Una Furtiva Lagrima (L'elisir D'amore)
Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti
(29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was … Read Full Bio ↴Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti
(29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was a famous Italian opera composer. His most famous work is Lucia di Lammermoor (1835). Along with Vincenzo Bellini and Gioacchino Rossini, he was a leading composer of bel canto opera.
Donizetti composed about 75 operas, 16 symphonies, 19 string quartets, 193 songs, 45 duets, 3 oratorios, 28 cantatas, instrumental concertos, sonatas, and other chamber pieces.

He was born in Bergamo into a very poor family with no tradition of music, but in 1806 he was one of the first pupils to be enrolled in a charity school at Bergamo founded by Simon Mayr.

Donizetti is best known for his operatic works, but he also wrote music in a number of other forms, including some church music, a number of string quartets, and some orchestral works.

He is also the younger brother of Giuseppe Donizetti, who had become, in 1828, Instructor General of the Imperial Ottoman Music at the court of Sultan Mahmud II (1808-1839).

Donizetti's vocal style enriched the Bel Canto tradition which Rossini and Bellini had made popular. These three composers are generally accepted as the primary exemplars of early 19th century Bel Canto writing.
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Operas

* Il Pigmalione (1816; 13.10.1960 Teatro Donizetti, Bergamo)
* Enrico di Borgogna (14.11.1818 Teatro San Luca, Venice)
* Una follia (17.12.1818 Teatro San Luca, Venice) (lost)
* Le nozze in villa (1821? Teatro Vecchio, Mantua)
* Il falegname di Livonia, ossia Pietro il grande (26.12.1819 Teatro San Samuele, Venice)
* Zoraïda di Granata (28.1.1822 Teatro Argentino, Rome)
* La zingara (12.5.1822 Teatro Nuovo, Naples)
* La lettera anonima (29.6.1822 Teatro del Fondo, Naples)
* Chiara e Serafina, ossia I pirati (26.10.1822 Teatro alla Scala Milan)
* Alfredo il grande (2.7.1823 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Il fortunato inganno (3.9.1823 Teatro Nuovo, Naples)
* Zoraïda di Granata [rev] (7.1.1824 Teatro Argentino, Rome)
* L'ajo nell'imbarazzo (4.2.1824 Teatro Valle, Rome)
* Emilia di Liverpool (28.7.1824 Teatro Nuovo, Naples) (L'eremitaggio di Liverpool)
* Alahor in Granata (7.1.1826 Teatro Carolino, Palermo)
* Don Gregorio [rev of L'ajo nell'imbarazzo] (11.6.1826 Teatro Nuovo, Naples)
* Elvida (6.7.1826 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Gabriella di Vergy (1826; 29.11.1869 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) (Gabriella)

Gaetano Donizetti

* Olivo e Pasquale (7.1.1827 Teatro Valle, Rome)
* Olivo e Pasquale [rev] (1.9.1827 Teatro Nuovo, Naples)
* Otto mesi in due ore (13.5.1827 Teatro Nuovo, Naples) (Gli esiliati in Siberia)
* Il borgomastro di Saardam (19.8.1827 Teatro del Fondo, Naples)
* Le convenienze teatrali (21.11.1827 Teatro Nuovo, Naples)
* L'esule di Roma, ossia Il proscritto (1.1.1828 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Emilia di Liverpool [rev] (8.3.1828 Teatro Nuovo, Naples)
* Alina, regina di Golconda (12.5.1828 Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa)
* Gianni di Calais (2.8.1828 Teatro del Fondo, Naples)
* Il paria (12.1.1829 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Il giovedi grasso (26.2.1829? Teatro del Fondo, Naples) (Il nuovo Pourceaugnac)
* Il castello di Kenilworth (6.7.1829 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Alina, regina di Golconda [rev] (10.10.1829 Teatro Valle, Rome)
* I pazzi per progetto (6.2.1830 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Il diluvio universale (28.2.1830 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)

Gaetano Donizetti

* Imelda de Lambertazzi (5.9.1830 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Anna Bolena (26.12.1830 Teatro Carcano, Milan)
* Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali [rev of Le convenienze teatrali] (20.4.1831 Teatro Canobbiana, Milan)
* Gianni di Parigi (1831; 10.9.1839 Teatro alla Scala Milan)
* Francesca di Foix (30.5.1831 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* La romanziera e l'uomo nero (18.6.1831 Teatro del Fondo, Naples) (libretto lost)
* Fausta (12.1.1832 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Ugo, conte di Parigi (13.3.1832 Teatro alla Scala Milan)
* L'elisir d'amore (12.5.1832 Teatro Canobbiana, Milan)
* Sancia di Castiglia (4.11.1832 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Il furioso all'isola di San Domingo (2.1.1833 Teatro Valle, Rome)
* Otto mesi in due ore [rev] (1833, Livorno)
* Parisina (17.3.1833 Teatro della Pergola, Florence)
* Torquato Tasso (9.9.1833 Teatro Valle, Rome)
* Lucrezia Borgia (26.12.1833 Teatro alla Scala Milan)
* Il diluvio universale [rev] (17.1.1834 Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa)
* Rosmonda d'Inghilterra (27.2.1834 Teatro della Pergola, Florence)
* Maria Stuarda [rev] (18.10.1834 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) (Buondelmonte)
* Gemma di Vergy (26.10.1834 Teatro alla Scala Milan)
* Maria Stuarda (30.12.1835 Teatro alla Scala Milan)
* Marin Faliero (12.3.1835 Théâtre-Italien, Paris)
* Lucia di Lammermoor (26.9.1835 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Belisario (4.2.1836 Teatro La Fenice, Venice)
* Il campanello di notte (1.6.1836 Teatro Nuovo, Naples)
* Betly, o La capanna svizzera (21.8.1836 Teatro Nuovo, Naples)
* L'assedio di Calais (19.11.1836 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Pia de' Tolomei (18.2.1837 Teatro Apollo, Venice)
* Pia de' Tolomei [rev] (31.7.1837, Sinigaglia)
* Betly [rev] ((?) 29.9.1837 Teatro del Fondo, Naples)
* Roberto Devereux (28.10.1837 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Maria de Rudenz (30.1.1838 Teatro La Fenice, Venice)
* Gabriella di Vergy [rev] (1838; 8.1978 recording, London)
* Poliuto (1838; 30.11.1848 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Pia de' Tolomei [rev 2] (30.9.1838 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Lucie de Lammermoor [rev of Lucia di Lammermoor] (6.8.1839 Théâtre de la Rennaisance, Paris)
* Le duc d'Albe (1839; 22.3.1882 Teatro Apollo, Rome) (Il duca d'Alba)
* Lucrezia Borgia [rev] (11.1.1840 Teatro alla Scala Milan)
* Poliuto [rev] (10.4.1840 Opéra, Paris) (Les martyrs)
* La fille du régiment (11.2.1840 Opéra-Comique, Paris)
* L'ange de Nisida (1839; ?)
* Lucrezia Borgia [rev 2] (31.10.1840 Théâtre-Italien, Paris)
* La favorite [rev of L'ange de Nisida] (2.12.1840 Opéra, Paris)
* Adelia (11.2.1841 Teatro Apollo, Rome)
* Rita, ou Le mari battu (1841; 7.5.1860 Opéra-Comique, Paris) (Deux hommes et une femme)
* Maria Padilla (26.12.1841 Teatro alla Scala Milan)
* Linda di Chamounix (19.5.1842 Kärntnertortheater, Vienna)
* Linda di Chamounix [rev] (17.11.1842 Théâtre-Italien, Paris)
* Caterina Cornaro (18.1.1844 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
* Don Pasquale (3.1.1843 Théâtre-Italien, Paris)
* Maria di Rohan (5.6.1843 Kärntnertortheater, Vienna)
* Dom Sébastien (13.11.1843 Opéra, Paris)
* Dom Sébastien [rev] (6.2.1845 Kärntnertortheater, Vienna)

Una Furtiva Lagrima
Gaetano Donizetti Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Una furtiva lagrima
negli occhi suoi spuntò...
quelle festose giovani
invidiar sembrò...
Che più cercando io vo?
M'ama, lo vedo.
Un solo istante i palpiti
del suo bel cor sentir!..
Co' suoi sospir confondere
per poco i miei sospir!...
Cielo, si può morir;
di più non chiedo.

Eccola... Oh! qual le accresce
beltà l'amor nascente!
A far l'indifferente




si seguiti così finché non viene
ella a spiegarsi.

Overall Meaning

In Gaetano Donizetti's song Una furtiva lagrima, the singer is describing the moment when he sees a single tear in the eyes of his beloved. The tear is a furtive one, meaning it is secret, and it appears as if she is trying to hide it. The sight of this tear causes envy in those around her who are supposed to be happy and carefree, showing the singer just how special his beloved is. He wonders what more he could possibly seek, knowing that she loves him and feeling the palpitations of her heart just for him. He wishes to mix his sighs with hers, even if only for a short moment. Such a perfect moment leads him to believe that dying in this moment would be enough for him.


Line by Line Meaning

Una furtiva lagrima
A secret tear


negli occhi suoi spuntò...
appeared in her eyes...


quelle festose giovani
those happy young men


invidiar sembrò...
seemed to envy...


Che più cercando io va?
What more do I search for?


M'ama, lo vedo.
She loves me, I see it.


Un solo istante i palpiti
For one moment, the beating


del suo bel cor sentir!..
of her beautiful heart to feel!..


Co' suoi sospir confondere
With her sighs to confuse


per poco i miei sospir!...
for a little while my own sighs!...


Cielo, si può morir;
Heaven, one could die;


di più non chiedo.
nothing more I ask for.


Eccola... Oh! qual le accresce
Here she is... Oh! how it increases


beltà l'amor nascente!
the beauty of blossoming love!


A far l'indifferente
To act indifferent


si seguiti così finché non viene
if you continue like this until she comes


ella a spiegarsi.
and explains herself.




Contributed by Eli J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Claudiu Vartolomei

Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti a fost un compozitor italian de muzică cultă și, mai ales, de operă din Bergamo, regiunea Lombardia. Wikipedia
Născut: 29 noiembrie 1797, Bergamo, Italia
Decedat: 8 aprilie 1848, Bergamo, Italia
Nume complet: Gaetano Domenico Maria Donizetti
Soție: Virginia Vasselli (căs. 1828–1837)
Părinți: Andrea Donizetti, Domenica Nava
Compoziții
Fiica regimentului
Elixirul dragostei (Una furtiva lagrima)
Don Pasquale



All comments from YouTube:

ILLBEBACH2

This is Love. There would be no life without music such as this aria. Bravo!

lovemusic2821

Thanks for posting. Awesome tone in Simoneau's voice.

Fernando M.M.

Que hermosa canción.

Ro'a AlNatour

how sad yet amazing is this !! im addicted to it,,
the voice, the music,, the story,, it touchs my heart

forallyouknow

Simoneau is one of the few tenors who could make me listen to this aria (quite honestly, I personally abhor it, but when caressed with such moving tones as here, it makes it very hard not to like it). Bravo! Simoneau was one of a rare breed of tenors who understood the temperaments necessary to different kinds of opera (esp. bel canto, french, mozart), and could adjust exceedingly well to accomodate them in his interpretation.

Itamar Dutra

Magnifico.

Diego Montañés

Simoneau gives the right dignifying expression to this aria. Intimate and noble. Wonderful.

Serge Alexandre

Impossible de se lasser d écouter Léopold simoneau ...Il était ma référence lors de mes études avec Alfredo Kraus ..

Antonella c

INCREÍBLE Simoneau, muchas gracias

Giovani Corrêa

Leopold Simoneau the great voice of liric songs !!!

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