TODAY ON CONTRALTO TUESDAY - "Voce di donna o d'angelo" from Ponchielli's La Gioconda

This is a poetic picture of La Cieca being cruelly burned at the stake after being accused of becoming a witch. In the dramatic Italian opera La Gioconda. In the  background is a photo of the Bridge of Sighs in the city of Venice.

La Cieca's Aria

"Voce di donna o d'angelo"

from Amilcare Ponchielli's
LA GIOCONDA

Ewa Podleś, one of the world's greatest and authentic contraltos, sings La Cieca

Lyrics

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Voce di donna o d'angelo 

Sung by La Cieca

oooooooooooooooooooo     o       o     oooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooo       oo           oooooooooooooooooooo

                                                   o    O     o                                                  

Voce di donna o d'angelo 

le mie catene ha sciolto; 

mi vietan le mie tenebre 

di quella santa il volto, 

pure da me non pàrtasi 

senza un pietoso don! 

A te questo rosario 

che le preghiere aduna; 

io te lo porgo,

accettalo,

ti porterà fortuna; 

sulla tua testa 

vigili la mia benedizion.
 Voce di donna o d'angelo

English translation 

O voice of woman or angel

Who has freed me of my chains, 

My blindness forbids me 

The sight of your saintly face. 

Still you cannot leave me 

Without a pious offering. 

I offer you this rosary, 

Pray, accept it. 

With my prayers added 

It will bring you luck. 

May my benediction 

Be on your head.

HERE ARE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE ARIA: Contraltos are quite rare nowadays, so the role of La Cieca is often sung by a mezzo-soprano. Here is Caterina Secchi singing the role.

We may be able to find some contraltos in some older recordings:

Here is Margaret Harshaw singing the aria: CLICK here.


Here is mezzo-soprano Elena Cernei.

Here is the versatile Renata Scotto singing the role - the aria is shown from a live production and the aria is in full context here with the story. We are also helped along with subtitles. Great production!

This concludes Contralto Tuesday.

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