Bryn Terfel Jones was born in Pantglas, North Wales, the son of a farmer (he knew of another Welsh baritone named Delme Bryn-Jones, so Terfel chose Bryn Terfel as his professional name). Terfel had an interest in and talent for music from a very young age. A family friend taught him how to sing, starting with traditional Welsh songs. After winning numerous competitions for his singing, Terfel moved to London in 1984 and entered the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from which he graduated in 1989, winning the Gold Medal. He came in second behind Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the Cardiff BBC Singer of the World Competition the same year, though won the Lieder Prize.
In 1990, Terfel made his operatic début as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte at the Welsh National Opera, and later in the same season he sang the title role in The Marriage of Figaro, a role with which he made his debut with the English National Opera in 1991.
Terfel made his United States début as Figaro at the Santa Fe Opera. In 1992, he made his Royal Opera House, Covent Garden début as Masetto in Don Giovanni, with Thomas Allen in the title role. Terfel's international breakthrough came when he sang Jochanaan in Strauss's Salome at the 1992 Salzburg Festival. Terfel went on to make his début as Figaro at the Vienna State Opera. That year, he also signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon, and returned to the Welsh National Opera to sing Ford in Falstaff. In 1993, he recorded the role of Wilfred Shadbolt in The Yeomen of the Guard, by Gilbert and Sullivan. Terfel has said that he would like to record "an album of Gilbert and Sullivan arias."
In 1994, Terfel sang Figaro at Covent Garden, and made his Metropolitan Opera début in the same role. He also sang Mahler's Eighth Symphony at the Ravinia Festival under the baton of James Levine. However, back surgery in 1994 (and again in 2000) prevented him from performing in several scheduled events. In 1996, Terfel expanded his repertoire to include Wagner, singing Wolfram in Tannhäuser at the Metropolitan Opera, and Stravinsky, singing Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress at the Welsh National Opera.
In 1997, Terfel made his La Scala début as Figaro. In 1998, Bryn had a recital at Carnegie Hall which included works by Wolf, Fauré, Brahms, Schumann, Schubert, and others. In 1999, Terfel performed in Paris the title role of Don Giovanni for the first time. That year, Terfel also debuted in the title role in Falstaff at the Sydney Opera House for Opera Australia and then performed the same role at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Au fond du temple saint
Bryn Terfel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Parée de fleurs et d'or
Une femme apparaît!
Je crois la voir encore!
Une femme apparaît!
Je crois la voir encore!
La foule prosternée
Et murmure tous bas
Voyez, c'est la déesse!
Qui dans l'ombre se dresse
Et vers nous tend les bras!
Son voile se souleve!
Ô vision! Ô reve!
La foule est à genoux!
Oui, c'est elle!
C'est la déesse
Plus charmante et plus belle!
Oui, c'est elle!
C'est la déesse
Qui descend parmi nous!
Son voile se souleve et la foule est à genoux!
Mais à travers la foule
Elle s'ouvre un passage!
Son long voile dejà
Nous cache son visage!
Mon regard, hélas!
La cherche en vain!
Elle fuit!
Elle fuit!
Oui, c'est elle! C'est la deesse!
En ce jour qui vient nous unir
Et fidele à ma promesse
Comme un frère je veux te chérir!
C'est elle, c'est la déesse
Qui vient en ce jour nous unir!
Oui, partageons le meme sort
Bryn Terfel's song, "Au fond du temple saint," is a dramatic duet about two men who share a deep bond and whose love for the same woman both separates and unites them. The song translates to "In the depths of the temple," and its setting is on the island of Ceylon in the past.
At the beginning of the song, the two men, Zurga and Nadir, sing of a woman who appears adorned with flowers and gold in the temple's depths. As she approaches, the crowd kneels before her, awestruck. They recognize her as the goddess who emerges from the shadows with her arms outstretched toward the people who have come to worship her.
The woman's veil lifts, revealing her face. The crowd is enraptured, and they fall to their knees. Nadir, one of the men singing, realizes that the woman is none other than Léïla, a woman he and Zurga once both loved. The two men made a vow to put their feelings for her aside and remain friends, but as Léïla returns, old emotions resurface, and Zurga becomes jealous, leading to tragic consequences.
The song's tragic tale of love, loss, and the powerful emotions that can come between friends touches the heartstrings of many listeners across various cultures worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
Au fond du temple saint
At the back of the holy temple
Parée de fleurs et d'or
Decorated with flowers and gold
Une femme apparaît!
A woman appears!
Je crois la voir encore!
I believe I can still see her!
La foule prosternée
The prostrated crowd
La regarde, etonnée
Looks at her amazed
Et murmure tous bas
And whispers softly
Voyez, c'est la déesse!
See, it's the goddess!
Qui dans l'ombre se dresse
Who stands in the shadows
Et vers nous tend les bras!
And reaches out to us!
Son voile se souleve!
Her veil lifts!
Ô vision! Ô reve!
Oh vision! Oh dream!
La foule est à genoux!
The crowd is on their knees!
Oui, c'est elle!
Yes, it's her!
C'est la déesse
It's the goddess
Plus charmante et plus belle!
More charming and more beautiful!
Mais à travers la foule
But through the crowd
Elle s'ouvre un passage!
She opens a passage!
Son long voile dejà
Her long veil already
Nous cache son visage!
Hides her face from us!
Mon regard, hélas!
My gaze, alas!
La cherche en vain!
Searches for her in vain!
Elle fuit!
She flees!
Oui, c'est elle! C'est la deesse!
Yes, it's her! It's the goddess!
En ce jour qui vient nous unir
On this day that brings us together
Et fidele à ma promesse
And faithful to my promise
Comme un frère je veux te chérir!
Like a brother, I want to cherish you!
C'est elle, c'est la déesse
It's her, it's the goddess
Qui vient en ce jour nous unir!
Who comes to unite us on this day!
Oui, partageons le meme sort
Yes, let us share the same fate
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@janegainsford3869
One of my dad's favourites. I still cry when I hear this duet. I lost him 40 years ago, when I was still so young.😢❤
@rodrigohernandez9117
Hola, a salido una nueva versión por si no lo as escuchado, con el gran "Placido Domingo" y unos de los mejores cantantes del mundo hoy en dia " Dimash Kudaibergen" .... saludos 🤗
https://youtu.be/dYmEckJj8sk?si=_udojX7PkzJ1wEiD
@gwynjames2077
if there is a heaven and I get to see my father this is what we will sing together again.
@richardgallo9439
There is a heaven Gwyn ...and you will see and sing with your father again!
@brendabadih8855
@@richardgallo9439 Amen. Believe
@tomaszradwanski2047
Wish you that!
@oscarrees-thompson6484
What a beautiful blend and a moment in MY life I will NOT forget.❤
@PassionJo777
This is both SO beautifully dramatic brilliantly written! With these 2 power houses in gorgeous harmony. Lord Jesus Christ loves this music 💕💓💆🏻♀️
@davidfiler7439
Wow! Was he in the audience?
@Adam-xs3ng
Absolutely beautiful, I listened to this with my late father before he passed. Something so special I will always treasure. Xx