“Se potessero i sospir miei” from Handel’s Imeneo
Jeffrey Stivers produced this excellent video pairing of “Se potessero i sospir miei” sung by Ann Hallenberg, conducted by Andreas Spering, and accompanied by Capella Augustina on period instruments. The song is from Handel’s opera Imeneo, (HWV 41). Fortunately for those like me who need a bit of remedial tutoring on these topics, Mr. Stivers kindly provides text detail, so even I can understand the story being told. The art work is by Ivan Aivazovsky.
Translation of Lyrics:
If only my sighs could make
the waves
bring back the faithless ship
to this shore,
I would
there on the shore
spill my heart in sighs.
But they cannot return
Rosmene to me
from the ocean;
oh! that the god of love
brought her back here on his wings.
Read more here
Who Is Ivan Aivazovsky?
Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (July 1817 – May 1900) was an Armenian-Russian Romantic painter who is considered one of the greatest masters of marine art.
Click for Enlarged Detail
(best viewed At Sunnyside – Where Truth and Beauty Meet)
Ivan Aivazovsky, Rainbow (1873), Tretyakov Gallery, source wikimedia, detail
Ivan Aivazovsky, Rainbow (1873), Tretyakov Gallery, source wikimedia, detail
Ivan Aivazovsky, Rainbow (1873), Tretyakov Gallery, source wikimedia
Sources:
Wikipedia contributors, “Ivan Aivazovsky,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ivan_Aivazovsky&oldid=848115015 (accessed July 8, 2018)
Ivan Aivazovsky, Rainbow (1873), Tretyakov Gallery, source wikimedia
I first found this video at ABOC – Art, Ballet, Opera, and Classical Music, on Tumblr.
Thanks for visiting! 🙂
