Saturday night... where's the party?!?! (sarcasm is clearly overrated.)

Something I’ve been having a lot of trouble with is putting emotion into the songs I’m singing. Actually that’s something I’ve always had trouble with, with the exception of Les Miserables. I've got waaaay to many walls up, and now it's become my biggest stumbling block.

“Porgi, Amor”
(Oh Believe)
from “La Nozze di Figaro” Act II
Mozart

Porgi amor qualche ristoro
Al mio duolo a’miei so spir

O mi rendi il mio tesoro
O mi lascia almen morir
O mi lascia almen morir

Porgi amor qualche ristoro
Al mio duolo a’miei so spir

O mi rendi il mio tesoro
O mi lascia almen morir
almen morir
O mi rendi il mio tesoro
O mi lascia almen morir

Oh believe, ’twas less in anger
Than in sorrow, in sorrow that I spoke

Had I borne thy coldness longer,
Well, I ween, my heart had broke!
Well, I ween, my heart had broke!

Might I claim one boon from Heaven
Oh, believe me, it would be
That, the pang that thou hast given
May never be felt by thee
Never felt by thee
That the pang that thou hast given
May never be felt by thee

* anyone know what a “ween” is? Lol, what a funny word.

“Nel Cor Piu Non Mi Sento”
(Why Feels My Heart So Dormant)
Giovanni Paisiello (1740-1816)

Nel cor piu non mi sento
Brillar la gioventu
Cagion del mio tormento, amor, sei colpa tu.
Mi pizzichi, mi stuzzichi, mi pungichi, mi mastichi
Che cosa e questo ahime?
Pieta, pieta, pieta!
Amore e un certo che, che disperar me fa.

Why feels my heart so dormant,
No fire of youth divine?
Thou cause of all my torment, O Love, the fault is thine!
He teases me, he pinches me, he squeezes me, he wrenches me;
What tortures must I bear!
Have done, have done, have done!
Thou, Love, art surely one, will drive me to despair!

This is the first time I’ve actually studied the English translations of the arias I’m singing. I figure it’s something I need to do if I want to put any emotion into them when I sing them, not that I need to worry about that right now. I’m not exactly ready to perform them yet. Anyway, one of the translations was intriguing:

“I don’t know what I’m saying or doing/ First I’m freezing then I’m glowing/ Every woman can set me a flutter/ Every woman can set me afire, etc. etc.”

This particular aria is scored for a soprano, but why would a woman be singing these lyrics? Was it written for a castrato? I wonder. Hmm. Whoever it was scored for, it’s really fun to sing. This is the first fast one I’ve gotten, which is a challenge in and of itself just concerning the phrasing and timing, not to mention breath control. Fun! I love it!

Mom’s sick with a virus and Dad’s down with a sinus headache. On the upside of all this, I can do what I want and people leave me alone. Since Mom was sick I made dinner tonight. I made chili, which is one of my specialties, and Dad and Tess both loved it. It’s not my favorite but I like making it. I also finished “The Tale of the Body Thief” this afternoon. I love Anne Rice books, but the Vampire Chronicles are by far my favorite. I guess I’ll lend this one to Justin when he comes down, since he enjoyed Armand so much. This is right up his alley.

Can’t see Kate this weekend, since Mom’s sick. Phooey. Oh well, next weekend’s well… another weekend.

I feel like writing a song, or a poem, or something. I’ve got a few cool phrases in mind but nothing solid so far. And Josh still hasn’t called me back yet. He was going to try to call around and find a ride for me, but for some reason I don’t think we’re going to do anything this time. Maybe the next time he’s in town, which should be next month or something. Honestly, I didn’t feel like doing anything anyway. I still don’t. My biggest ambition for tonight is to watch SNL. My only consolation is that I can sit around, eat junk food and grilled cheese sandwiches, and grow up to be a Fat Elf. Heroin chic, eat your heart out.

Saturday night... where's the party?!?! (sarcasm is clearly overrated.)

Something I’ve been having a lot of trouble with is putting emotion into the songs I’m singing. Actually that’s something I’ve always had trouble with, with the exception of Les Miserables. I've got waaaay to many walls up, and now it's become my biggest stumbling block.

“Porgi, Amor”
(Oh Believe)
from “La Nozze di Figaro” Act II
Mozart

Porgi amor qualche ristoro
Al mio duolo a’miei so spir

O mi rendi il mio tesoro
O mi lascia almen morir
O mi lascia almen morir

Porgi amor qualche ristoro
Al mio duolo a’miei so spir

O mi rendi il mio tesoro
O mi lascia almen morir
almen morir
O mi rendi il mio tesoro
O mi lascia almen morir

Oh believe, ’twas less in anger
Than in sorrow, in sorrow that I spoke

Had I borne thy coldness longer,
Well, I ween, my heart had broke!
Well, I ween, my heart had broke!

Might I claim one boon from Heaven
Oh, believe me, it would be
That, the pang that thou hast given
May never be felt by thee
Never felt by thee
That the pang that thou hast given
May never be felt by thee

* anyone know what a “ween” is? Lol, what a funny word.

“Nel Cor Piu Non Mi Sento”
(Why Feels My Heart So Dormant)
Giovanni Paisiello (1740-1816)

Nel cor piu non mi sento
Brillar la gioventu
Cagion del mio tormento, amor, sei colpa tu.
Mi pizzichi, mi stuzzichi, mi pungichi, mi mastichi
Che cosa e questo ahime?
Pieta, pieta, pieta!
Amore e un certo che, che disperar me fa.

Why feels my heart so dormant,
No fire of youth divine?
Thou cause of all my torment, O Love, the fault is thine!
He teases me, he pinches me, he squeezes me, he wrenches me;
What tortures must I bear!
Have done, have done, have done!
Thou, Love, art surely one, will drive me to despair!

This is the first time I’ve actually studied the English translations of the arias I’m singing. I figure it’s something I need to do if I want to put any emotion into them when I sing them, not that I need to worry about that right now. I’m not exactly ready to perform them yet. Anyway, one of the translations was intriguing:

“I don’t know what I’m saying or doing/ First I’m freezing then I’m glowing/ Every woman can set me a flutter/ Every woman can set me afire, etc. etc.”

This particular aria is scored for a soprano, but why would a woman be singing these lyrics? Was it written for a castrato? I wonder. Hmm. Whoever it was scored for, it’s really fun to sing. This is the first fast one I’ve gotten, which is a challenge in and of itself just concerning the phrasing and timing, not to mention breath control. Fun! I love it!

Mom’s sick with a virus and Dad’s down with a sinus headache. On the upside of all this, I can do what I want and people leave me alone. Since Mom was sick I made dinner tonight. I made chili, which is one of my specialties, and Dad and Tess both loved it. It’s not my favorite but I like making it. I also finished “The Tale of the Body Thief” this afternoon. I love Anne Rice books, but the Vampire Chronicles are by far my favorite. I guess I’ll lend this one to Justin when he comes down, since he enjoyed Armand so much. This is right up his alley.

Can’t see Kate this weekend, since Mom’s sick. Phooey. Oh well, next weekend’s well… another weekend.

I feel like writing a song, or a poem, or something. I’ve got a few cool phrases in mind but nothing solid so far. And Josh still hasn’t called me back yet. He was going to try to call around and find a ride for me, but for some reason I don’t think we’re going to do anything this time. Maybe the next time he’s in town, which should be next month or something. Honestly, I didn’t feel like doing anything anyway. I still don’t. My biggest ambition for tonight is to watch SNL. My only consolation is that I can sit around, eat junk food and grilled cheese sandwiches, and grow up to be a Fat Elf. Heroin chic, eat your heart out.