Roberto Alagna - Una furtiva lagrima

year/location/cast - i have no idea. still, i have a feeling that gheorghiu plays adina :)

[@nthdegree1269]

this man has a golden voice. love his voice. amazing.

[@gossamerhall]

Fabulous voice... the best in my book! many thanks.joy

[@hypno6]

What a voice and what an expression. Simply the best tenor.

[@Krisseto]

So great,so beautiful,as beautiful as it have to be..perfect!Fantastic singing and performance of that nice Una furtiva lagrima

[@patrick96321]

"...this is a version that Donizetti wrote after the original..." Just goes to show you that even Donizetti could make a mistake. Alagna has a magnificent voice!

[@EvanAbelingTenor]

Honestly, I get a little tired of hearing una furtiva lagrima being sung the exact same way by pretty much every lyric tenor I know! I applaud Alagna for finally delivering a truly unique rendition of this beautiful aria for our enjoyment! Bravo!

[@arissss1962]

Sounds soul touching. And an amazing improvisation of this aria.

[@Dreddusa]

I respect alagna for being very brave, he dares changing some part of the area, and still keeping the harmony, really time changed and people changed! that's what we need !

[@linhx582]

thank you for keeping this fresh with your own interpretation. I went to see Macbeth in HD this last February and was the only person under 40 in the entire theatre. I welcome a tasteful rendition of any aria because I believe that it keeps music, which should constantly be evolving, alive and well. I like interpretation, it's what's going to keep people coming to pay and watch us sing, especially the younger generation. Bravo.

[@jenni4claire]

I can't believe he began his career as a cabaret singer- its always sounds as if he was born to the opera.

[@amballa]

There is another autograph of this aria by Donizetti from autumn 1843 (so about 10 years after the opera was written) and it's written a third lower than the original. He sings this second version, though in the key of the first version. I love it and also sing this version. The cadenza is in any case a piacere, at liberty of a singer.

[@BassoNero]

He sings here the very first version of this aria, which was originally writen for a baritone voice and later transposed for the tenor voice of course.

[@davide5225]

Como é bom ouvir isso! Sem sombra de dúvidas uma das melhores coisas que já fiz na vida foi aprender italiano. Saudações de São Paulo, Brasil!

[@JuliaCastilloMx]

Fue grabado en el MET, dirigido por James Levine, con Roberto Alagna y Angela Gheorghiu. Muy buena presentación, de la Deutch Grammaphone

[@pedropires8829]

People are saying they like this "new interpretation" (as I understand it, written by Donizetti himself at a later date) and that opera should not be stale and always sing exactly the same thing. That is true, of course. This view is very well represented. Many people seem to love this version; awesome. Some people are also complaining that it's not the aria they know and love. They get replies affirming what is said above. Although they are saying a very true and important thing, I don't feel their point of view is properly represented, and I don't even feel it's respected based on some of the replies they get. I'd like to present a firm point of view representing the disappointment of not hearing the original (yes, original; this is a second version Donizzetti wrote, so it's not the original, as I understand it) aria that everyone is used it. When you hear an aria, or go to the opera, either you know it already or you don't know it at all. Assuming you have some passing knowledge, you will hear things that are familiar. You may never have seen Rigoletto, but you will know the intro of La Donna è Mobile instantly. Turandot or Pagliacci may mean nothing to you, but you will certainly be familiar with certain moments of Nessun Dorma or Vesti la Giubba. And if you know these operas better than just in passing, you will probably enjoy these arias. You know how the notes go; in fact, you may well love them. And what you get to hear is how that singer in particular does it, how they frase, how they sound, how they emote. Let's be quite clear, just because they all sing the same notes it does not mean they all sing the same thing, or the same way. Only lesser singers do that. The great ones are absolutely individual and characteristic in their performances - always without changing a thing that the composer wrote. And you get to expect those sounds. You expect that aria, that phrase. You expect to be thrilled by certain high notes, and to be enamoured by certain pianos. Where do your expectations come from? Probably from other singers; if you expect a beautiful pianissimo at the end of "Io son l'umille ancella", because you heard some sopranos do it extraordinarily, other singers will defy your expectations by doing it differently. Not wrong, differently. Now, these other sopranos are not doing anything wrong, but it is true that you will feel somewhat, if not cheated, then diminished. You loved that pianissimo when you heard it before, and you look forward to it during the aria. LIke you look forward to the cadenza of La Donna è Mobile, or the thrilling B in Nessun Dorma. You are the audience. You have certain expectations. These expectations are not random, and they have to do with how much you love what you're watching. You have come to watch "L'Elisir d'amore", and to hear those arias, which include "Una furtiva lagrima", a much, much loved aria, very well known. You want to hear that beautiful legato, those long notes, that elegance, you want to be lulled by its (now so familiar) melody. It is wrong to say that opera, or anything, should always be the same. Agreed. That way lies staleness. Still, if the audience reacts less positively to a change, it's always best to take it into account, and not just dismiss it. It should be respected that the audience has paid to watch a certain opera and, knowing the music, has certain expectations. For instance, they may have wanted to hear how Alagna would sing those very familiar lines of Lagrima. Upon realising that it is not the aria they expected, it is understandable for them to feel, maybe, somewhat cheated. To feel like "I came to hear this opera, with this aria, and instead I listened to something else. It was good and all, but I really, really loved the aria as I know it and am disappointed I didn't get to hear it". The frustration is real. I applaud the sheer courage and audacity to have a production of such a famous opera with such an unknown version of an extremely famous and well-loved aria. As a member of the audience, however (even if remotely, through the wonders of DVD), I am disappointed I didn't get to hear Alagna sing what I was really looking forward to hear him sing. And this feeling that I have is a point of view that should be respected and understood, too. Ultimately, opera will be kept alive because people want to go see it. So it's worth listening to all opinions. Not cater to everyone, no; but respect dissenting opinions, and allow that they have a place. And when you change an aria this famous, you will polarise. Still, it's naïve to imagine they didn't know they would polarise. I imagine they are very glad they got people talking about it. I prefer it when they get people talking about it for other reasons, but to each their own. It's been years, and it's still talked about, hasn't been forgotten. So, in a sense, mission accomplished. Finally, defying expectations is of course vital in art. I have seen two "Madama Butterfly"s which defied my expectations. I loved the first one, because I felt it made sense; I loathed the second, because I felt it didn't and actually went against the work. Clearly, however, the artistic production of this second one didn't agree with me. And that's fine. My point is, yes, defy expectations. You must. Simply, don't - and many directors are guilty of this - minimise the feelings of audience members who feel cheated when you not only counfound their expectations but also give them something they feel to be a poor substitute. Unless you want opera to be the domain of elitists. I'm glad some people like it, and I understand (full well) the people who don't. Both groups are correct in feeling as they do.

[@myyellowlabfan]

He doesn't sing this sad because he has no reason to - he has seen the "furtive tear" - he KNOWS NOW that she cares about him! And Alagna, who is an excellent actor, knows when to be very quiet & contemplative, which is needed for this particular scene.

[@aarontenor]

I do believe it was Pavarotti himself that crowned Roberto Alagna 1st place in his vocal competition which launched Roberto's career. Roberto doesn't sing with the beauty or ease of tone he once did, but in this clip and many others his voice is beautiful and excellent. I saw his Romeo in 1998 at the Met and the voice was BIG and produced excellently. He isn't going to be a legend like the Pav, but for eveyone else out there, Roberto at his best was better than almost everyone else.

[@FredrikJonassonMusic]

I must say it's very refreshing to hear different interpretations (or another version in this case) of the great arias. Even if I perhaps like the other version more, it's important for the art itself that we keep exploring new ways. I've just discovered Alagna, and I'm really glad I did.

[@cosmos121122]

Foi a primeira versão que ouvi desta bela ária e continuo fiel a ela! É a mais conforme o libreto. Bravissimo Roberto!

[@myyellowlabfan]

Alagna was 33 yrs old here - & looks about 18... Yes, he is NOT Pavoritti ( although he won the competition in '89) but he has (at this point) at lyric tenor voice, not a dramatic tenor. Anyway, who would you rather SEE in this role! Alagna & Gheorghiu are great in the DVD.

[@ConcentricEccentric]

Year/Location/Cast The recording was done in 1996, at the Opera de Lyon (France) Nemorino - Roberto Alagna Adina - Angela Gheorghiu (you're right, vladutze84) Belcore - Roberto Scaltriti Dulcamara - Simone Alaimo Giannetta - Elena Dan

[@nickad84]

Donizetti wrote beautiful music, and this particular aria is one that is mere perfection...REALLY...it was stripped to bits and there's no need for so many interpretative changes which actually take away its simplistic beauty.

[@enricodicapri]

Everyone is completelly entitled to have their own favourite version. This is art not science. There is not only one possible way to be "wright" here.

[@willberain]

beautiful voice!

[@pjsfrenchie]

He is actually singing ornaments that Donizetti had rewriten and autographed dated 1843 found in the Paris Public Library... Donizetti had also re-written it a third down...

[@giirving]

Bravo! There is always a bit of sadness in the greatest joy and he finds it perfectly. And could he be any more romantic?

[@GerardSchneiderTenor]

Filmed by Opera national de lyon in 1996, released by Decca in 1997. Conducted under the baton of Evelino Pido. Stars Roberto Alagna, and his wife Angela Gheourghiu, as well as Roberto Sclatriti, Simone Alaimo, and Elena Dan. A strong voice but he must have little respect for the music or composer.

[@ConcentricEccentric]

Actually, this is another version of "Una furtiva lagrima." I own the recording, and the booklet states Note from Evelino Pido: " . . . I suggested to Roberto Alagna that we record the second version of 'Una furtiva lagrima', which Donizetti himself wrote, clearly for a more baritonal tenor, about 10 years after finishing this score. This is a very interesting version, which includes some lovely, and highly original variations in the second verse, and an associated final cadenza."

[@mayflash67]

Very gentle and touching version! Thanks for posting!

[@joeboo36]

I believe this is the way Donizetti wrote it originally and then some years later wrote the more familiar version. The DVD comes with an interesting documentary about the production.

[@formby2]

Decca (who also released this film on DVD) made a companion audio recording to this stage production in which I think they planned to use this version, but I think they got cold feet and went with the usual version. Can't remember if they may have included this version as a bonus track at the end or not...

[@VirginieDP]

Roberto est FABULEUX !!!! Quelle voix !!!!

[@jpg0901]

I actually saw this production on DVD a few months ago (it is Angela Gheorghiu playing opposite him btw)...he's not my favorite tenor, but he does a nice job with this aria...

[@Merryjest]

THere is absolutely no comparison between this version and ALfredo Kraus. Alagna just sings the notes, there is nothing behind them, Kraus lived them.

[@ConcentricEccentric]

@pinguinangelical Fue grabado en realidad en la Ópera de Lyon en Francia, por Decca, dirigida por Evelino Pido. (Lo siento si mi español es muy malo.)

[@lilianaasancheez]

I LOVE HIM!!

[@aniaromanoff]

Ma da uno a 10...quanto sei BELLO Alagna????? Bello e bravo.......! Very good!!

[@bladezone1]

Different, very male and powerful, great voice, great heart -BUTCH singing different!!

[@BulentBezduzOfficial]

Alagna is a great singer..yu can also Listen to the Turkish Tenor Bulent Bezduz trully amazing in that aria.

[@carolina1954]

I think it important to stay close to what the composer intended. I must admit to not being a great fan of Alagana, but applaud him for that. This is very nice....

[@VirginieDP]

Les 38 personnes qui n'aiment pas doivent s'exploser le cerveau et les oreilles avec NTM ou Motorhead !!! pas possible autrement !!!! :-O Roberto, c'est du pur chef- d'oeuvre !!!

[@agos969]

E bravissimo....preferisco questa interpretazione .....bravo!!!

[@Merryjest]

That's the thing: The aria is *NOT* sad. It begins reflective and even bemused, to a moment of realization ("M'ama! Si! M'ama!") and ends in an eruption of joy upon the realization that he is loved ("Cielo! Si puo morir!") I'm afraid Roberto doesn't do any of that, he's pretty stiff throughout. The only time when I saw an expression cross his face was when he was done singing.

[@argos064]

Gentlemen, I believe that uds with the due respect they have not listened to a Peruvian Tenor called Luis Alva or Luigi Alva for the Italians, since this gentleman is the one who really interprets this song. (I do not imagine Pavaroti singing L'Elisir d'Amore)

[@JoshuaMazur]

@MDSmitty2488 It's part of the bel Canto Technique to ornament the melody on the repeat. Some do more than others... see Joan Sutherland and Marylin Horne for great examples. :)

[@ConcentricEccentric]

While I understand some of you wanting "what the composer intended," there is not one DEFINITIVE version, and a bit of research would be preferable before stating dislike of the singer. Roberto Alagna is known to want stay as close to what is written as possible.

[@jhvorotin]

absolutely right!

[@MonteKristof]

@Ofirangel True, He got an operation on the vocal chords and stopped to sing for a very long period. I was reffering more to the stilistic and approach of the aria ;-) though he has vocal problems now, he is still a first class artist in therm of interpretation. I named Villazon because he's well known, I could have named others as well...

[@mayflash67]

You can hear the wonderful version of Joseph Schmidt also.

[@appeace1]

I like this interpretation! Crisp diction, solid technique, more baritonal which fits Alagna's range well. Perhaps an attempt to distance himself and the comparisons to the tenor who owns this aria--Pava. Good work! Bravo!

[@betsy1947]

Sublime!

[@ModeModeMode63]

BRAVO!!!!!!!!

[@Teqdor]

the best una furtiva lacrima I ever hurt

[@WMWZeppelinWMW]

Magnifico!!!

[@lizaar19]

mi piace molto questo versione, piace le agilità che è castrate di emettere aliagna bravizimo

[@kgus123]

Thanks, janerike -- I didn't know these interpolations were by Donizetti; but if they were Alagna's own, wouldn't that conform to period bel canto performance practice? Thanks, argos064, for mentioning Luigi Alva, who is superb in this repertoire -- as is the young Pavarotti.

[@teneley]

alagna no se encuentra ni por asomo entre mis tenres favoritos pero me ha alegrado encontrarme una versión suya de la furtiva lacrima más decente que la que enconté en una grabación, bajada un tono para poder realizar una cadenzza final HORROROSA, no obstante su prepotencia no le permite realizar un Nemorino creible, pero aún asi está correcto, me alegro por él

[@janerike]

Pearlmuth3. He`s not doing his own thing in this aria, Donizetti actually wrote those variations, but its seldom done on stage ang recordings. Strange, but that the fact...

[@Cornour]

Hmmm, even if I prefer the other version, better Furtiva Lagrima I've heard, and that's just because of Roberto. Incredibly fine job!

[@flaze3]

well I'm glad there's more than 1 person who liked the interp, lol :-)

[@amballa]

Oh, how wonderful, he does the ornamented version. Though it should be sung a third lower...

[@walo00916]

@ARQUICANTANTE Es escritura original del mismo autor Donizetti, es de hecho primera que la mas comun que cantaba pavarotti, a mi me parece igual de buena

[@agos969]

Bravo Roberto......

[@MonteKristof]

@lonlywolfish True in one way. I think people want classics opera interpretated in modern ways, maybe even modern armony. well. Some shoul;d compose them. As for changing what is already written, that is a mistake, as Donizetti didn't wanted that, that's why he composed what he wrote. A signer should consider the scores as his bible. No one thought to rewrite the bible.For example, villazon also sang the role wonderfully, without changing the score

[@bluluvsrae]

Opera lovers are so funny. They ramble on about an artist's creativity and interpretation.Yet here comes Alagna whith a fresh interpretation of this aria and it is chastised for being different. THis aria, within context of opera, is not as sad as Caruso, Pavarotti and others have historically made it to be., Maybe, a little frivolity is a good thing in this aria..BEsides, embrace this different interpretation.

[@Teqdor]

Villazon,his voice is to brutal

[@Krisseto]

..it sounds a bit different as performace,more in the second part,but is great also like this :) especially the first part is wonderful!

[@AlisonBee]

He has such a beautiful, versatile voice. And I really like this interpretation, I've been trying to find it for awhile. I heard somewhere that they actually based the second verse interpretation of the aria on a rewrite by Donizetti...can anyone confirm if that's true?

[@patrick96321]

The mistake (in my opinion) was revising the perfect original. It was not in need of revision, even by Donizetti himself. Of course, the problem is that I've always heard it the "right" way, and will consider anything else to be a mutilation.

[@gcalvet81]

On peut préférer Pavarotti (dont je suis fan ) mais cette version me parait très bien , merci Roberto

[@ulisesramirezsalinas]

Roberto Alagna Orchestre et Choeur de l´Opera National de Lyon - evelino pido

[@santanaelena1]

!EL MEJOR !!!!!!

[@jenni4claire]

Its easier to enjoy if you can't hear the faults, but I suspect another tenor can better appreciate all that is required to create such a beautiful sound. But in general I agree with you- I am sometimes glad I don't know enough about it to despise those performances I presently enjoy, so derided by those who know more. Alagna is not Pavarotti, but he is great to hear, nevertheless.

[@amballa]

please inform yourself, before babbeling away. This version is not by Alagna, but by Donizetti. Just because most of the tenors don't sing it it does not mean it's not supposed to be sung.

[@amballa]

Well funny, I have exactly the same version he sings. To the note. Perhaps you schould also consider, that at that time singers were really at liberty to do anything on stage.

[@LazEstrada]

looooooove!

[@Oetti]

i don't know why he added so much inflection into this version...

[@enricodicapri]

How interesting. Do you know anything else of the story of this second versi'on. I know that Donizetti originaly wrote this melody for an oboe concert, I think and that he later used it for the nemorino Aria because he was lacking a good aria for the tenor in the opera.

[@nitoalfilito]

Ah! Cielo, si puó,si puó morir d'amor!

[@ClaudiaFan]

bravoooooooooooo

[@raythespian]

His improvisations were not any more difficult than the original, so what's the point? The odd ending capped the disappointment. I can go listen to another clip, but if I were in the theater, I think I would feel frustrated at not having heard the real Una Furtiva.

[@pedropires8829]

You hit the nail on the head. That's exactly the problem; the frustration at not hearing the aria you love and wanted to hear.

[@Teqdor]

Respekt for Alagna

[@MDSmitty2488]

Wow he took some liberties with the notes here. I guess it is bel canto and if he can get away with it, good for him.

[@Merryjest]

If you prefer Alagna's ballistic approach to bel canto: aim your voice at the end of the phrase and blast through the rest... sure, "viva" Alagna. Ma lontan.

[@carmengatita82]

Me encanta este hombre,aun que se sale de las linias del bell canto.

[@Ramir_Almeida]

Sounds like a baroque 'da capo', it's kinda funny - but I don't mean it's boring. There's a nice interpretation. Perhaps he felt that he could do that at Bel Canto, since the cadenzas must sound like improvises. He went just to far in this idea lol. Like Maria Callas and Una voce poco fà, perhaps.

[@chicocucea]

Jejeje, Alagna siempre ofreciendo cosas nuevas y alternativas. Creo que es creativo y eso debe valorarse, sin embargo si se llegan a echar de menos algunas de las melodías originales de este pasaje. Variar esta bien siempre y cuando no se exagere. Me gustó el dominio de su voz aunque creo que fue algo rápido en el tempo. Buena interpretación, buen dominio de la voz, pero demasiado alejado de lo original. me quedó debiendo final: "si può morir, si può morir, d'amor". aún así, me gustó.

[@argos064]

Señores, creo que uds con el debido respeto no han escuchado a un Tenor Peruano llamado Luis Alva o Luigi Alva para los Italianos, pues este señor es quien realmente interpreta esta cancion. (No imagino a Pavaroti cantando L'Elisir d'Amore)

[@gossamerhall]

Well I don't like getting slapped in the face. And I just felt like I did. It's true I know very little about the fundamentals of opera. I'm fairly new to this sound. I don't listen to it every day. I'm accustom to new age and hard rock. But his voice is sweet to my soul. As a untrained ear to opera. So what!

[@magda3102]

NOUS T'AIMONS ROBERTO!

[@AnibalAcevedo1]

¿Por qué el conductor le habrá permitido hacer esas variaciones dentro de la Ópera?

[@inshallahojala]

Que no es versión libre lo que canta, es que por lo visto Donizetti reescribió una furtiva lacrima y es esa versión la que canta, o por lo menos eso explican en el DVD, pobrecillo Alagna que se meten con él...

[@chicocucea]

D'accord! :D

[@Takimirimo]

Ne crois-tu pas que ce n'est pas Alagna, qui a choisi cette version (écrit aussi par Donizetti), mais le chef d'orchestre?

[@Teqdor]

очень красива,Villazon так нежна неможет

[@cornificius22vain]

wonderful voice, even if the interpretation has some bugs

[@pckermit]

Mais il n'a rien changé du tout. C'est une deuxième version se cet aire écrite par Donizetti lui-même. Alagna est un grand artiste, nonobstant le fameux épisode à la Scala. Nul n'est parfait.

[@giollachriost]

It's good, but the conductor is pushing the tempo too much--it should be slow, contemplative, meditative...

[@tggold]

@MonteKristof Plenty of people have rewritten (oops, I mean "translated") the bible. If one knows nothing of composition perhaps they should not change the scores. Otherwise everything is fair game. Some performers enjoy having artistic freedom with their roles and directors with their productions. Not all like being glorified dancing (singing) monkeys. Furthermore, there is no way to claim with todays society/instruments/etc that Donizetti would or would not want something - he is dead.

[@literallyallthingsonice]

^ what he said!