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Too beautiful not to share! Australian Opera cellists working from home with Nadir's aria from The Pearl Fishers

Australian Opera Orchestra cellist Teije Hylkema writes:

One of my favourite aria's from the repertoire. I arranged this for my dear cello colleagues of the Opera Australia Orchestra.
 
In solitude and solidarity.
 

 

The Pearl Fishers is set in Hindu Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

Two blokes are in love with the same girl - age old story.

One of them, Nadir is going to get the worse end of the deal - here's a rough English translation of what he's on about in the aria.

NADIR
What a turmoil within my whole being, at the sound of her voice!
What mad hope is this! How could I think I had recognized?...
Alas, before my poor insane eyes, already,
this same vision has too often floated by.
No, no, this is remorse, fever, madness!
Zurga must know everything! I should have told him all!
Breaking my troth, I tried to see her again;
I discovered her trail and I followed her;
hidden in the night and sighing under my breath,
I listened to her sweet chants borne away into space...

I think I can still hear,
hidden under the palm-trees,
her tender and sonorous voice
singing like a dove's.
O bewitching night,
exquisite rapture,
O delightful memory,
mad elation, sweet dream!
Under the light of the stars
I can almost see her
slightly opening her long veils
to the tepid evening breeze.
O bewitching night, etc.

ENDS

And to complete the picture, here's the Kiev Opera's Igor Borko singing the aria.

 

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