Madre pietosa Vergine

Raina Kabaivanska (Bulgarian: Райна Кабаиванска) (December 15, 1934) is a Bulgarian opera singer, one of the leading lyrico-spinto sopranos of her generation, particularly associated with Verdi and Puccini, although she sang a wide range of roles. Born Raina Jakimowa in Burgas, Bulgaria, she studied in Sofia with Prokopowa and Jossifow, and made her debut at the Bulgarian National Opera in Sofia as Tatjana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in 1957. The following year, she left for Italy for further studies with Zina Fumagalli-Riva in Milan and with Giulia Tess in Vercelli. Two years later she made a breakthrough in Fano, Italy, as Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. In 1961, she gave her first performance at La Scala in Milan, as Agnese in Bellini's Beatrice di Tenda, opposite Dame Joan Sutherland. She sang widely in Italy, Genoa, Venice, Parma and notably in Turin in 1973, as Elena in I vespri siciliani, in the only production ever directed by Maria Callas. In 1962, she made her debuts at both the Royal Opera House in London, as Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, as Nedda. She went on performing at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Paris Opéra, the Vienna State Opera, the Budapest Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the San Francisco Opera, the Dallas Opera, the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, etc. She also appeared in a few opera films, notably Pagliacci, opposite Jon Vickers in 1968, Il trovatore, opposite Franco Bonisolli, in 1975, and Tosca, opposite Plácido Domingo, in 1976. A versatile singer with a beautiful voice and fine musicianship, she is also a singing-actress of considerable ability...

Lyrics & English Translation

LEONORA
I'm here at last! Thanks be to Thee, O God!
This is my last refuge! I am here!
I am trembling! My dreadful story is known
at the inn - my own brother was telling it!
If he had discovered me! Heavens! He said
that Don Alvaro was sailing to the West!
He did not fall dead that night
when I, soaked in my father's blood,
followed him, but lost him! And now he leaves me,
he flees from me! Ah, I cannot bear such anguish!
She falls to her knees.
Mother, merciful Virgin,
forgive my sin.
Help me to erase that ingrate
from my heart.
In this seclusion
I will expiate my guilt.
Have mercy on me, Lord;
do not forsake me.

[The organ accompanying the monks' morning prayers is heard.]

CHORUS OF MONKS
[within]
Venite, adoremus et procedamus ante Deum.
Ploremus coram Domino, qui fecit nos.

LEONORA
[rising]
Ah, those sublime hymns
and organ harmonies
rising like incense
to God in Heaven
inspire my soul
with faith, comfort and peace!
Let me hasten to the holy refuge.
She moves forward.
Dare I at this hour?
[halting]
Someone might surprise me.
Oh wretched Leonora,
do you tremble? The pious monk
will not refuse to shelter you.
Do not forsake me, help me,
have mercy, Lord!
Do not abandon me, O Lord;
have mercy on me!

CHORUS OF MONKS
Ploremus coram Domino, qui fecit nos.


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