria, the maid Despina wryly mocks the naivety of the sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella, who lament their supposedly departed officer fiancés. She’s convinced that fidelity shouldn’t be expected—they are as fickle as the wind. Despina advises them to play the same game in return—to love as the mood and convenience strike, paying them back in their own coin.
Despina’s Aria “Una donna a quindici anni”
“A girl at fifteen”
Despina continues giving the sisters lessons in the art of dealing with men. In her opinion, at fifteen, a girl should already know “where the devil hides his tail” and masterfully control her feelings and glances. A worldly-wise young woman, Despina believes, should “command like a queen from her high throne.” This aria is a kind of hymn to Despina’s own wisdom: “Long live Despina, who knows how to serve!”
Opera: “Die Zauberflöte” / “The Magic Flute” (1791)
Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder (1751–1812)
Pamina’s Aria “Ach, ich fühl’s”
“Ah, I feel it, all is lost”
This lament-aria expresses Pamina’s deep despair, abandoned by her mother and imprisoned by Sarastro. Believing she had finally found true love in Prince Tamino, she is suddenly left by him as well. Not knowing Tamino is enduring the trial of silence and cannot speak with her, Pamina is certain that her final hope for happiness is gone. In this hopeless state, she comes to believe that “peace will only come to her in death.”
Opera: “Le nozze di Figaro” / “The Marriage of Figaro” (1786)
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749–1838), based on the play by Beaumarchais (Pierre-Augustin Caron, 1732–1799)
Countess Almaviva’s Aria “Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro”
“Grant, oh Love, some relief”
At the start of the opera’s second act, Countess Almaviva, left alone in her room, sings this heartfelt cavatina, lamenting her husband’s faded love. The Count, once passionately in love with her (the former young Rosina), has grown cold and now seeks pleasure elsewhere, even trying to seduce her maid Susanna. In her grief and solitude, the Countess implores the god of love: to either return her husband’s affection or grant her peace in death.
Countess Almaviva’s Recitative and Aria
“E Susanna non vien… Dove sono i bei momenti”
“And Susanna still doesn’t come… Where have those happy moments gone”
In Act Three, Countess Almaviva anxiously waits for Susanna, whose actions are crucial to the success of their clever plot against the Count. Immersed in memories of past happiness, she mournfully asks where those sweet moments and vows of love and fidelity that once bound her to her husband have gone.

While in “Porgi, amor” Rosina only contemplates her sorrow, this aria of action marks a striking contrast: here, we see the heroine’s internal transformation. From deep nostalgic sadness and quiet despair, the Countess gradually shifts to passionate hope and resolve—her steadfast loving heart may yet win back the Count’s wandering affection and change him.