The Unknown Mascagni
Songs and Piano Pieces
Introduction
The selection goes from Mascagni's best-known songs, Serenata and M'ama… non m'ama, to rarities such as his wonderful La luna from 1912. It also includes piano pieces, namely the famous Intermezzo composed in 1888 and soon after included in Cavalleria Rusticana, the subtle Visone lirica from 1923, and the rare Pensiero a San Francisco, composed by Mascagni during his visit of San Francisco in 1903. The set ends with the famous Voi lo sapete, o mamma from Cavalleria Rusticana.
Alan Mallach is a pianist, composer and independent scholar. He has written numerous articles and commentaries on opera for such publications as Opera Quarterly and Nuova Rivista Musicale Italiana. He lives in Roosevelt, New Jersey. He has recently published the first in-depth biography of Mascagni in English, Pietro Mascagni and His Operas.
Audio Tracks
The audio tracks available below in MP3 format can be played and downloaded for personal use. Please contact Mascagni.org for other uses. Many thanks to Alan Mallach for allowing the use of this material!
Synopses and Translations
The synoposes for Pena d'amore, La tua stella, M'ama... non m'ama, Risveglio and Rosa have been kindly provided by Roger Flury for the page dedicated to the album Serenata. The English translations of Ascoltiamo!..., La luna and Voi lo sapete, o mamma are by Erik Bruchez.
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Pena d'amore (Love's sorrows) Text: Antonio Ghislanzoni |
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| Why did God make you so beautiful? Perhaps if you were less beautiful, I would have loved you less and suffered less. Why were you not born far away from the country where I was born and raised. Then I should never have seen you, loved you, suffered. Yet I would not wish you less beautiful, and I would not want the sea to separate us. Ah, if seeing and loving you causes great suffering, then not to see you again would be to die! | |
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La tua Stella (Your star) Text: Enrico Fiorentino |
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| Child, when you look up at your star, I watch you with gentle love. The star shines and your beautiful face radiates the same splendour. I wonder if it is the starlight that makes you seem to shine like this, or is it your beautiful face that lights up the star? | |
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M'ama... non m'ama (He loves me... he loves me not) Text: X |
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| He loves me... he loves me not! Pick the petals any way I like, he loves me... he loves me not! Ah, he doesn't love me! What do the petals tell me of love? That I am not loved? Come on, try again. Surely there's a petal missing from this flower! |
M'ama, non m'ama, M'ama, non m'ama, M'ama, non m'ama, M'ama, non m'ama. Sfoglia sfoglia finche' n'hai voglia, sfoglia sfoglia finche' n'hai voglia. M'ama, non m'ama, M'ama, non m'ama, M'ama, non m'ama. Ahi! non m'ama... Che ti rispose la sfinge d'amore? che non t'amo? Via ritentiamo, via ritentiamo. Certo mancava una foglia a quel fiore, mancava una foglia a quel fiore, mancava una foglia. |
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Risveglio (Awakening) Text: Giuseppe Emilio Ducati |
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| Sing to me, bright swallow, from your perch on the balcony, about early dawns, kisses, caresses and loves yet to come. The sweetness of your whispered greeting makes me happy, and I want to brush the sleep from my eyes and sing with you. I wish we could sing the same song. But no; your song pours forth brilliantly. My songs of passionate love have stolen away into her heart. Ah! | |
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Rosa (Rose) Text: Rocco E. Pagliara |
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| A poor rose is pressed into your little prayer book. A poor rose abandoned and damaged by the long season. Who gave you that sad flower? What do you remember in your gentle dreams? "Ah!" you answer, "of lost love. Flown like the beautiful April evenings." Now your expression changes, your eyes are veiled with tears. Trembling, you kiss the rose, and on your face appears a vivid smile. Who gave you that sad flower? "Ah!" you answer, "a lost love. Flown like the beautiful April evenings." | |
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Serenata (Serenade) Text: Lorenzo Stecchetti |
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Just as the lovesick dove sleeps with its head tucked beneath its white
wing, so you rest your tired body under your soft embroidered blanket.
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Come col capo sotto l'ala bianca
Dormon le palombelle innamorate,
Così tu adagi la persona stanca, Sotto le coltri molli e ricamate. |
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Your fair head rests on the pillow, happy with rose-coloured dreams, and
one of those shadows dear to you, passes by and brushes your cheek.
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La testa bionda sul guancial riposa,
Lieta de' sogni suoi color di rosa, E tra le larve care al tuo sorriso, Una ne passa che ti sfiora il viso, |
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It passes and tells you that I feel my blood run hot and my heart bleeds
for you. It passes and tells you that I love you; that you are my
sweetness and my torment.
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Passa e ti dice che bruciar le vene,
Che sanguinare il cor per te mi sento.
Passa e ti dice che ti voglio bene, Che sei la mia dolcezza e il mio tormento. |
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Pale, surrounded by a halo of golden hair, you smile happily at your
pleasant dreams. Ah, do not awaken, flower of Paradise. I will come in
your dreams to kiss you.
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Bianca tra un nimbo di capelli biondi
Dormi e sorridi ai sogni tuoi giocondi.... Ah, non destarti, o fior del Paradiso, Ch'io vengo in sogno per baciarti in viso ! |
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Ascoltiamo!... (Let's listen) Text: Guido Menasci |
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| Let's listen! It is a sweet melody that seems a dream become reality: our names together muttered in a moment of happiness. Don't you hear, my love, over there in the vast illuminated skies, the stars are answering us. So be it! | Ascoltiamo! È una dolce melodia che sembra sogno fatto realtà: i nostri nomi insieme mormorati in un istante di felicità. Non senti, anima mia, lassù ai vasti cieli illuminati ci rispondon le stelle. Così sia! |
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La luna (The moon) Text: Guido Menasci |
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Little brunette, do you know why the moon is so pale?
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Piccina bruna, lo sai perch'è sì pallida la luna?
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The moon is the heart of a girl beautiful like a flower.
Love inhabited her, and it was a sun!
When love left her, the heart became pale: the sky became its new home.
But in the nocturnal veil, the suffering heart, still watches the earth,
and becomes paler, and becomes paler!
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La luna è il cuore d'una ragazza bella come un fiore.
V'abitava l'amore ed era un sole!
Quando l'amor fuggì, il cuore impallidì: l'accolse il cielo.
Ma tra il notturno velo, il cuor che s'addolora, guarda la terra ancora,
e più si discolora, e più si discolora!
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Little brunette, now I know why the moon is pale!
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Piccina, ormai perché la luna è pallida lo sai!
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Voi lo sapete, o mamma (You know it, mother) Text: Targioni-Tozzetti, Guido Menasci |
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You know it, mother, Before joining the army, Turiddu had to Lola Sworn eternal faith. He returned, knew her married; And with a new love He wanted to put out the flame That burned his heart: He loved me, I loved him. The one who envied all my delights, Forgot about her husband, Burnt by jealousy. She robbed him from me... I remain without my honor: Lola and Turiddu love each other, I am crying, I am crying. |
Voi lo sapete, o mamma, Prima d'andar soldato, Turiddu aveva a Lola Eterna fè giurato. Tornò, la seppe sposa; E con un nuovo amore Volle spegner la fiamma Che gli bruciava il core: M'amò, l'amai. Quell'invidia d'ogni delizia mia, Del suo sposo dimentica, Arse di gelosia... Me l'ha rapito... Priva dell'onor mio rimango: Lola e Turiddu s'amano, Io piango, io piango! |