The IPA Source Blog

We are the web's largest library of International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions and literal translations of opera arias and art song texts.

bass

Seven arias from Giuseppe Verdi’s La battaglia di Legnano

By Leave a Comment

BattagliaLegnano
“La Battaglia di Legnano”
Seven texts from La battaglia di Legnano, as set by Giuseppe Verdi, have recently been added to the IPA Source database.

La battaglia di Legnano is a four-act opera, with a libretto set by Salvadore Cammarano. It was first performed in January of 1849, and was commissioned by the Teatro Argentina theatre. In the 1850’s, Verdi had considered revising this opera, but never undertook the task.

Salvadore Cammarano was the librettist for  La battaglia di Legnano. Cammarano served as Verdi’s librettist for Alzira and Luisa Miller, and he collaborated with Leone Emanuele Bardare to write the libretto for Il Trovatore.

La battaglia di Legnano on IPA Source: https://www.ipasource.com/composer/v/verdi-giuseppe-1813-1901.html?search=la-battaglia-di-legnano#la-battaglia-di-legnano

Complete score on IMSLP.org: http://imslp.org/wiki/La_battaglia_di_Legnano_(Verdi,_Giuseppe)

Verdi-photo-Brogi

La battaglia di Legnano

A frenarti, o cor, nel petto (perfect for Soprano)

Ah se d’Arrigo, e di Rolando (perfect for Soprano)

Ah! m’abbraccia; d’esultanza (perfect for Baritone)

Ahi! scellerate alme d’inferno (perfect for Baritone)

La pia materna mano (perfect for Tenor)

Quante volte come un dono (perfect for Soprano)

Se al nuovo dì pugnando (perfect for Baritone)

 

The Performance

Watch the entire performance of La battaglia di Legnano from the Brott Music Festival here: https://youtu.be/KtZtyLNmN5U

Perfect for Bass – 8 concert arias as set by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

By Leave a Comment

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791), born in Salzburg, Austria, was an important and respected composer. As an adult, he referred to himself as “Wolfgang Amadè Mozart,” but it is noted that his name had many variants. As a child, his baptismal record listed his name in Latin as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. Mozart was a prolific composer; over the span of his career composing hundreds of works including sonatas, symphonies, masses, chamber music, concertos, and operas.

There is much more about Mozart in our two-part blog series. Get started with part 1 here.

Review all 301 texts as set by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the IPA Source database here:

https://www.ipasource.com/composer/m/mozart-wolfgang-amadeus-1756-1791.html

 

Here, most with listening links, are eight concert arias perfect for Bass.

Alcandro, lo confesso… Non so donde viene

Listen to Kurt Moll:

Cara, se le mie pene

(Mozart also wrote Cara, se le mie pene for Soprano.)

 

Listen to Ildebrando D’Arcangelo:

Io ti lascio

Listen to Robert Lloyd:

Mentre ti lascio

Listen to Klaus Mertens:

Per questa bella mano

Listen to Cesare Siepi:

Un bacio di mano

Listen to Bryn Terfel:

Warnung

Listen to Robert Lloyd:

 

Review all 301 texts as set by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the IPA Source database here:

https://www.ipasource.com/composer/m/mozart-wolfgang-amadeus-1756-1791.html

Perfect for Voice – 17 Texts from Georg Friedrich Händel’s Messiah

By Leave a Comment

Messiah-titlepageGeorg Friedrich Händel’s Messiah (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the version of the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer. Originally intended as thought-provoking inspiration for Lent and Easter, this 259-page score was composed in a mere 3-4 weeks.

During the 1700’s, opera and composers were sometimes the subject of moral outrage and some considered this work, as hard as it is to believe, blasphemous.  Händel chose to premier his work in Dublin near Easter time, on April 13, 1742, in part due to the lukewarm response to the previous years’ works in London and also because he was trying to test the work away from Anglican bishops.

Mozart reorchestrated Messiah in 1789 but remained in awe of the composer. “Händel understands effect better than any of us — when he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt… though he often saunters, in the manner of his time, this is always something there,” said Mozart.

Here, with voice type and listening links, are 18 texts on IPA Source from Händel’s oratorio, Messiah.

SOPRANO

Perfect for Soprano: How Beautiful Are the Feet – Their Sound Is Gone Out
Listen to Lynne Dawson: https://youtu.be/IFBEK5Xks6c

Perfect for Soprano: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
Listen to Sylvia McNair: https://youtu.be/Kg7aXEvCeXY

Perfect for Soprano: If God Be for Us, Who Can Be Against Us
Listen to Sarah Brailey: https://youtu.be/a8A5BYyTkxQ

Perfect for Soprano: Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion
Listen to Kathleen Battle: https://youtu.be/bByY2_uXblQ

CONTRALTOBLW Handel

Perfect for Contralto: O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion
Listen to Carolyn Watkinson: https://youtu.be/BqzO8omYJWg

Perfect for Contralto: Come unto Him, All Ye That Labour
Listen to Lila Deis: https://youtu.be/y1vQ1vL_65A

Perfect for Contralto: He Was Despised and Rejected of Men
Listen to Anne Sofie von Otter: https://youtu.be/pjLaSMf0jjk

Perfect for Contralto: O Death, Where Is Thy Sting
Listen to Delphine Galou: https://youtu.be/23s5ZOS_MAo

TENOR

Perfect for Tenor: Behold, and See if There Be Any Sorrow
Listen to John Mark Ainsley: https://youtu.be/zCmd73MMOZM

Perfect for Tenor: But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul in Hell
Listen to Bogdan Mihai: https://youtu.be/Ba-XN_wGwjk

Perfect for Tenor: Ev’ry valley shall be exaulted
Listen to Nicolai Gedda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3ZaoZPOoD0

Perfect for Tenor: Thou Shalt Break Them
Listen to John Mark Ainsley: https://youtu.be/X92SkGNVSMI

Perfect for Tenor: Unto Which of the Angels
Listen to Markus Brutsche: https://youtu.be/wgYs8v0rCDc

BASS

Perfect for Bass: The People That Walked in Darkness
Listen to Matthew Curran: https://youtu.be/3V_ZZ6ENu-E

Perfect for Bass (or alto): But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming
Listen to Bryn Terfel: https://youtu.be/TCOSulk2v5c

Perfect for Bass: The Trumpet Shall Sound
Listen to Philippe Sly: https://youtu.be/13DpmWPV9IU

Perfect for Bass: Thou Art Gone Up on High
Listen to William Sharp: https://youtu.be/HCrpCQE-y1E

Perfect for Bass: Why Do the Nations So Furiously Rage Together
Listen to Donald Gramm: https://youtu.be/JIcRrLn8OcQ

 

(Sources Wikipedia, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Smithsonian Institution, GFHändel.org)

Texts about love, just in time for Valentine’s Day

By Leave a Comment

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here are a selection of texts about love. Some texts also include listening links, notations on ideal voice type, and comments from IPA Source Founder & Principal Author, Bard Suverkrop.

Droop Not, Young Lover as set by Georg Friedrich Händel

This is important song, perfect for bass, is from the opera “Ezio”
Text: https://www.ipasource.com/droop-not-young-lover.html

Endless Pleasure, Endless Love as set by Georg Friedrich Händel
This aria, perfect for soprano, is from “Semele”

Text: https://www.ipasource.com/endless-pleasure-endless-love.html
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmR6ewx387w

I Attempt from Love’s Sickness to Fly as set by Henry Purcell
This important song, perfect for soprano, is from “The Indian Queen”

Text: https://www.ipasource.com/i-attempt-from-love-s-sickness-to-fly.html
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6Pyiu1TUNM

Love is a Plaintive Song as set by Sir Arthur Sullivan
This text, perfect for soprano, is from “Patience”

Text: https://www.ipasource.com/love-is-a-plaintive-song.html

Love quickly is pall’d as set by Henry Purcell
This text, perfect for alto, is from “Timon of Athens”

Text: https://www.ipasource.com/love-quickly-is-pall-d.html

Sorry Her Lot Who Loves Too Well as set by Sir Arthur Sullivan
This text, perfect for soprano, is from “H.M.S. Pinafore”

Text: https://www.ipasource.com/sorry-her-lot-who-loves-too-well.html
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci2Ae_iAWo8

When First My Old, Old Love I Knew as set by Sir Arthur Sullivan
This text, perfect for tenor, is from “Trial by Jury”

Text: https://www.ipasource.com/when-first-my-old-old-love-i-knew.html

Love Has Eyes as set by Henry Rowley (Charles Dibdin is the poet)
“This is an important teaching song,” says IPA Source Founder & Principal Author, Bard Suverkrop

Text: https://www.ipasource.com/love-has-eyes.html

Love’s Philosophy as set by Percy Bysshe Shelley
“Perhaps the most important English song in this group,” says IPA Source Founder & Principal Author, Bard Suverkrop

Text: https://www.ipasource.com/love-s-philosophy.html
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwWtrJMelgs

Go, Lovely Rose by Roger Quilter

Text: https://www.ipasource.com/catalog/product/view/id/10509/category/3578/
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4pSEiQkOWY

Amor by Richard Strauss

Text: https://www.ipasource.com/amor-7944.html
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDqIza9VELM

English Collection

op. 12. Seven Elizabethan Lyrics by Roger Quilter

Texts: https://www.ipasource.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=op.+12.+Seven+Elizabethan+Lyrics&order=relevance&dir=desc
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzc8rPRrjtI

German collection

op. 048. Dichterliebe (Poet’s Love) by Robert Schumann
Texts: https://www.ipasource.com/composer/s/schumann-robert-alexander-1810-1856.html?search=op-048-dichterliebe#op-048-dichterliebe
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX1LTPV0QuA

 

 

Perfect for voice – 8 arias as set by Camille Saint-Saëns

By Leave a Comment

Camille Saint-Saëns in 1900 by Pierre Petit
Saint-Saëns

Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (10/9/1835 – 12/16/1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic era. He was also a poet and playwright. In his younger years, he was enthusiastic for music of the modern day, including Schumann, Wagner, and Liszt. However, he remained a traditionalist committed to musical structures by earlier French composers.

Saint-Saëns wrote in many genres, including opera, symphonies, concertos, songs, sacred & secular choral music, solo piano, & chamber music. He was a prodigy, beginning piano lessons at age two and a half, and performing at a Paris salon when he was five years of age.

Because of his commitment to historical structure, however, he was conflicted with composers of the impressionist and dodecaphonic schools of music. His later music was therefore viewed as less appealing, less colorful and more reactionary. He was still giving recitals three months before his death (he went on a concert tour of Algiers and Greece at the age of 85). When he announced his retirement in August 1921, he had been before the public for 75 years.

View our entire collection of texts as set by Camille Saint-Saëns:
https://www.ipasource.com/composer/s/saint-saens-camille-1835-1921.html

Learn more about Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns here.

Organized by opera and voice type, here are links to the IPA text for 8 arias as set by Camille Saint-Saëns. Most include listening links:

Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila

Maudite à jamais soit la race (High Priest: perfect for baritone)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/maudite-a-jamais-soit-la-race.html

Listen to: Ernest Blanc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WRBr3_X3ek&t=26s

Amour! viens aider ma faiblesse (Dalila: perfect for mezzo)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/amour-viens-aider-ma-faiblesse.html

Listen to: Tatiana Troyanos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBCCZU7nCG0

Printemps qui commence (Dalila: perfect for mezzo)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/printemps-qui-commence.html

Listen to: Denyce Grave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bp8P5dnAWQ

Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix (Dalila: perfect for mezzo)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/mon-coeur-s-ouvre-a-ta-voix.html

Listen to: Marilyn Horne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwynxOAoKjo

Vois, ma misère (Samson: perfect for tenor)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/vois-ma-misere.html

Listen to: Jon Vickers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvMlou8dcvk

Saint-Saëns: Henry VIII

Qui donc commande, quand il aime? (Henry VIII: perfect for baritone)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/qui-donc-commande-quand-il-aime.html

Listen to: Philippe Rouillon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocSijzQVHDo

Qui donc élève ici la voix? (Legate: perfect for bass)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/qui-donc-eleve-ici-la-voix.html

Saint-Säens: Oratorio de Noël

Domine, ego credidi (perfect for tenor)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/domine-ego-credidi.html

Listen to: Erland Hagegård
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV7650DGJ40

Are you interested in the Fach System? Check out our blog series here.

Halloween-themed art songs and opera texts

By Leave a Comment

No tricks here! Here are some Halloween treats hand-selected by our founder & principal author, Bard Suverkrop. Enjoy this selection of Halloween-themed art songs and opera texts, which include fach (voice type), listening links and links to the score.

Art Songs

And’res Maienlied: Hexenlied (perfect for soprano)
as set by Felix Mendelssohn
Listen to Barbara Bonney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5RLvekBqMs
IPA: https://www.ipasource.com/and-res-maienlied-hexenlied.html
Score: http://imslp.org/wiki/12_Ges%C3%A4nge,_Op.8_(Mendelssohn,_Felix)

Junghexenlied (perfect for soprano)
as set by Richard Strauss
Listen to Edita Gruberová: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj0nXK0_ITA
IPA https://www.ipasource.com/catalog/product/view/id/11717/category/1234/
Score: http://imslp.org/wiki/5_Lieder%2C_Op.39_(Strauss%2C_Richard)

Walpurgisnacht: Die Hexe (perfect for soprano)
as set by Karl Loewe
Listen to Gabriele Rossmanith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=045mcWwiOlE
IPA: https://www.ipasource.com/walpurgisnacht-die-hexe.html
Score: http://imslp.org/wiki/3_Balladen,_Op.2_(Loewe,_Carl)

For more ghostly ballads by Karl Loewe, check out the collection Geisterballaden und Geschichten, Todes- und Kirchhofs-Bilder.
http://ks.petruccimusiclibrary.org/files/imglnks/usimg/2/29/IMSLP63615-PMLP129687-Loewe_8.pdf

Opera

Hurr, hopp, hopp, hopp – The witch’s aria from Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck (perfect for mezzo)
Listen to Jamie Barton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2QEdEHKYiM
IPA: https://www.ipasource.com/catalog/product/view/id/1284/category/1464/
Score: http://imslp.org/wiki/H%C3%A4nsel_und_Gretel_(Humperdinck%2C_Engelbert)

Schweig! Damit dich niemand warnt (perfect for bass)
Kaspar’s aria from Der Freischütz
Listen to Ludwig Weber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ALFdAYlZ6w
IPA: https://www.ipasource.com/catalog/product/view/id/1248/category/27/
Score: http://imslp.org/wiki/Der_Freisch%C3%BCtz%2C_Op.77_(Weber%2C_Carl_Maria_von)

Bonus from Bard

I’d forgotten about this great Finnish bass, Kim Borg. Here he is singing the ‘The Song of the Flea‘ (sung in Russian) by Modest Mussorgsky. Unfortunately, we don’t have the IPA for this text, but it’s a great Halloween-themed piece and a marvelous look back on a great performer.