"Il dolce suono" ("The Sweet Sound") is the

incipit The incipit ( ) of a text is the first few words of the text, employed as an identifying label. In a musical composition, an incipit is an initial sequence of Musical note, notes, having the same purpose. The word ''incipit'' comes from Latin an ...

of the

recitativo Recitative (, also known by its Italian name recitativo () is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repeat lines ...

of a ''scena ed

aria In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...

'' taken from Act III scene 2, ''

Lucia di Lammermoor ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel '' The Bride of Lammermoor''. ...

'' by

Gaetano Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian Romantic music, Romantic composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the ''be ...

. It is also commonly known as the " mad scene" sung by the leading soprano, Lucia. Lucia descends into madness, and on her wedding night, while the festivities are still being held in the Great Hall, she stabs her new husband, Arturo, in the bridal chamber. Disheveled, unaware of what she has done, she wanders in the Great Hall, recalling her meetings with Edgardo and imagining herself married to him. Donizetti intended the aria to be accompanied by the eerie sound of the

glass harmonica The glass harmonica, also known as the glass armonica, glass harmonium, bowl organ, hydrocrystalophone, or simply the armonica or harmonica (derived from , ''harmonia'', the Greek language, Greek word for harmony), is a type of musical instr ...

, though this instrument is often replaced in performance by a

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

. An arrangement of the aria was featured in the film ''

The Fifth Element ''The Fifth Element'' () is a 1997 English-language French science-fiction action film conceived and directed by Luc Besson, and co-written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, an ...

'', sung by the alien character Diva Plavalaguna voiced by Inva Mula.

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

pop countertenor Vitas recorded a similar shortened version under the title "Lucia Di Lammermoor". While singing the part, Vitas changed the lyric "Edgardo" to "

Esther Esther (; ), originally Hadassah (; ), is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. According to the biblical narrative, which is set in the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus falls in love with Esther and ma ...

" (hence the text "Esther! io ti son reso!").

Libretto

Il dolce suono mi colpì di sua voce! Ah, quella voce m'è qui nel cor discesa! Edgardo! io ti son resa. Edgardo! Ah! Edgardo, mio! Si', ti son resa! fuggita io son da' tuoi nemici. Un gelo me serpeggia nel sen! trema ogni fibra! vacilla il piè! Presso la fonte meco t'assidi alquanto! Si', Presso la fonte meco t'assidi. Ohimè, sorge il tremendo fantasma e ne separa! Qui ricovriamo, Edgardo, a piè dell'ara. Sparsa è di rose! Un'armonia celeste, di', non ascolti? Ah, l'inno suona di nozze! Il rito per noi s'appresta! Oh, me felice! Oh gioia che si sente, e non si dice! Ardon gl'incensi! Splendon le sacre faci, splendon intorno! Ecco il ministro! Porgimi la destra! Oh lieto giorno! Al fin son tua, al fin sei mio, a me ti dona un Dio. Ogni piacer più grato, mi fia con te diviso Del ciel clemente un riso la vita a noi sarà. The sweet sound of his voice struck me! Ah, that voice has entered my heart! Edgardo! I surrender to you, oh my Edgardo! I have escaped from your enemies. A chill creeps into my breast! Every fibre trembles! My foot falters! Sit down by the fountain with me a while! Alas, the tremendous phantom arises and separates us! Let us take refuge here, Edgardo, at the foot of the altar. It is scattered with roses! A heavenly harmony, tell me, do you not hear it? Ah, the marriage hymn is playing! They are preparing the rite for us! Oh, how happy I am! Oh joy that is felt but not said! The incense is burning! The holy torches are shining, shining around! Here is the minister! Give me your right hand! Oh joyful day! At last I am yours, at last you are mine, A god gives you to me. Let me share The greatest pleasures with you, Life for us will be A smile from merciful heaven.

References

External links

The Aria Database

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dolce suono, Il Arias by Gaetano Donizetti Opera excerpts