I come from a family of opera lovers. I can’t quite believe we haven’t had any yet. I know it’s not to everybody’s taste… but this is glorious. Pavarotti at his finest.
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Monday Music Moment – Che Gelida Manina
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Thanks, Fr. Paul. This post might be a serendipity experience for me. I greatly admire and love Luciano Pavarotti, and this aria, Che Gelida Manina, is very apropos for me at this time. I have been in a tizzy about moving now that my house is under contract, and I have to attend to all the necessary stuff.
This Monday Music post is a welcome break for me. This aria set me wondering what the reason is for my “cold or icy hands”, even if at this point in my life, I am willing to let go of everything I hold dear – memories and all- and go back to where I originally come from to meet the full circle of my life. I don’t feel I am being uprooted; it is more of a re-planting for me. Spero che Dio mi da un cuore caldo con la mia le mani fredde! (I hope God gives me a warm heart with my cold hands!)
Good luck with the move Dolly. If I have counted properly, I have lived in 14 different places in the past 30 years so I am perhaps a used to the tizzy that comes with moving but I know from recently shifting accumulated rubbish from my last place how much emotional turmoil it causes. You always carry what you need in your heart so try not to get dragged down by the old “stuff”. God bless.
Oh – moving! Prayers for you Dolly. It is always hard, but change always comes bearing gifts. I love your re-planting thought.
Dolly, God bless you and keep you in God’s tender loving care. I’m like Simon in that I moved many, many times when I was married so I know the mountain of work involved but I think it increases with the length of time that we remain in one place. Prayers for a smooth move.
Dolly and Everyone,
Please forgive my absence from these comments. I spent a long weekend visiting my sister, Sheila, in Brazil and yesterday was a long, long day of travel.
I thought I’d have lots of airport time to respond to everyone, but there was no wifi when I needed it…
Sorry.
Paul
Huh??? Guess I lack the sophistication necessary to appreciate this .. but, to Dolly, Brightest Blessings on your journey home
Oh, Emma, thank you so much!!! I really appreciate your kind wishes for me. I googled the translation of the lyrics this aria, Che Gelida Manina, after posting my thoughts, and here it is:
What a frozen little hand,
let me warm it for you.
What’s the use of looking?
We won’t find it in the dark.
But luckily
it’s a moonlit night,
and the moon
is near us here.
Wait, mademoiselle,
I will tell you in two words,
who I am, what I do,
and how I live. May I?
Who am I? I am a poet.
What do I do? I write.
And how do I live? I live.
In my carefree poverty
I squander rhymes
and love songs like a lord.
When it comes to dreams and visions
and castles in the air,
I’ve the soul of a millionaire.
From time to time two thieves
steal all the jewels
out of my safe, two pretty eyes.
They came in with you just now,
and my customary dreams
my lovely dreams,
melted at once into thin air!
Bu the theft doesn’t anger me,
for their place has been
taken by hope!
Now that you know all about me,
you tell me who you are.
Please do!
Thank you, Dolly.
Yes, Dolly thank you! I was just sitting here wishing I knew the words! Blessings in your move!
Thank you Dolly
This is wonderful and thoughtful of you.
Peace be with you as you move.
I do enjoy some opera but I can’t pretend to understand anything that is going on or the lyrics. I just enjoy the tunes
Have a great week everyone.
I love, love, love the opera. And my dear Emma, liking or disliking it has nothing to do with sophistication, just taste. Why I have this taste, I do not know.
And this aria from La Boheme… so lovely. Thank you Dolly for the translation.
Paul, as an opera fan and a priest, you may (or may not!) appreciate the fact that my very, very, very favorite opera is Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites. Church nerd and opera geek all rolled into one.
Fran…tastes are aquired through exposure, true? To sit through that would be tortuous for me!! If anyone ever desired to extract classified information from me, they’d only have to force me to sit through that. Darn, now any hope I harbor for a position in government that requires security clearance is shot! I’ve given away my secret : •¢
Oh, I don’t know about that. Appreciation can be acquired and deepened through exposure and explanations, I think. But taste? I can appreciate the work that goes into a great meal — whether comfort food or gourmet meals — but there are just some flavors that are not going to appeal to my palate. Same with paintings and sculpture. I appreciate the work, the skill, the craftsmanship — but that doesn’t mean I like it. And while I can appreciate the talents, the gifts and the artistry of some types of music, I don’t think I’ll ever like certain performers or certain genres. Not in this life, anyway. I just try to be careful not to equate “I don’t like this” with “This is awful.” Don’t always succeed, of course, but I try.
And feel free to use me as a reference for your security clearance — I’ll help you get through it, if the time ever comes.
I have developed neither a taste nor an appreciation for opera secondary to a lack of exposure to said genre. Is that better? My husband tried to get me there, I suggested that he find a date
Brava to you you for trying! And for having the wisdom and the self confidence to tell your husband to get a “date” for his trips to the opera house.
Emma, you always make me smile!
Beautiful start to my morning. Thank you.
Thanks for the translation, Dolly. The music was familiar to me even though I neither knew the name of the aria or the opera that it came from.
Best wishes with the move.
This is beautiful. Music has the ability to take us away to a different place. A welcome respite in the course of our very busy days!
This is such a beautiful melody, the master soloist captivates your senses without being able to translate a word he sings. You do not have to be an opera affecionado to take in the artistry and splendor of what Luciano delivers.
My father never said the same about Robert Plant, but then,
…It’s been a long time since I rock and rolled…
Happy week everyone
Thanks, Fr. Paul! What an interesting surprise for me to find this after I went to my first opera just days ago! I didn’t know how well I would enjoy, but I did and will go again. The English text was a big help.
Thanks, Dolly, for providing the text which I didn’t expect to find. Such beautiful words!! After just watching Pavorotti, I am not surprised he is a poet.
To quote Fr. Paul, “…this is glorious.”
I could just sit and listen to him and not care what the words are. But thanks to Dolly, I like it all the more! “I am a poet….I write… how do I live? I live” So beautiful and even more so when he sustains the notes that makes my chest reverberate. I will be honest, I prefer the male voices. This is so off my beaten path on a day like this, (still mourning last nights Downton Abbey) it was a wonderful jolt!
I am working from home today, where I got to experience this in all its glory — and Pavarotti nearly blew out my speakers!
Thank you.
Dear PFO Friends,
God has a tremendous sense of humor! I prayed last night that God gives me a warm heart, and what do you know – no sooner said than done – starting with Emma’s blessings last night. The encouragements, assurances, and support coming from each one of you have lifted my spirits up to the high heavens. It was like being in the kingdom of God, for he not only manifested himself in you, but I also heard him speak to me through you all.
Simon and Lynda, I appreciate your sharing with me your experiences. I felt good to know that compared to yours, this is only my second move and hopefullythe last.
Thank you ever so much from the bottom of my heart to all of you. Now to look for the switch to turn off the flow of tears. The heart cannot contain the love and caring that you have poured in there. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Dolly, God bless you!