Bryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Te… Read Full Bio ↴Bryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Leporello, but he has expanded his repertoire to include heavier roles, including Wagner.

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.

Little Prince
Bryn Terfel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Principito, desde quién sabe dónde?
¿Era una estrella? ¿Fue una oración?
Con cada sonrisa, que se borre el aire
Así que puedo ver, oh principito,
No tome su sonrisa de mí
Cuando llegó se hizo mi día
Y entonces su risa se convirtió en el sol,
Oh principito.

Ahora, para mi asombro y sorpresa
Todas las esperanzas y sueños que viví entre
Cuando este corazón mío era sabio y joven
Shine para mí de nuevo, pequeño príncipe, en tus ojos
Por favor, principito,
No tome su sonrisa de mí
Todas las esperanzas y sueños que viví entre

Cuando este corazón mío era sabio y joven
Shine para mí de nuevo, pequeño príncipe, en tus ojos

Overall Meaning

The song "Little Prince" by Bryn Terfel is a beautiful tribute to the beloved novella written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The lyrics are a heartfelt plea to the little prince to keep smiling, even though he may have come from far away and may be facing challenges. The singer wonders whether the little prince was a star or a prayer, acknowledging the mysteriousness of his arrival. He notes that with every smile, the air clears, allowing him to better see the little prince.

As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the little prince has brought new meaning to the singer's life. When he arrived, he made the singer's day, and his laughter became like the sun. The singer is in awe of how the little prince has reignited all the hopes and dreams he had when he was young and full of wisdom. He asks the little prince not to take his smile away, as it is now so precious to him. He wants the little prince to keep shining for him, so that he can continue to feel renewed and hopeful.

The song captures the essence of the little prince's message, which is to hold onto the simple joys and wonders of life. It reminds us to keep smiling, even in the face of difficulty, and to keep our hearts open to the magic and mystery of the world around us. The lyrics are accompanied by Bryn Terfel's powerful baritone voice and a gentle, uplifting melody that underscores the emotional depth of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Principito, desde quién sabe dónde?
Little prince, from who knows where?

¿Era una estrella? ¿Fue una oración?
Were you a star? Were you a prayer?

Con cada sonrisa, que se borre el aire
With every smile, let the air be erased

Así que puedo ver, oh principito,
So I can see, oh little prince,

No tome su sonrisa de mí
Don't take your smile from me

Cuando llegó se hizo mi día
When you arrived, my day was made

Y entonces su risa se convirtió en el sol,
And then your laughter became the sun,

Oh principito.
Oh little prince.

Ahora, para mi asombro y sorpresa
Now, to my amazement and surprise,

Todas las esperanzas y sueños que viví entre
All the hopes and dreams I lived among

Cuando este corazón mío era sabio y joven
When this heart of mine was wise and young