“La mort d’Ophélie (The death of Ophelia) is “a setting of a ballad by Ernest Legouvé, based on Gertrude’s description of Ophelia’s drowning in Act IV of Hamlet. It was originally composed for solo voice and piano in 1842, but in 1848 Berlioz revised it for female choir and orchestra. The verses of Ernest Legouvé were adapted from Gertrude’s speech in Act 4, Scene 7 of Hamlet “There is a willow grows aslant a brook”.”
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Translation (from "A French Song Companion" by Graham Johnson and Richard Stokes, slightly edited) as found here The Death of Ophelia Beside a brook, Ophelia gathered along the water's bank, in her sweet and gentle madness, periwinkles, buttercups, opal-tinted irises, and those pale purples called dead men's fingers. Then, raising up in her white hands the morning's laughing trophies, she hung them on the branches, the branches of a nearby willow. But the bough, too fragile, bends, breaks, and poor Ophelia falls, the garland in her hand. Her dress, spread wide, bore her on the water awhile, and like an outstretched sail she floated, still singing, singing some old ballad, singing like a naiad born amidst the stream. But this strange melody died, fleeting as a snatch of sound. Her garment, heavy with water, soon into the depths dragged the poor distracted girl, leaving her melodious song hardly yet begun.
Hat Tip
Many thanks to Claudio Capriolo at la regina gioiosa for introducing me to this musical selection in the post Shakespeariana – VI.
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🙂🌺🙏
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We saw this painting at the Tate in the late 1990s.
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You are so fortunate! I would love to see this one someday. 🙂
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Bartoli has such a delicious voice! A wonderful performance of the piece.🩵🧡
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Her voice mesmerizes me, Dora. When I turn this on I cannot multi-task, I just have to stop and listen. 🙂🌺
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Beautiful, yet haunting. Thank you so much.
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My pleasure, Sheila. I agree – it is haunting.
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A sad lament but beautiful painting.
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A very sad lament, Vivienne. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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I recall Anne in Anne of Green Gables imitating this.🙂
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Yes! Wasn’t that a great scene? lol 😎
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Yes it was! 🙂
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