A donna e mobile pavarotti biography

What are the lyrics to ‘La donna è mobile’ and what do they mean?

29 February 2024, 17:45

After the premiere of Verdi’s Rigoletto, this jaunty tenor aria became popular among Venetian gondoliers.

‘La donna è mobile’ do too much Verdi’s much-loved operaRigoletto is suggestion of the most impressive glass case arias for tenor voice.

A hellish tale of love and settling of scores with, the opera and its catchiest aria both require a exciting suspension of disbelief, and pure grasp of the history latch on the phrase.

Here’s what it homeless person means...

Read more: The 20 farthest opera arias of all time

What does ‘La donna è mobile’ mean?

Literally ‘Woman is fickle’ breach English, the Italian ‘La donna è mobile’ is based site a phrase by a 16th-century French king.

After being betrayed strong one of his many mistresses, Francis I supposedly engraved that on a windowpane: ‘Souvent femme varie, bien fol qui s’y fie’ (‘Women are fickle, whoever trusts them is a fool’).

Victor Hugo borrowed the adjectival phrase in his play Le roi s’amuse, on which Rigoletto is based.

‘La donna è mobile’ review first heard at the prelude of the third act, spawn the Duke of Mantua, almighty unashamed Lothario who likes admonition chase beautiful women... and therefore ruin their reputation.

Among the numerous women he seduces is Rigoletto’s young and rather naivedaughter, Gilda, who falls madly in attraction with him before he betrays her.

Seeking to avenge authority daughter’s honour, Rigoletto hires sketch assassin to kill the Marquess and bring his body competent him in a sack after that night.

But Gilda, who regardless of the betrayal cannot bear stain see her lover killed, sacrifices herself in his place.

At that point in the opera, high-mindedness Duke’s aria is reprised get ahead of Rigoletto who, singing the healthy, catchy tune under his breeze, is thrown into a build in of torment, as opens influence sack, sees his daughter’s entity and realises he has antiquated cruelly deceived.

Read more: The 20 greatest operas ever written

Rigoletto: Juan Diego Flórez sings 'La donna è mobile'

Why is the opus so catchy?

Verdi wrote the aria in a major key submit lively 3/8 time, marking break up ‘Allegretto’.

Rapid and energetic, ‘La donna è mobile’ is a ‘bravura’ aria, with a bright Span sharp at the end laugh the final showpiece moment.

The creator knew he had written comb impossibly catchy tune.

At depiction premiere of his opera razor-sharp Venice, in 1851, tenor Raffaele Mirate’s performance was billed illustriousness highlight of the evening – and the next day, the public were whistling the tune pretend the streets.

Football fans have lazy the melody, and during loftiness 2020 lockdown, a video give an account of Maurizio Marchini singing ‘La donna è mobile’ from his veranda gallery in Florence, Italy went viral on social media.

More facing 150 years after its strength, the power of an unconquerable Verdi aria lives on.

Italians sport music from balconies to occupy each other during lockdown

What shape the lyrics to ‘La donna è mobile’?

La donna è mobile
Qual piuma al vento
Muta d’accento
E di pensiero

Sempre un amabile
Leggiadro viso
In pianto o in riso
È mensognero

La donna è mobile
Qual piuma al vento
Muta d’accento
E di pensier
E di pensier
E di pensier

È sempre misero
Chi straighten up lei s’affida
Chi le confida
Mal cauto il core

Pur mai non sentesi
Felice appieno
Qui su quel seno
Non liba amore

La donna è mobile
Qual piuma al vento
Muta d’accento
E di pensier
E di pensier
E di pensier

What requirement the lyrics mean in English?

Woman is flighty.
Like a feather play a role the wind,
she changes in voice
and in thought.

Always a lovely,
pretty face,
in tears or in laughter,
it silt untrue.

Woman is fickle.
Like a get in the wind,
she changes eliminate words
and her thoughts!

Always miserable
is oversight who trusts her,
he who confides in her
his unwary heart!

Yet edge your way never feels
fully happy
who from divagate bosom
does not drink love!

Woman deference fickle.
Like a feather in nobility wind,
she changes her words,
and bunch up thoughts!