Leontyne Price: Canzone di Doretta from Puccini’s “La Rondine”

Giacomo Puccini’s 1917 opera, La Rondine (“The Swallow”), tells the story of Magda, a Parisian courtesan who falls in love with the handsome young Ruggero. Ultimately, Magda is haunted by her past and leaves Ruggero, returning to her old life like a swallow returning to the nest.

The opera’s most famous aria, Chi il bel sogno di Doretta, comes in the first act. At a party, the poet Prunier affirms the power of romantic love. Only Magda takes him seriously. Prunier sings a ballad about Doretta, a young girl who believes so deeply in true love that she rejects the advances of a king. When Prunier is unable to complete the story, Magda provides a sensuous and dreamy second verse.

This extraordinary 1982 performance features Leontyne Price:

https://youtu.be/cwjmKOv_Cs0

Recordings

  • Puccini: La Rondine, Chi il bel sogno di Doretta, Leontyne Price Amazon

Featured Image: photo: Sony/Dave Hecht

About Timothy Judd

A native of Upstate New York, Timothy Judd has been a member of the Richmond Symphony violin section since 2001. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where he earned the degrees Bachelor of Music and Master of Music, studying with world renowned Ukrainian-American violinist Oleh Krysa.

The son of public school music educators, Timothy Judd began violin lessons at the age of four through Eastman’s Community Education Division. He was a student of Anastasia Jempelis, one of the earliest champions of the Suzuki method in the United States.

A passionate teacher, Mr. Judd has maintained a private violin studio in the Richmond area since 2002 and has been active coaching chamber music and numerous youth orchestra sectionals.

In his free time, Timothy Judd enjoys working out with Richmond’s popular SEAL Team Physical Training program.

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