The concert featured arias by composers of the 18th and 19th centuries—from Mozart to Gounod. At the center of the program are heroines reflecting on love. Here, love reveals itself in many different forms: tender, playful, selfless, ironic, and even dramatic!
The first part of the concert was dedicated to the arias of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Each aria reveals a distinctive female character in its own way. What unites them is a subtle sense of style, vivid dramaturgy, and, of course, the incredible musicality that keeps Mozart’s music alive to this day.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
“Yes, but for another love…” / Sí, ma d’un altro amore
Silvia’s aria from the opera Ascanio in Alba
This aria is from Mozart’s early opera Ascanio in Alba. The heroine, Silvia, sings it. She is in love, but her heart says: “Yes, but for another love!”—not the one that others are trying to force upon her. It is a hymn to the freedom of feeling, to the flame of desire that cannot be subdued.
“The turtledove weeps” / Geme la tortorella
Sandrina’s aria from the opera La finta giardiniera
In truth, Sandrina is a noblewoman forced to hide as a simple gardener. She has been deceived and abandoned by her beloved, and she sings “The turtledove weeps” in this state of sorrow. Her sadness is almost restrained and calm. She hides her true identity and mourns betrayal, doing so with such musical refinement that we hardly notice the tragedy.
“You’ll see, dear” / Vedrai, carino
Zerlina’s aria from the opera Don Giovanni
Zerlina is a young village girl who has been briefly enchanted by a seductive stranger. As a result, her fiancé Masetto is not only hurt, but also beaten up by Don Giovanni’s men. Zerlina, acting as if nothing happened, comes in with a caring tone and a bandage. In “You’ll see, dear,” she offers not apologies, but a tried-and-true remedy: warmth, concern, and—quite literally—putting her hand to Masetto’s heart. No unnecessary words, just a well-practiced technique.
“In men, in soldiers, hope for faithfulness?” / In uomini, in soldati
Despina’s aria from the opera Così fan tutte
A maid with a very realistic view on feelings, Despina jovially convinces her young mistresses that hoping for men’s faithfulness is, at best, a comic enterprise. In her opinion, it’s better to repay men in kind. This aria is a kind of musical “instruction manual”—how not to get caught in one’s own illusions.
Next, we move to 19th-century Italy, to the era of bel canto. The vocal lines become more expressive, the melody broader, phrases longer, and emotions more open, sometimes heartbreakingly exposed.
Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835)
“Ah, I never thought I’d see you like this” / Ah, non credea mirarti
Amina’s aria from the opera *La sonn unaware that she is a sleepwalker just wandering the house at night. In her aria "Ah, I never thought I’d see you so quickly withered, oh flower…", Amina holds in her hands a withered flower given by her beloved, who she believes has abandoned her. Here are farewell to illusions, deep loneliness, and a hope she cannot hold onto. This is one of the most delicate and sincere arias in the bel canto repertoire.
Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848)
“Take it, I give you your freedom” / Prendi, per me sei libero
Adina’s aria from the opera L’elisir d’amore
Throughout the opera, Adina maintains confidence and a hint of mockery, teasing the enamored Nemorino without taking him seriously. Everything changes when she learns that he has enlisted in the army for her sake. In “Take it, I give you your freedom,” Adina returns Nemorino the contract she bought back for him. There are no words of love, but her action shows how much her feelings for the young man have changed. Fear of separation and tender affection completely transform the character of the heroine.
Charles Gounod (1818–1893)
“I want to live” / Je veux vivre
Juliette’s aria from the opera Roméo et Juliette
Here is a young heroine, not yet aware of her destiny, singing of the springtime of life, dreams, and hope. The waltz-like rhythm carries us into a world of fantasy, innocence, and first love. The aria sounds like a farewell to childhood and a step toward the future.
As an encore, Lauretta’s aria “O mio babbino caro” from Giacomo Puccini’s opera Gianni Schicchi was performed.
Thank you for making this concert happen in such a warm atmosphere. Until we meet again!
