Jun 11
What Do You Consider The Most Soulful, Heartbreaking Aria In Opera?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know many will chime in with obvious, with poor ‘ol little Mimi croaking in the final in La Boheme, but we all see that coming a mile away. And besides, being more than sighly over-performed does take a little bite out of the otherwise near-perfect rendering of Mimi’s last stand.
So I’m voting for Manon’s ‘just about ready to give up the ghost’ aria (Sola, perduta, abbandonata) from Puccini’s ‘Manon Lescaut.’ Although there is nothing grand or heroic about claiming you’re not ready to die, when Manon sings this it is one of the most humanly stated sentiments ever conveyed in the world of opera.
So, would you concur? Or would you have your own favorite tearjerker?
Croak is an American slang word, going back to the 1930s, for someone who dies. I was just trying to be cute with my question. But ask yourself, Italian, does Mimi die? If so ,she croaks, she gives up the ghost, she deep sixes, or however you want to slang it.
This is one of those questions where the replies are highly subjective and, as such, there either are no right answers or every sincere reply is a right answer. The only thing that puzzles me is why all the thumbs down here when it really is subjective to begin with?
I’M NOT CHOSING A ‘RIGHT’ ANSWER from so many wonderful replies. I simply can’t because there are at least a dozen ‘best’ answers here. You guys will have to fight it out among yourselves.
But I personally thank you all for your wonderful replies.
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18 Responses to “What Do You Consider The Most Soulful, Heartbreaking Aria In Opera?”
The queen of the night aria from Die Zauberflote. Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen…
evil bitch
Dove sono from Le Nozze di Figaro - both beautiful and heartbreaking. It conveys a sentiment that is easy to understand and therefore easy to sympathize with. Mozart make empathy easy.
That’s a good choice, but I am going to vote for a different Puccini death scene, “Tu, tu, tu, piccolo iddio” from Madama Butterfly. The thought of a mother saying goodbye to her son as she is about to commit hara-kiri is pretty terrible!
The one that does it for me isn’t very well known. It’s from Shostakovich’s ‘Lady Macbeth from Mtsenk’, The anti-heroine, Katerina Izmailova has killed her brutal husband for the love of the manipulating Sergei. Justice finally catches up with them and they are banished to a Siberian hard labour prison camp. Sergei abandons Katerina for a ********** and Katerina is left alone and desperate. Her aria describing her misery is more heart-wrenching than you might think. One gains sympathy for Katerina, despite her crime because Sergei is an even fouller character. The main melody of this touching scene is quoted by Shostakovich in his autobiographical Eighth String Quartet.
My favorite for over forty years has been “Non Piangere Liu” (Don’t Cry, Liu.) from Pucinni”sTurandot, with Corelli singing. It’s probably spelled wrong, but I can’t spell in any language.
I’d have to go with “Un bel di vedremo.” from Madama Butterfly (Puccini).
Un bel di, vedremo — of course!! (Puccini was always the best at this sort of thing, wasn’t he?)
Only works if you know the text and the story — the great irony of the song, beause the audience is “in on it” about what a sh** Pinkerton is, and poor Cio-cio san hasn’t a clue (or if she does, she’s in massive denial — bless her heart).
Gets me every time.
O patria Mia from Aida.
But you have to hear Renata Tebaldi sing it.
Or, the duet from Norma, although technically thats a duet, not an aria. But it’s still a tearjerker.
violettas’ singing ‘croce delizio’ in joe greens la traviata,in the first and last act,richard tucker,robert merril,leontyne price
In the list you might include Desdemona’s “Willow Song” in Verdi’s Otello. It’s very strong, though there are other strong contenders.
I am not sure whether Desdemona knows she will die or not, but it seems like she gives up all hope (even though she goes for her wedding dress.) Or maybe she has some, but it is not enough to sustain her. So sad.
There’s also Desdemona’s Ave Maria from Otello (Verdi). It however only works if you know what’s coming, and why it’s coming. The knowledge that she’s about to die in the very next scene breaks my heart (and she doesn’t even know it until it’s too late).
And if you count ensembles, there’s the final scene from Simon Boccanegra, and the finale from Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier.
edit: I think maybe she suspected that she might die (she told Emilia that she fears for her own destiny earlier on, because of Otello’s rage), but not so soon. Yes I just break down when she talks about being buried with her wedding dress.
Leb’ Wohl, from Wagner’s Die Valkyrie.
All-powerful god trapped by his own laws, telling his favorite daughter goodnight and goodbye forever, stripping away her armor and immortality, leaving her prey to the first man who comes along (yes, the first brave one, but still…a stranger) and all because she had the guts to protect his son when he selfishly wouldn’t. He loses both children because of his lust for power.
bizet, Les pêcheurs de perles (pearl fishers) duet maybe
Doc,
I enjoyed your question and all the answers…I agree with some and disagree with others as you might and will with my own choices.
Considering the words you used, soulful and heartbreaking aria are in my opinion:
1)
Tosca’s “Vissi d’arte” is, if not the most heartbreaking aria, one of them…she is pleading God not to be raped, she is crying her soul and asking how come she being a good follower to God, is been mistreated and life threatened (is that word right? lol! english is not my 1st language, apologies) regardless of what happens after the aria we all know is another story, it is a soulful plea from a sincere heart.
2)
Liu’s “Signore ascolta” by Puccini’s Turandot, she is begging to Calaf to hear not her but his blind dad, she adores him and although she knows she will never get him for being a slave, she is happy with the thought of being able to see him everyday. The same passionate love can be state of her other aria.
I think I agree with Dove sono, it is very nice and gorgeous melodic line but Mozart caresses of the passionate and visceral feeling that I like, it is only my humble opinion
Great question
ps. yeap, Im a tenor and could not find something heartbreaking and soulful from a tenor aria, our voice communicate those emotions in different ways, but not with the delicacy and fineness as a female voice can do.
*Edit 1
oh! and he sings on the tenor clef or if you want to be more specific in modern music notation with a treble clef with an 8th indicating an octave lower.
The Italian: Otello’s role by Verdi is a tenor, nonetheless i do not consider it to be heartbreaking and soulful, rather i find Otello’s character troubled by jealousy, fear and gossips, thank you very much!
You are right about Boheme, but the third act “addio” is even more touching. The Toscanini recording does it exactly right, the tempo is perfect and himself sings along.
Well, being a total Baroque-head, the most heart-wrenching aria for me is “Cara Sposa” from Handel’s opera “Rinaldo” - this aria was originally composed for castrato.
If you’ve seen the film “Farinelli,” you might recall that this was the aria accompanying the scene where all was revealed about Farinelli’s castration as a child.
Hafwen x
Nobody is dying in this one but the scene of Act II in “Rigoletto” is very tragic nonetheless.
Tito Gobbi, baritone, is the Court Jester and sings “Cortigiani, vil razza dannata,” one of the great moments in opera in my opinion.
The court members had abducted a woman the night before and Rigoletto enters the scene worried that he can’t find his daughter, and when he sees her white scarf nearby on the table, he realizes it was his own daughter who had been adbucted. His anger and anguish are all too real, Gobbi is a great actor. He desperately pleads with the courtiers for her return in heartbreaking outbursts but he is scorned, and then vows revenge.
Great opera stuff! ;- )
I love “Nessun Dorma” sung by Beniamino Gigli..Oh Mon Dieu…He had really a great voice….Sa voix c’est émouvante….!!c’est inefable!!