Kasarova/Pittas I Capuleti e i Montecchi Romeo-Tybalt duet (Munich 2012)

Bellini: I Capuleti e I Montecchi
Bayerische Staatsoper, München 19. May 2012
Conductor: Yves Abel
Direction: Vincent Boussard
Sets: Vincent Lemaire
Costume: Christian Lacroix
Light: Guido Levi
Choir: Sören Eckhoff
Romeo: Vesselina Kasarova
Giulietta: Anna Netrebko
Tebaldo: Dimitri Pittas
Capellio: Ante Jerkunica
Lorenzo: Paul Gay
Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper
At this stage in the opera, Juliet has faked her death with help from her tutor Lorenzo and sent him to Romeo with news of this arrangement (which will never reach the doomed Romeo thanks to Capellio's interference). Romeo, fresh from screwing up Tybalt's wedding comes face to face with the devil himself. And what's to do except to kill each other (with gauntlets?) but not before singing a wonderful duet=)
All credits and loads of thanks to the Bavarian State Opera for having streamed this online (wish they had a pay-per-view video bank like the MET) and of course to all the artists involved.
PS If you like this, do check out the 1999 recording • I Capuleti e i Montecc... uploaded by Arashi110 for a more fiery rendition of this duet by VK with Gregory Kunde at the Avery Fisher Hall.
Full libretto can be accessed at homepage.ntlwor....

[@sestoa6772]

Ah! What a bold and courageous young man Romeo was. And, Ms. Kasarova's portrait of Romeo makes one think he is aufait at using words as he is at using his sharp sword. Thank you for sharing this lovely duet.

[@Restatwork]

ROMEO 2:7 Deserto è il luogo. Di Lorenzo in traccia irne poss'io. Crudel Lorenzo! Anch'esso m'oblia nella sventura, e congiurato coi mio destin tiranno, m'abbandona a me solo in tanto affanno. Recitativo Vadasi... Alcun s'appressa Crudele inciampo! ROMEO 2:7 The place is deserted. I can trace Lorenzo. Cruel Lorenzo! He too forgets me in my misfortune, and a conspirator with my tyrannical fate abandons me to myself alone in such anguish. Recitativo Let me go…Someone is approaching Cruel obstacle! TEBALDO 2:8 Chi sei tu, che ardisci aggirarti furtivo in queste mura? Non odi tu? 2:8 Who are you, what makes you dare to roam around so furtively within these walls? Can't you hear me? ROMEO Non t'appressare. Funesto il conoscermi fora. Don't come any closer. It would be fatal if you recognise me. TEBALDO Io ti conosco all'audace parlar, all'ira estrema che in me tu desti. I recognise you by your bold speech, by the extreme anger that you arouse in me. ROMEO Ebben, mi guarda, e trema. Well, look at me and tremble. TEBALDO Stolto! a un sol mio grido mille a punirti avrei. Stolto! Stolto! Ma vittima tu sei serbata a questo acciar. Fool! A single cry of mine and you will have thousands to punish you. Fool! Fool! But you will be reserved as a victim for this sword. ROMEO Vieni: io ti sprezzo, ti sprezzo e sfido teco i seguaci tuoi, ti sprezzo, ti sprezzo: tu bramerai fra noi l'alpi frapposte e il mar. Come: I scorn you, scorn you and challenge your followers, I scorn you, I scorn you: You will wish that the high mountains and the sea stood between us. TEBALDO Un Nume avverso, un Fato, che la ragion ti toglie... An adverse God, a Fate, which took your reason away… ROMEO All'armi! T'ha spinto in queste soglie la morte ad incontrar. To arms! Death has pushed you to a meeting in this place. BOTH All'armi! All'armi! All'armi! To arms! To arms! To arms! TEBALDO All'armi! (per battersi) Arresta. To arms! About to fight Stop. ROMEO Qual mesto suon echeggia? What mournful sound echoes? CORO (dentro delle scene) Ahi sventurata! (Offstage) Alas, hapless girl! ROMEO Qua' voci! Oh Dio! What words! O God! TEBALDO Presentimento orribile! (Comparisce un corteggio funebre che diffila lungo la galleria.) A horrible presentment! (A funeral cortege appears which files along the gallery.) CORO 2:9 Pace alla tua bell'anima dopo cotanti affanni! vivi, se non fra gli uomini, vivi, o Giulietta, in ciel, ah! sventurata! 2:9 Peace to your beautiful soul after such anguish! Live, if not among men, live, O Juliet, in Heaven, ah! unfortunate girl! ROMEO Ah! TEBALDO Oh Dio! Oh God! ROMEO Che sento! Giulietta! What do I hear! Juliet! TEBALDO Spenta!... Dead! ROMEO Ah barbaro! Ah, barbarians! TEBALDO Mi scende agli occhi un vel. A veil is covering my eyes ROMEO (in dirotto pianto) Oh mia Giulietta! io t'ho perduta! Ella è morta, o sciagurato; per te morta di dolore. Ah! paga alfine è del tuo core l'ostinata crudeltà (Sobbing) Oh my Juliet! I have lost you! She is dead, O wretch; Because of you she is dead of sorrow. Ah! The obstinate cruelty of your heart is finally rewarded. TEBALDO Ah! di te più disperato, più di te son io trafitto... ah l'amor mio come un delitto rinfacciando il cor mi va. Ah! I am more desperate than you, I am pierced more deeply than you… Ah, with my love reproaching me as if it was a crime, my heart fails me. ROMEO Sei pago alfin. Svena, ah! svena un disperato... a' tuoi colpi il sen presento... sommo bene in tal momento ah! il morir per me sarà, Be finally rewarded. Kill, ah! kill a desperate man… I present my breast to your blows… The greatest good to me at a time like this, alas! would be to die TEBALDO Vivi, ah! vivi, o sventurato, tu che almen non hai rimorso, ah! se i miei di non tronchi, ah! il dolor m'ucciderà, Ah taci. Live, ah! live, O unhappy man, You at least have no remorse, Ah! if you don't cut short my days, Ah! the pain will kill me, Ah, be silent. ROMEO È morta. She is dead TEBALDO Pietà! Have mercy! ROMEO È morta. She is dead. TEBALDO Ah! l'amor mio rinfacciando il cor mi va. With my love reproaching me, my heart fails me. ROMEO Sei pago alfin. You are finally rewarded. TEBALDO Ah! cessa. Ah! Cease.