We don't know about you, but Classicalite has been floating on SoundCloud 9 after so many free repeats of Anna Netrebko singing Verdi's "Mercè, dilette amiche."
An aria for Giovanna de Guzman (i.e. La Duchesse Hélène) from the fifth and final act of the opera I vespri siciliani (cf. Les vêpres siciliennes), the French-cum-Italian words give thanks to all--singing of her true happiness just before her wedding to the young Enrico (Henri).
What "Elena" does not foresee in song, of course, is the imminent massacre of the enemy, who is actually the father of her husband-to-be, "Arrigo."
And while the performance history here is confusing, Netrebko's performance, itself, is crystal clear, indeed.
As Deutsche Grammophon writes, "Although the opera is not considered mainstream repertoire, the aria is popular due to its happy nature. It is a breath of fresh air into the normally gloomy and intense arias present in Verdi’s grand operas."
FYI: Verdi's vespers followed immediately after the composer's three great mid-career masterpieces--Rigoletto, Il trovatore and La traviata.
If, like us, you're still obliged to pay money for music, click here to pre-order the real, physical album from Deutsche Grammophon.
Or, should you prefer your Sicilian vespers encoded as inert strands of 1s and 0s, you can always purchase Netrebko's newest from fine digi-retailers such as iTunes or Amazon.
Don't believe the Red Square hype; Verdi would've wanted your money, too.
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