Pur Ti Miro

Program Notes:

With a libretto by Busenello, this Italian opera was first performed in Venice during the 1643 carnival season. One of the first operas to use historical events and people, it describes how Poppea, mistress of the Roman emperor Nero, is able to achieve her ambition and be crowned empress. In a moment alone, the two sing to one another.

Conductor Notes:

SA with continuo or piano. This is the gorgeous duet from “L’Incoronatione di Poppea” (1651), a love song between Nero and Poppea. The challenges include weighting the stressed syllables to take advantage of beautifully painful dissonances, and particularly in correctly placing the Italian diphthongs.

Text:

Pur ti miro, pur ti stringo,
pur ti godo, pur t’annodo
piu non peno, piu non moro,
o mia vita, o mio tesoro.

Io son tua, tuo son io.
Speme mia, dillo di,
l’idol mio, tu sei pur.
Si mio ben, si mio cor, mia vita, si.

Translation:

I adore you, I embrace you, I desire you, I enchain you, no more grieving, no more sorrow, O my dearest, O my beloved. I am yours, O my love, tell me so, you are mine, mine alone, O my love. Feel my heart, see my love, see.

Text Source

Giovanni Francesco Busenello