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.
Ave Maria
Bryn Terfel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maria, gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Ave ave Dominus
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu in Mulieribus
Et benedictus
Ventris tui Jesus
Ave Maria
Ave Maria
Gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Ave ave Dominus
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu in Mulieribus
Et benedictus
Et benedictus fructus ventris
Ventris tui Jesus
Ave Maria
The lyrics of Bryn Terfel's "Ave Maria" are dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who is considered an important figure in Christianity. The first verse of the song is repeated throughout the piece, consisting of "Gratia plena" and "Maria, gratia plena" which are both Latin phrases translating to "full of grace" and "Mary, full of grace" respectively. The second verse begins with "Ave, Ave Dominus," a Latin phrase which means "Hail, hail Lord." This is a greeting that acknowledges Mary's holiness and implies that she has a deep connection with God.
The second half of the second verse honors Mary as "Benedicta tu in mulieribus," meaning "blessed among women." The next two lines lift her up further: "Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus" translate to "and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus." These lines pay homage to Mary's divine motherhood and the ultimate sacrifice she made by giving birth to Jesus Christ, who is highly revered in the Christian faith.
Overall, the song is a prayer to Mary as she is seen as a symbol of courage, grace, and sacrifice in Christianity. It is a testament to her importance and greatness as a mother, a protector, and a beacon of faith.
Line by Line Meaning
Gratia plena
Full of grace
Maria, gratia plena
Mary, full of grace
Maria, gratia plena
Mary, full of grace
Ave ave Dominus
Hail, hail Lord
Dominus tecum
The Lord be with you
Benedicta tu in Mulieribus
Blessed art thou among women
Et benedictus
And blessed
Et benedictus fructus ventris
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb
Ventris tui Jesus
Jesus of thy womb
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Gratia plena
Full of grace
Maria, gratia plena
Mary, full of grace
Maria, gratia plena
Mary, full of grace
Ave ave Dominus
Hail, hail Lord
Dominus tecum
The Lord be with you
Benedicta tu in Mulieribus
Blessed art thou among women
Et benedictus
And blessed
Et benedictus fructus ventris
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb
Ventris tui Jesus
Jesus of thy womb
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALAN ARNOLD, FRANZ SCHUBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elisa Matos de Souza
Que beleza de voz e canto
libertango
WOOOW! Amazing deep voice singing Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod)
Karen Baldry
Absolutely beautiful.
Daniel Pruna
I love it ❤️
József Tihanyi
Bryn Terfellel a Bartók Béla Férfikar a Londoni Festival Hall-ban énekelt. Csodálatos művész!
Sol Brea
Cálido y sobrio. Una voz de precioso color. BRAVO
Luigi Agostini
Bella voce. Magnifica musica.
wagner josé Silva
Como muitos estão dizendo em inglês, trata-se de um baixo barítono,; contudo, o título está errado, pois faltou a melodia do Bach, o prelúdio do Cravo bem temperado. Aqui foi criado um arranjo orquestral baseado apenas na melodia do Gouonod.
Edit Jávorszky
He is bass-baritone. I love him.
Giuseppina Scapparone
Bella, commovente ed interpretata con molto sentimento. Grazie.