Formed in Veneto in 1973 around the nucleus of soprano Donella Del Monaco (the niece of famous tenor Mario Del Monaco), pianist-composer Alfredo Tisocco, philosopher Giorgio Bisotto and producer Renato Marengo, and aided in the years by many other musicians, the group released their first album in 1974, Opus Avantra - Donella Del Monaco (often referred to as Introspezione, from the title of the first track) on the collectible Trident label.
Usually considered their most accessible work, the album is built on classical-inspired themes with complex arrangements and dominated by the nice soprano voice of singer Del Monaco and good flute playing, with just an instrumental track, Rituale. The band also had a good live activity promoting their album in Veneto and Rome.
Donella Del Monaco was absent on the second album Lord Cromwell (plays suite for seven vices), that follows in the same style as the previous work, being replaced by an American chorus. Former Nuova Idea drummer Paolo Siani played on this album, that like the first one contains some interesting passages for the adventurous listeners.
Both Alfredo Tisocco (along with Gruppo Italiano di Danza Libera in 1975's Katharsis) and Donella Del Monaco (with 12 canzoni da battello in 1977 and Schoenberg Kabarett in 1978) also released individual albums in the same vein, and the duo reunited under the name Opus Avantra for a third album in 1989, Strata, and a CD-only fourth release in 1995, Lyrics.
2008 saw the reunion of Opus Avantra with Donella Del Monaco, Alfredo Tisocco and Giorgio Bisotto, for concerts in Romania and Japan, based on material from all their albums. The line-up also features Valerio Galla (drumes and percussion), Mauro Martello (flute), Anca Elena Botezatu (violin), Ioana Ionescu (violin), Alexandra Butnaru (viola), Violeta Loredana Dumitru (cello), and the show was directly produced by the reborn Cramps, with lights, sound and scenes made by Alan Walter Bedin.
The Tokyo concert was used for the DVD Viaggio immaginario/Live in Tokyo 2008.
Les Plaisirs Sont Doux
Opus Avantra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
D′être au-près de vous, la belle.
Je soupire à vos genoux
Et je brûle d'amour pour vous.
Les plaisirs sont doux, demoiselle
D′être auprès de vous.
Peut-on voir vos yeux
Ils sont doux et gracieux,
Ils sont tout rempli de feu
Peut-on voir vos yeux, demoiselle,
Sans être amoureux.
Profitez du temps,
De vos dix-huit ans, la belle,
Car le temps viendra aussi,
Que vous aurez un mari
Profitez du temps, demoiselle,
De vos dix-huit ans.
Plus d'un seul galant,
C'est compromettant, la belle,
Il faut choisir l′un d′entre eux,
Faire aux autres vos adieux,
Plus d'un seul galant, demoiselle
C′est compromettant.
The lyrics of Opus Avantra's song "Les Plaisirs Sont Doux" convey a romantic and sentimental message. The song talks about the pleasure of being close to someone you love and how the beauty of the other person's eyes can make one fall in love. The first stanza talks about the sweetness of being near the person they love and how the singer sighs at their feet and burns with love for them. The second stanza talks about the captivating beauty of the other person's eyes and how they are filled with fire and grace, making it impossible for anyone to look at them and not fall in love. The last stanza is more of a warning to the person loved, to enjoy their youth and choose a partner wisely, as having too many suitors can be compromising.
Overall, the song is a beautiful tribute to love and the feeling of being close to the person one loves. It is a reminder to cherish the moments spent together and to appreciate the beauty of youth while it lasts.
Line by Line Meaning
Les plaisirs sont doux
Being close to you, the beautiful lady, brings immense pleasure and joy in my heart.
D′être au-près de vous, la belle.
Being in your proximity, my lady, fills my heart with immense happiness.
Je soupire à vos genoux
Sitting at your feet, I sigh with contentment and joy.
Et je brûle d'amour pour vous.
My heart is consumed with love and affection for you.
Les plaisirs sont doux, demoiselle
Being near you, young lady, fills my heart with pure joy and happiness.
D′être auprès de vous.
Being in your presence is a wonderful feeling that makes me feel complete.
Peut-on voir vos yeux
Is it possible to look into your eyes
Sans être amoureux, la belle,
and not fall in love, my beautiful lady?
Ils sont doux et gracieux,
Your eyes are gentle and elegant,
Ils sont tout rempli de feu
yet they are also filled with passion and intensity.
Peut-on voir vos yeux, demoiselle,
Is it even possible to look into your eyes,
Sans être amoureux.
and not fall head over heels in love with you, young lady?
Profitez du temps,
Enjoy your time,
De vos dix-huit ans, la belle,
my beautiful lady, while you're still eighteen,
Car le temps viendra aussi,
because the time will eventually come
Que vous aurez un mari
when you'll have a husband
Profitez du temps, demoiselle,
Enjoy your time, young lady,
De vos dix-huit ans.
while you're still eighteen.
Plus d'un seul galant,
Having more than one suitor
C'est compromettant, la belle,
can be compromising, my beautiful lady,
Il faut choisir l'un d'entre eux,
so you must choose one of them,
Faire aux autres vos adieux,
and bid farewell to the rest of them,
Plus d'un seul galant, demoiselle
Having more than one admirer, young lady,
C'est compromettant.
can be quite risky and troublesome.
Contributed by Elliot H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.