Fidelio

Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio

Wer du auch bist, ich werde dich retten!

(Whoever you are, I will save you)
- Leonore

Leonore disguises as a man to save her husband who is - unjustly - held a (political) prisoner.
She therefore calls herself Fidelio, meaning "faithful, true" and sneaks into the prison as a new servant to Rocco, who has the charge over the prison.
As the drama devlops, Leonore is growing so much over herself, that she is able to forget her original plans and is risking everything to save a stranger whom Rocco has order to kill. Wer du auch bist, ich werde dich retten!
As Fidelio and Rocco are in the unknown prisoner's vault, she discovers with terror that it is Florestan, her long-missed husband. Yet she cannot reveal herself until the moment Don Pizarro comes to kill Florestan. She throws herself in-between: Töt' erst sein Weib! (You must kill his wife, first!)
All comes to a good end with the arrival of the Governor, a friend of Florestan's - even Don Pizarro is not dealt with like other opera-villains, he is given over to justice, not to death.

Beethoven shows strong morals in this opera: fidelity, freedom, justice, devotion...to name only a few. I would call Fidelio a sum-up of what I believe Beethoven believed.

The swallow's flight

La Rondine
by Giacomo Puccini


Cantava una lenta canzone
la musica strana
e una voce lontana
diceva così:
"Fanciulla, è sbocciato l'amore!
Difendi, difendi il tuo core!
Dei baci le sorrisi l'incanto
si paga con stille di pianto!"

A strange music
sang a slow song
and a distant voice
said:
"Little girl, love is in bloom!
Guard, guard you heart!
The enchanting of kisses and laughter
is paid with teardrops!"

- Magda to her friends about her adventure when she was a little girl -
on the same time forshadowing about the adventure that she is
about to have.

MAGDA
Pensa che il sacrificio
che compio in questo instante...
Think that the sacrifice
that I am making this moment...

RUGGERO
O mia divina amante!
O vita mia vita!
Oh my divine beloved!
Oh life of my life.


MAGDA
...io lo compi per te!
...I am making it for you.

...

MAGDA
Quando sarai guarito, te ne ricorderai,
Tu ritorni alla casa tua serena,
io riprendo il mio volo e la ia pena.
When you will be healed, you will remember,
You will return to your serene house,
I will retake me flight and my suffering.

RUGGERO
Amore...
My love...

MAGDA
Non dir' niente.
Che sia mio questo dolore.
Don't say anything.
That this pain shall be mine.