Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo

Description#

The aria is marked allegro, of 195 bars in common time, in the key of D major. The vocal range reaches from G to F. In this catalogue aria, the singer Guglielmo declares how his fiancée Fiordiligi is unlikely to betray him due to his many admirable qualities and his faithfulness for her. He lists how he and his fellow “Albanian” Ferrando possess qualities such as dancing, singing and impressive physical characteristics, and how they are both without equal from Canada to Vienna. An elaborate solo for the oboe commences at bar 94. A typical performance lasts for around five and a half minutes. The work calls for two oboes, two bassoons, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

History#

Composed in December 1789, the aria was first published around the year 1855. The original singer was Francesco Benucci, who notably sung the title role in The Marriage of Figaro and Leporello in Don Giovanni. In his own catalogue, Mozart referred to the title as Rivolgete à me (note also the accent on a). In what Ian Woodfield calls a “drastic step”, the aria was replaced for dramatic reasons by the more lightweight brevity of “Non siate retrosi”. The original manuscript consists of 12 pages, 24 sides, and is housed in the Berlin State Library.

Text#

Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo E vedrete come sta: Tutto dice, io gelo, io ardo Idol mio, pietà, pietà, Io ardo, io gelo, io ardo Idol mio, pietà, pietà, E voi cara un sol momento Il bel ciglio a me volgete E nel mio ritroverete Quel che il labbro dir non sa. Un Orlando innamorato Non è niente in mio confronte; Un Medoro il sen piagato Verso lui per nulla io conto: Son di foco i miei sospiri Son di bronzo i suoi desiri, Se si parla poi di merto Certo io sono e egli è certo Che gli uguali non si trovano Da Vienna al Canadà, Siam due Credi per ricchezza, Due Narcisi per bellezza In amor i Marcantoni Verso noi sarian buffoni Siam più forti d’un ciclopo, Letterati al par di Esopo. Se balliamo un Pich ne cede Sì gentil e snello è il piede, Se cantiam col trillo solo Facciam torto all’usignuolo, E qualch’altro capitale Abbiam poi che alcun non sa. Bella, bella, tengon sodo: Se ne vanno ed io ne godo! Eroine di costanza, specchi son di fedeltà. Look at him And you will see how it is: Everything he says, I freeze, I burn My idol, mercy, mercy, I burn, I freeze, I burn My idol, mercy And you darling, for just one moment Turn your beautiful eyes to me And in mine you will find What the others do not know. An Orlando in love It’s nothing compared to me; Medoro the wounded knight His fame cannot compete. My sighs are of fire His desires are of bronze, If we talk about abilities Then no equals To us may be found From Vienna to Canada. The two of us are rich as Croesus, We are two daffodils of beauty The Marc Anthonys compared To us are buffoons We are stronger than Cyclops, More knowledgable than Aesop. If we dance, Le Picq bows to our refined narrow feet, If we sing with a simple trill It outshines the nightingale, Our physical bodies Are beyond compare. Beautiful, beautiful fiances, You will hold firm: Our heroines of constancy, Our mirrors of fidelity.

External links#

• , Hermann Prey, Staatskapelle Berlin, conductor Otmar Suitner
• , Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, SWR Symphony Orchestra, conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt