Knights of the Pain Table

 Paul  Potts

Roundeth and roundeth the world our Welsh Tenor goes… Where he stoppeth nobody knows.    The ride did begin on “Britain’s Got Talent”,  where a Welsh minstrel sang “Nessun Dorma”.    That moment in history has now been seen by over 50 million people on YouTube.

In the month of April,  Paul Potts with his voice of great heart,  wandered upon the land of Rotorua,    New Zealand where he met a young fair soprano,    Elizabeth Marvelly.    And in a world of fantasye our Sir Paul became Alfredo and Elizabeth became Violetta. 

A brilliant Giuseppe Verdi wrote an opera based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas,   La Dame Aux Camelias.    This novel was based on a true story of a young man’s love for a courtesan.     This opera, La Traviata, was premiered in 1853 at La Fenice in Venice during the carnival season and remains to this day, one of Verdi’s most performed works.

In the opera,  Violetta Valery, a famed courtesan, throws a lavish party at her 19^th century Paris salon to celebrate.      But Violetta is gravely ill and cannot imagine truly falling in love until the charming Alfredo Germont wins her heart.    The young nobleman Alfredo has long adored Violetta,   even during her recovery from an illness.

In the first act of La Traviata,  Violetta in her Paris salon, greets party guests, including Flora Bervoix,  the Marquis d’Obigny,  Baron Douphol,  and  Gastone,  who introduces a new admirer,   Alfredo Germont.   This young man, having adored Violetta from afar,   joins her in the famous drinking song  (Brindisi, Libiamo ne’ lieti calici ).  Upon this beautiful night they find love.

Paul Potts (Alfredo) and Elizabeth Marvelly (Violetta)  singing the Drinking Song from Verdi’s “La Traviata” at the Energy Events Centre in Rotorua, New Zealand in April 2008.

Be happy, the wine and the singing
And laughter beautify the night
Let the new day find us in this paradise

Go forth our dear Welsh minstrel.  As thou singeth in Australia, Tokyo, Seoul, Denmark and Sweden,  we shall drink in Camelot to you and Alfredo,  whose love transcended pain.    Let us sing and dance!

Libiamo ne’lieti calici (Brindisi)  or  “The Drinking Song” translated into English.   
Click here for the Italian lyrics to this song.   The words were written by librettist Francesco Maria Piave

Alfredo:

Let’s drink,
Let’s drink from this chalice of joy
That beauty so enhances
Let’s drink from the sweet
May the fleeting instant
Be given over voluptuousness
Let’s drink to that sweet ecstasy
That love arouses
The power of the piercing eyes
Straight from heart is aimed
Let’s drink to love, and our drinking
Will render our kisses more ardent

 Chorus:

Our drinking will render our kisses more ardent
Our drinking will render our kisses more ardent

Violetta:

With you all
I’ll learn to share my house our leisure
Life is folly, and only pleasure counts
Let’s enjoy ourselves, for love burns fast
A flower that blooms and dies
It was never meant to last
So reveal and rejoice
Bids an alluring voice!

Chorus:

Be happy, the wine and the singing
And laughter beautify the night
Let the new day find us in this paradise 

Violetta:
Life means celebration

Alfredo:
If you have known love

Violetta:
Don’t tell me I never have

Alfredo:
That seems to be my fate

 All:

Be happy, the wine and the singing
And laughter beautify the night
Let the new day find us in this paradise

Lady Sharon,
Scribe of the Knights of the Pain Table

Follow our Welsh Minstrel’s journey.
Visit Paul Pott’s website for tour dates.
Visit Elizabeth Marvelly’s website.
Read a recent interview with Paul Potts by Piers Morgan.

Tags: Brindisi, Elizabeth Marvelly, Entertainment, La Traviata, Libiamo ne'lieti calici, Opera, Paul Potts, Verdi

This entry was posted by Lady Sharon on Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 at 8:43 am and is filed under Music and Minstrels. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.