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This article is interesting. I understand the observation, and I also think the author has a point. She says that …

* GenZ are conditioned to seek systemic change and tend to see the change brought about in individuals as an overall failure * GenZ isn't used to be "blindsided by tragic endings"

Both might be true, especially if you grow up in a monoculture of modern media that is owned by essentially four big companies. Also: GenZ has mostly consumed the children's movie section of the portfolio. (There are exceptions: Coco for example. The system - we all die - is unchangeable. But then, I would argue that Coco is mislabeled as a children's movie.)

Reading the article, what I noticed is how much we rob teenagers (and young people in general) of complexity and also shield them from tragedy. The stories we grow up with add to our vocabulary in terms of what allegories we have access too, and how we frame the stories of our lives.

I don't have an overall solution, but my point is: Opera is important and every young person should have access to it in any capacity. It's an immersive showcase of the stories and emotions of people over the course of almost 400 years by now that is waiting to be explored and that invites anyone with empathy to re-live it.

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Of all the Händel epics, the "Aure, deh, per pietà" has never completely left my mind since I first encountered it. Surviving a shipwrreck, surrounded by corpses, Caesar thinks that all is lost. Only the faint hope remains that Cleopatra still lives. Händel's genius balances the (self-)soothing pattern in the violins with Caesar's tender and eloquent jumps and arpeggii that culminate in gentle but decisive bold strokes, showing his charakter even in the face of catastrophy. I have many favourite versions (Janet Baker, Sarah Connolly, ...), but Mr PJs is certainly among them. The last few bars absolutely make it for me, and if the tempo had been less rushed, he would have gotten even more chances to make this piece his very own.

Aure, deh, per pietà spirate al petto mio, per dar conforto, oh dio! al mio dolor.

Dite, dov'è, che fa l'idol del mio sen, l'amato e dolce ben di questo cor. Ma d'ogni intorno i' veggio sparse d'arme e d'estinti l'infortunate arene, segno d'infausto annunzio al fin sarà. *** Zephyrs! Zephyrs, come to mine aid! Relieve my desolation! Inspire with consolation My heart forlorn!

Tell me, Tell me of her, my love! Say that no fear will harm my dearest! But look! All around I see scattered weapons and bodies that stain the sand with blood! We fought in vain, then, and all is lost.

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1er Divertissement"L'Encouragement" Op.34

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Pictures at an Exhibition (Modest Mussorgsky) Kazuhito Yamashita [Guitar] 展覧会の絵（ムソルグスキー）山下和仁 [ギター]

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Beth Taylor sings "Nacqui all'affanno" from Rossini's La Cenerentola My god, what a glorious voice!

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Gail Gilmore sings Abigail (Nabucco): Ben io t'invenni - Anch'io dischiuso - Salgo già

Whenever the algorithm brings this one up again, I need to listen to it. I love her voice and how she fills the role so much. Bonus: The not-very-good choir always cracks me up too. They should be like "ma queen, take heart, go, claim what's yours!" but by the end, they blankly stare like Rubio when he sits on that couch which is oddly fitting too:

ABIGAILLE Ben io t'invenni, o fatal scritto! … in seno mal ti celava il rege, onde a me fosse di scorno! … Prole Abigail di schiavi! Ebben! … sia tale! Di Nabucco figlia, qual l'Assiro mi crede, che sono io qui? … peggior che schiava!Il trono affida il rege alla minor Fenena, mentr'ei fra l'armi a sterminar Giudea l'animo intende! … Me gli amori altrui invia dal campo a qui mirar! … Oh iniqui tutti, e più folli ancor! … d'Abigaille mal conoscete il core … Su tutti il mio furore piombar vedrete! … Ah sì! cada Fenena … il finto padre! … il regno! … Su me stessa rovina, o fatal sdegno!

(aria:) Anch'io dischiuso un giorno ebbi alla gioia il core; tutto parlarmi intorno udia di santo amore; piangeva all'altrui pianto, soffria degli altri al duol; ah! chi del perduto incanto mi torna un giorno sol?

SCENA II
 Il Gran Sacerdote di Belo, Magi, Grandi del Regno, e detta

ABIGAILLE
 Chi s'avanza?

GRAN SACERDOTE Orrenda scena s'è mostrata agl'occhi miei!

ABIGAILLE
 Oh! che narri? …

GRAN SACERDOTE 
Empia è Fenena, 
manda liberi gli Ebrei; …

ABIGAILLE 
Oh! …

GRAN SACERDOTE … questa turba maledetta chi frenare omai potrà? Il potere a te s'aspetta …

ABIGAILLE Come?

GRAN SACERDOTE 
Il tutto è pronto già.

GRAN SACERDOTE, MAGI E GRANDE DEL REGNO Noi già sparso abbiamo fama come il re cadesse in guerra … te regina il popol chiama a salvar l'assiria terra. Solo un passo…è tua la sorte! Abbi cor! …

ABIGAILLE Son tuo! va'! … Oh fedel, di te men forte questa donna non sarà! …

Salgo già del trono aurato lo sgabello insanguinato; ben saprà la mia vendetta da quel seggio fulminar. Che lo scettro a me s'aspetta tutti i popoli vedranno, ah! regie figlie qui verranno l'umil schiava a supplicar.

GRAN SACERDOTE, MAGI E GRANDE DEL REGNO E di Belo la vendetta con la tua saprà tuonar.

ABIGAILLE Salgo già ecc.

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Alcina is one of my absolute favourite operas, and this little aria is very dear to my heart. The role of Oronte was created for John Beard, barely 18 at the time, who started out as a boy soprano and had a long, extremely successful career ahead of him. Händel was the opposite of a hire-and-fire person - he loved his singers apparently and was very loyal to them. Personally, I think you can hear who the aria was written for if you pay attention. The tenor here vocally leaves many wishes open, but it doesn't matter - I have rewatched the aria so many times, and I always do it for Alice Coote who plays Ruggiero. Who can look at anything else if she is in the room? *edit: Tumblr "refuses to connect" to the unlisted vid, so here is the link.

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What a singer, what a voice. Vale

I just realized that Ewa Podleś died this year in January. Very sad.

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Philippe Jaroussky sings "À Chloris" by Reynaldo Hahn

** Subtitles FR/EN/DE, lyrics below ** Music by Reynaldo Hahn Words by Théophile de Viau Philippe Jaroussky, countertenor Jérome Ducros, piano

The video has been through a lot; its original resolution was 280px. I did what I could to restore this rare recording of a very young Jaroussky delivering the most divine "À Chloris", hitting the perfect spot between sacred sincerity and effortless ease the piece demands.

S'il est vrai, Chloris, que tu m'aimes, Mais j'entends, que tu m'aimes bien, Je ne crois point que les rois mêmes Aient un bonheur pareil au mien. Que la mort serait importune À venir changer ma fortune Pour la félicité des cieux! Tout ce qu'on dit de l'ambroisie Ne touche point ma fantaisie Au prix des grâces de tes yeux.

---

If it is true, Chloris, that you love me, But I hear that you truly love me, I do not believe that even kings Were ever blessed like me. How unwelcome death would be If it came and exchanged my fate With the joy of heaven! All that is said of ambrosia Fails to kindle my fantasy, If it means to give up the grace of your gaze.

---

Ist es wahr, Chloris, du liebst mich, und ich hör, du liebst mich sehr, ist des Königs Glück, das weiß ich, nur ein Bach, mein Glück ein Meer. Mit dem Tod mag ich nicht handeln, würd mein Glück er auch verwandeln in des Himmels Seligkeit. Was sie von Ambrosia schwärmen, kann das Herz mir nicht erwärmen, macht dein Auge Sanftmut weit.

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Deh, per questo istante solo ...

Tanto affanno soffre un core, ne si more di dolor!

Deh, per questo istante solo ti ricorda il primo amor, che morir mi fa di duolo il tuo sdegno, il tuo rigor.

Di pietade indegno, e vero. sol spirar io deggio orror. Pur saresti men severo se vedessi questo cor.

Disperato vado a morte, ma il morir non mi spaventa. ll pensiero mi tormenta che fui teco un traditor!

(Tanto affanno soffre un core, ne si more di dolor!)

Ah, for just this moment Remember the first affections, that make me die of grief your anger, your severity.

Unworthy of pity, it is true. I should only inspire horror. Yet you would be less severe if you could see this heart.

Desperate I go to death but death does not frighten me. The thought torments me is that I betrayed you!

(So much a heart can suffer, yet does not die of grief!)

Translation by Theresa M. Patten

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The Sorceress - Kiri Te Kanawa

Voilà, probably one of the weirdly campest videos ever made: Kiri Te Kanawa's The Sorceress, (filmed in 1993) with English and Italian subs, so even if you are unfamiliar with opera - you have no excuse!

Tiptoeing the fine line between kitsch and camp, Kiri's The Sorceress has been a long favourite of mine. It's not only a video; it's its own mini-genre. Using the very Baroque tradition of the pasticcio (a patchwork piece to enrich an existing piece or following a known plot), The Sorceress is informed by a time that was celebrating the novelties of MTV video storytelling and was still obsessed with John Malkovich's Liaisons Dangereuses a couple of years prior. It's a throwback to the 90s in so many awesome ways. There are many versions of The Sorceress YouTube; I cleaned up one video a little, made translations and added captions in English and Italian so everyone can understand what Alcina is so upset about.

Kiri Te Kanawa Ensemble: The Academy of Ancient Music Conductor: Christopher Hogwood Choreography: Baroque Opera Atelier Toronto Mise-en-scène: Barbara Willis Sweete Ruggiero: Andrew Kelley Bradamante: Jeanette Zingg Alcina's Servant: Wilbert Hanssen Music by Georg Frideric Händel

I needed a short mental break, so I wasted a day (and a couple of bucks). The original plan was only to add subtitles in English and Italian, but I ended up scrubbing the video a little, upscaling and cleaning it with AI. Don't expect too much; the best version flying around is 444x360 pixels or something (black frame around it included) - VHS, I believe filmed from a screen too.

tl; dr: I did what I could!

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Daniel Behle sings "Pensa che In campo armato" from Antonio Tozzi's "Rinaldo"

The motive is a recurring one and was a staple in the 18th century. Rinaldo + Armida, Ruggiero + Alcina … Sometimes grudgingly, sometimes tragically, the hero has to renounce his love or at least postpone his desires to follow the call of duty. Tozzi writes an aria for the voice of reason that in its virtuosity deserves a hero. Tozzi is probably not one of the "Greats" and a lot of his music is craftsmanship. However, there are more than just a few passages in this particular piece that lift it well above and beyond. The coloraturas are interesting and "galant", and the little chromatic figures that kindly urge the hero on show that it's important for Tozzi to establish that the reasonable one (who may be called Ubaldo) doesn't (only) strongarm Rinaldo into making the right decision; he wants to convince him.

Oh, and obviously, Daniel Behle is excellent. Libretto and translation below the cut

Bayreuth, Markgräfliches Opernhaus 2023 Aufnahme: BR Antonio Tozzi, Rinaldo (1775) Translation below

Pensa, che in campo armato il tuo valor ti chiama. Del tuo valor la fama combatterà con te.

Scordati il volto amato, fuggi quel dolce incanto. Maggiore d'ogni vanto è il trionfar di te. * Consider, that onto the battlefield Your valor summons you. The renown of your valour Will fight beside you.

Forget the beloved face, Flee that sweet enchantment. Greater than any vain glory, Is your triumph. * Wisse, Dich ruft die Ehre, Dich ruft die Pflicht zum Streite. Dort wird Dir Ruhm zur Seite, der Sieg zum Lohn Dir seyn.

Flieh aus der Wollust Armen! Fort! lass sie ohn' Erbarmen, Dich selbst als Held besiegen, muss höchster Ruhm Dir seyn.

*Artwork: Tiepolo, Rinaldo & Armida

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Benjamin Britten’s opera for television: Owen Wingrave 

The Wingrave family prides itself on being a family of soldiers. When Owen Wingrave decides that he will refuse to fight in the military, they don't take his decision well. Both he as well as his fiancé Kate lost their respective fathers in battle; while Owen sees this death as pointless, Kate embraces the apotheosis offered by society, that they died for a greater good, for honour, for King and country. Owen's decision challenges her own narrative. She calls Owen a coward and puts him up to a test of courage: in the attic of the Wingrave mansion, generations ago, a boy has died. Since then, the room is said to be haunted. If you're in a hurry, I recommend listening to just the two minutes starting at 55 min that blend Act I into Act II - a beautiful cantilene with an edge, and a disturbing children's choir, recounting the story of young Wingrave who refused to fight. [x]

Kent Nagano - conductor Margaret Williams - director

Gerald Finley - Owen Wingrave (baritone) Peter Savidge - Spencer Coyle (bass-baritone) Hilton Marlton - Lechmere (tenor) Josephine Barstow - Miss Wingrave (dramatic soprano) Anne Dawson - Mrs Coyle (soprano) Charlotte Hellekant - Kate Julian (mezzo-soprano) Martyn Hill - Sir Philip Wingrave (tenor) Elizabeth Gale - Mrs Julian (soprano)

The Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin

Libretto: Myfanwy Piper, after Henry James Directed by Margaret Williams, 1991.

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Egyptian

Statuette of Anubis

Ptolemaic Period

332-30 B.C.

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Cecilia Bartoli sings Mozart's Concert Aria "Ah, lo previdi … Ah, t'invola … Deh non varcar" (KV 272)

I can't even tell I love Kiri or Bartoli more - I never get tired of this piece and it absolutely kills me every time.

Ah, don't leave, beloved shadow, I want to join you. On the final step, While the pain kills me, In the meantime, tarry, tarry awhile! Cavatina Ah, do not cross the river, Soul of my heart. To the other shore of the river Lete, Shade, your companion, I too Want to come, come with you.

"Ah, lo previdi … Ah, t'invola … Deh non varcar" Mozart, KV 272 Libretto: Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi, "Andromeda" (also set by Paisiello)

Andromeda Recitativo Ah, lo previdi! Povero Prence, con quel ferro istesso che me salvò, ti lacerasti il petto.

(ad Eristeo) Ma tu sì fiero scempio perchè non impedir? Come, o crudele, d'un misero a pietà non ti movesti? Qual tigre, qual tigre ti nodrì? Dove, dove, dove nascesti?

Aria Ah, t'invola agl'occhi miei, alma vile, ingrato cor! La cagione, oh Dio, tu sei del mio barbaro, barbaro dolor. Va, crudele! Va, spietato! Va, tra le fiere ad abitar.

(Eristeo parte) Recitativo Misera! Misera! Invan m'adiro, e nel suo sangue intanto nuota già l'idol mio. Con quell'acciaro, ah Perseo, che facesti? Mi salvasti poc'anzi,or m'uccidesti.

Col sangue, ahi, la bell'alma, ecco, già uscì dallo squarciato seno. Me infelice! Si oscura il giorno agli occhi miei, e nel barbaro affanno il cor vien meno.

Ah, non partir, ombra diletta, io voglio unirmi a te. Sul grado estremo, intanto che m'uccide il dolor, intanto fermati, fermati alquanto!

Cavatina Deh, non varcar quell'onda, anima del cor mio. Di Lete all'altra sponda, ombra, compagna anch'io voglio venir, venir con te.

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