DESCRIPTION:
Carlo Bergonzi sings "O del mio amato ben", by Stefano Donaudy (1879 - 1925), John Wustman, piano

Stefano Donaudy, son of a French father and Italian mother, was a child prodigy, who wrote one of his most popular songs "Vaghissima Sembianza" when he was only thirteen years old. Most of his songs were written at the piano together with his brother Alberto Donaudy (1880 - 1941). One can easily compare him to another great song composer and child prodigy, Reynaldo Hahn (1874 - 1947), who wrote one of his most famous songs, "Si mes vers avaient des ailes", when he was a mere fourteen years old.

In 1981 the MET mounted a celebration of Carlo Bergonzi's 25 years at the House. James Levine conducted. Three fully staged acts from three operas closely associated with Bergonzi's artistry were showcased: Act II from Traviata, with Bergonzi as Alfredo, Catherine Malfitano, Violetta, and Mario Sereni as Germont; Act II from Ballo in Maschera, including the 3rd act aria "Ma se m'e forza perderti", with Pavarotti as Riccardo, Teresa Zylis-Gara, Amelia, and Louis Quilico, Renato; Act III from Tosca, with Bergonzi as Cavaradossi and Galina Savova as Tosca. Pavarotti was the MC, and in his introductory remarks he referred to Carlo Bergonzi as the KING!

O del mio amato ben perduto incanto!
Lungi è dagli occhi miei
chi m'era gloria e vanto!
Or per le mute stanze
sempre lo [cerco e]1 chiamo
con pieno il cor di speranze?
Ma cerco invan, chiamo invan!
E il pianger m'è sì caro,
che di pianto sol nutro il cor.

Mi sembra, senza lui, triste ogni loco.
Notte mi sembra il giorno;
mi sembra gelo il foco.
Se pur talvolta spero
di darmi ad altra cura,
sol mi tormenta un pensiero:
Ma, senza lui, che farò?
Mi par così la vita vana cosa
senza il mio ben.

Oh lost enchantment of my dearly beloved!
Far from my eyes is he
Who was to me glory and pride!
Now through silent rooms
I always seek and call him
With my heart full of hope.
But I seek in vain, I call in vain!
And weeping is so dear to me,
That with weeping only I nourish my heart.

Every place seems sad to me without him.
Day seems like night to me;
Fire seems cold to me.
But if I sometimes hope to give myself another cure,
Just one thought torments me:
But what shall I do without him?
Life seems such a pointless thing to me without my beloved.