Poetic idea “L would bear suffering, even death, if [could only please that person!” Background “This song was fist sung by a tenor in Paris in 1833 at a concert devoted to music from the 1600s. The concert described the song as a “church aria...composed by Stradella (1667) ‘a masterpiece of religious expres- sion and tender sentiment.” Fétis, the organizer of the concert, claimed to ‘own Stradolla’s original manuseript, but he did not show it to anyone. “Se i mie sospiri” was published in Paris in 1838 with string accompa- riment in D minor. In 1843 Fétis pub- lished the song in C minor with @ piano accompaniment and new words, “Piet, Signore”. The new ver~ sion was soon re-printed in Italy and other countries, and became famous, It was also published with still other texts, including “Ave verum corpus” In 1866 a French musicologist, P Richard, found the text of “Se i miei sospiri” set to different music in an ‘oratorio by Alessandro Scarlatti, The Martyrdom of St. Theodosia (1693). In the oratorio these words are sung by a man who is in love with Theo- dosia; his frustrated passion becomes the cause of her death, Richard noted with some irony that the “tender sen- timent” of the text is not at all reli- ‘gious and also that Fétis had not made his sources available to the public After Fétis died, his extensive musical library was bought by the Royal Library in Brussels; there was no Stradella aria. By that time many persons recognized that the musical style of the aria was inconsistent with Stradella’s time and that Stradella could not be the true composer. Without all of the above facts, some writers suggested various musicians 26 Italian Songs and Arias miei sospiri miei sospiri, If [the] my sighs, > dio plakas:sero Oh Dio! placassero Oh God! would-placate Tempjo sembjante Lempio sembiante the-impious countenance ke malletsta Che m’allettd: that me-enticed, tutti martiri Tutti i martini all the sufferings ke morte das:sero Che morte dassero, that death would-give, sempre kostante Sempre costante always constant, io sofsfrieg To soffrird. L will-suer. who might have enjoyed tricking the public with a forgery. Some men- tioned Rossini, but without evidence. A recent music encyclopedia states, that “Pietd, Signore” appears in an opera called Stradella by Niedermey- er, but that is not true. All available evidence points to Fétis as the true composer. Source (1) text and vocal part, “Se i miei sospiri" in Kirchen-Arien (Leipzig Peters, 1922). (“Malleta” has been corrected to “mallet” (2) accom- paniment, “Piet, Signore” in Recueil Frangois Joseph Fétis fraswa 3ozef fetis des Morceaux de Musique Ancienne, vol. 3 (Paris: Société de Musique Religieuse et Classique, 1843). For voice (tenor clef) and piano. Key: C Bibliography (1) P. Richard, “Stradella et les Con- tarini,” Le Menestrel, March 11, 1866. (2) Guido Salvetti, “Le verita di una falsficazione,” Chigiana, vol. 19 (Flo- rence: Olschki, 1988). These articles, brought to my attention by Prof. Eleanor MeCrickard of the University ‘of North Carolina, assemble all of the above evidence.Se i miei sospiri Hear me, O heavens English version by - James P. Dunn Frangois Joseph Fétis (1784-1871) Andantino, J= 84 - 96 fs) rf of = 26 Tralian Songs and Arias 4HIdiomatic translation: If my sighing, O God! would placate that inhuman countenance iw 26 Italian Songs and AriasChe_____m’al-Iet - 13, Looks could soothe, Che mor Bn tane Sem - pre Those eves mr + tie i Che mor - te das - se-10. be faith = fut And 1 wit af - fer that enticed me, all the suffering that death would give, always constant, T will suffer. 26 Tialian Songs and Arias w 141Sem = pre stan = te Jo__ E 2 ven death all That — (i cerese_ molto stan te death, al TAD W256 Tralian Songs and Ariesso - spi Ti Sei mig so - spi of long ing, Could all thee ar = righ Diol pla = cas- se-r0 Lem - pio sem - dian - + dent sighs of yea - ing Soothe those harsh lane Lem- pio sem - bian Proud, haugh- ty glane 26 Talian Songs and Arias w@ 143oe a Sait = fu Sem - pre Glad - To sof fri fipee teore ec airieee atca Fate's. cnel ~ est Fate's. cruel - est____ Blows DS, al Fine DSS, al Fine * TA w 26 Tralian Songs and Arias