Una Furtiva Lagrima - Enrico Caruso 1904 and 1911

Описание: Caruso recorded Una furtiva lagrima four times. Here are the recordings from 1904 and 1911.
The first recording from 1902 - see here:    • Enrico Caruso - 6th Recording April 1902  

More Caruso info on my website: http://www.enricocaruso.dk

Una furtiva lagrima (A furtive tear) is the romanza from Act II, Scene 2 of the Italian opera, L'elisir d'amore by Gaetano Donizetti. It is sung by Nemorino (Caruso) when he finds that the love potion he bought to win his dream lady's heart, Adina, works.

Nemorino is in love with Adina, but she isn't interested in a relationship with an innocent, rustic man. To win her heart, Nemorino buys a "love potion" with all the money he has in his pocket. The "love potion" is actually a cheap red wine sold by a con business traveler. But when he sees Adina weeping, he knows that she has fallen in love with him and the "Elixir" works.

Caruso created the role of Nemorino the first time in February 1901 at La Scala in Milan. The conductor was the famous Toscanini, but the notoriously critical and reserved audience of La Scala did not react at all ... until Caruso started singing - and he basically turned the performance from failure to success. The audience went wild and Caruso was compelled to repeat "Una furtiva lagrima" three times.

When Toscanini came back stage to go before the curtain with the artists, he embraced Caruso, then turned to the manager of La Scala, Giulio Gatti-Casazza, and said: "Per dio! Se questo Napoletano continua a cantare così, farà parlare di sè il mondo intero." (By Heaven! If this Neapolitan continues to sing like this, he will make the whole world talk about him.)

Text Italian:

Una furtiva lagrima
Negli occhi suoi spunto:
Quelle festose giovani
Invidiar sembro.
Che piu cercando io vo?
Che piu cercando io vo?
M'ama! Sì, m'ama, lo vedo, lo vedo.
Un solo instante i palpiti
Del suo bel cor sentir!
I miei sospir, confondere
Per poco a' suoi sospir!
I palpiti, i palpiti sentir,
Confondere i miei coi suoi sospir
Cielo, si puo morir!
Di piu non chiedo, non chiedo.
Ah! Cielo, si puo, si puo morir,
Di piu non chiedo, non chiedo.
Si puo morir, si puo morir d'amor.

English translation:

A secret tear appeared in her eye.
She seemed to envy those happy girls.
For more could I ask?
She loves me, I see it.
To feel the beating of her beautiful heart for just one moment!
To mingle my sighs with hers for just at moment!
Heavens, I could die now, I need nothing more!