Disprezzata regina
Opera details:
Opera title: | L' Incoronazione di Poppea |
Composer: | Claudio Monteverdi |
Language: | Italian |
Synopsis: | L' Incoronazione di Poppea Synopsis |
Libretto: | L' Incoronazione di Poppea Libretto |
Translation(s): | English Deutsch |
Aria details:
Type: | aria |
Role(s): | Ottavia |
Voice(s): | Soprano |
Act: | 1.07 |
| Previous scene: | Speranza tu mi vai |
| Next scene: | Ecco la sconsolata |
Monteverdi - L'Incoronazione di Poppea - Disprezzata regina - Act 1
Singer(s): Lena Lootens Jennifer Larmore Guillemette LaurensMonteverdi - L'Incoronazione di Poppea - Disprezzata regina - Act 1
Libretto : Gian Francesco Busenello
Réalisation musicale René Jacobs
Poppea, Danielle Borst
Nerone, Guillemette Laurens
Ottavia, Jennifer Larmore
Ottone, Axel Köhler
Seneca, Michael Schopper
Drusilla, Lena Lootens
Nutrice, Dominique Visse
Arnalta, Christoph Homberger
Lucano, Guy de Mey
Amore, Martina Bovet
Ottavia
A despised Empress, unhappy wife of the Roman Emperor, what shall I do, where am I, what shall I think? O wretched is the lot of all women: if nature an heaven have made us free, marriage casts us in chains. If we conceive man, we make him our own ruthless tyrant, we give suck to the cruel murderer who butchers us and bleeds us to death, and are forced by disgraceful fortune to shape our own deaths. Nero, infamous Nero, husband, o gods, husband, condemned for evermore accursed for my griefs, where, alas, where are you? In Poppea's arms you lie happy and blissful, and meanwhile the ceaseless flow of my tears almost form a river of mirrors in which you may see, during your delights, all my torments. Fate, if you are above, Jove, hearken to me, if to punish Nero you have no thunderbolts, I accuse you of weakness and of injustice; ah, outrageous blasphemy, I repent it, I shall quell and bury in silent anguish all my torment.
Nutrice
Ottavia, Ottavia...
Ottavia
O heaven, o heaven, extinguish your wrath, do not let you severity punish my sin...
Nutrice
Ottavia, O you of all mankind the only Empress...
Ottavia
Outwardly I erred, within I am pious, my heart was innocent, my tongue sinned.
Nutrice
To your faithful nurse, listen to my words: if Nero has sufficiently lost his reason to take his pleasure with Poppea, seek someone else, worthy of you, who would take his pleasure in your embraces. If Nero's faithlessness delights him so, take your pleasure in revenge. And even if harsh remorse should trouble your honour, reflect on my words, that every woe may turn to joy. She who is base will bear affronts, but to avenge them is consistent with honour.
Ottavia
No, my dear nurse: the lady slain by her husband's lustful adultery remains betrayed but not dishonoured! On the contrary, it is the husband who is dishonoured if the marriage bed is defiled.
Nutrice
Daughter and Lady, you do not understand the mysterious principle of vengeance. The insult of a single slap on the cheek is avenged with steel and with death. He who outrages your feelings, strike at his honour, in fact, to speak truly, net even thus will you be properly avenged: Nero has struck you to the quick, but you only injure his reputation. Do, do reflect on my words that every woe may turn to joy.
Ottavia
If there were neither honour nor gods, I should be a goddess myself and my crimes punish with my own hand; but, meanwhile, far from such crimes, my heart is divided between innocence and tears.
Watch videos with other singers performing Disprezzata regina:
2 - Trudeliese Schmidt
2 - Frederica von Stade
2 - Joyce DiDonato
2 - Anna Bonitatibus
2 - Nadja Michael
1 - Roberta Invernizzi
1 - Anna Caterina Antonacci
2 - Gloria Banditelli
1 - Maite Beaumont
2 - Maria Riccarda Wesseling
2 - Anne Sofie von Otter
2 - Teresa Berganza
1 - Emma Matthews
2 - Cathy Berberian
1 - Daniela Dessì
2 - Guillemette Laurens
2 - Magdalena Kožená
2 - Mirella Parutto
1 - Arleen Auger
2 - Della Jones
1 - Maite Beaumont
1 - Miah Persson
2 - Tatiana Troyanos
5 - Éric Tappy
1 - Emma Matthews
1 - Marianne Mathy
1 - Lena Lootens
2 - Guillemette Laurens
2 - Jennifer Larmore
1 - Maria Vitale
2 - Oralia Domínguez
1 - Janet Perry
1 - Rachel Yakar
2 - Trudeliese Schmidt
1 - Lenneke Ruiten
2 - Magdalena Kožená
1 - Anna Renzi
1 - Roberta Invernizzi
1 - Magda László
2 - Elizabeth Bainbridge
2 - Frances Bible
2 - Oralia Domínguez
Other videos of the same singers performing Disprezzata regina:
2 - Joyce DiDonato
2 - Frederica von Stade
1 - Roberta Invernizzi
2 - Anne Sofie von Otter
2 - Joyce DiDonato
2 - Anne Sofie von Otter
2 - Cathy Berberian
2 - Cathy Berberian
2 - Anne Sofie von Otter
Libretto/Lyrics/Text/Testo:
SCENA V
Si muta la scena nella città di Roma.
Ottavia, Nutrice.
Ottavia imperatrice esagera gl'affanni suoi
con la nutrice, detestando i mancamenti
di Nerone suo consorte.
La Nutrice scherza seco sopra novelli amori
per traviarla da' cupi pensieri;
Ottavia resistendo constantemente
persevera nell'afflizioni.
OTTAVIA
Disprezzata regina,
Del monarca romano afflitta moglie,
Che fo, ove son, che penso ?
O delle donne miserabil sesso:
Se la natura e'l cielo
Libere ci produce,
Il matrimonio c'incatena serve.
Se concepiamo l'uomo,
O delle donne miserabil sesso,
Al nostr'empio tiran formiam le membra,
Allattiamo il carnefice crudele
Che ci scarna e ci svena,
E siam forzate per indegna sorte
A noi medesme partorir la morte.
Nerone, empio Nerone,
Nerone, marito, o dio, marito
Bestemmiato pur sempre
E maledetto dai cordogli miei,
Dove, ohimè, dove sei ?
In braccio di Poppea,
Tu dimori felice e godi, e intanto
Il frequente cader de' pianti miei
Pur va quasi formando
Un diluvio di specchi, in cui tu miri,
Dentro alle tue delizie i miei martiri.
Destin, se stai lassù,
Giove ascoltami tu,
Se per punir Nerone
Fulmini tu non hai,
D'impotenza t'accuso,
D'ingustizia t'incolpo;
Ahi, trapasso tropp'oltre e me ne pento,
Sopprimo e seppelisco
In taciturne angoscie il mio tormento.
English Libretto or Translation:
SCENE V
The scene changes in the city of Rome.
Octavia, Nutrice.
Octavia Empress exaggerates her worries
with the nurse, detesting the failures
of Nero his consort.
La Nutrice jokes with new loves
to get her to 'gloomy thoughts;
Octavia constantly resisting
perseveres in afflictions.
OCTAVIA
Despised queen,
Of the Roman monarch afflicted wife,
What do I do, where am I thinking?
Or women's miserabil sex:
If nature is heaven
Free produces us,
The marriage encases us.
If we conceive of man,
Or women's miserable sex,
At our example, we form our members,
We nurse the cruel executioner
That is thin and unleashes us,
And we are forced by unworthy fate
We ourselves will give birth to death.
Nero, impious Nero,
Nero, husband, or god, husband
Always blasphemed
And cursed by my cordolas,
Where, oh, where are you?
In the arm of Poppea,
You live happy and enjoy, and in the meantime
The frequent fall of my tears
Even it is almost forming
A deluge of mirrors, in which you aim,
My martyrs are inside your delights.
Destin, if you're up there,
Jupiter, listen to me,
If to punish Nero
You do not have lightning
Of impotence I accuse you,
I inculcate you with justice;
Ah, I transpire too much and I regret it,
I suppress and seppelisco
My torment in taciturne angescie.
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External links for Disprezzata regina
| Sheetmusic for aria |  Sheetmusicplus.com |
| Sheetmusic for opera | Sheetmusicplus.com |
| MP3's for this aria | on Amazon.com |
| DVD/CD's for this opera | on Amazon.com |
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