Mario Lanza and Opera

In the early 1990's, a very wonderful woman who had an amazing influence on my life, convinced me to go to the opera for the first time. It was Mozart's Don Giovanni. It took me a short time to realize the humor in opera. The story lines go to the extreme. Almost all of them are completely about love, love affairs, getting laid, or to the other extreme... the saddest thing you could ever think of. Also, someone always dies, even in the funny ones.

Most of the operas that are about love and love affairs are just hilarious. One of my favorites is Verdi's, Rigoletto.

In Rigoletto, the young Duke of Mantua is bumming because he can't have the girl (Gilda) because her father, Rigoletto thinks the duke is a playboy and a fool; he is. So the Duke is in a tavern drinking off his sorrows, but at the same time, being the playboy that he is, is hitting on the hottie bar maid. When left alone he ironically sings this (performed by the great crooner, Mario Lanza)



translation:

La donna è mobile, qual piùma al vento,
Woman is fickle (movable), like a feather in the wind,
muta d'accento, e di pensiero.
she changes the tone of her voice (i.e., her accents), and her
thoughts
Sempre un amabile, leggiadro viso,
Always a sweet, pretty face,
in pianto o in riso, è menzognero.
in tears or in laughter, (she) is (always) lying
La donna è mobile, qual piùma al vento,
Woman is fickle, like a feather in the wind,
muta d'accento, e di pensier
she changes her accents, and her thoughts
e di pensier, e di pensier
and her thoughts, and her thoughts

È sempre misero, chi a lei s'affida,
It is always miserable, he that trusts in her
(He is always miserable who trusts in her)
chi le confida, mal cauto il core!
who to her confides, his unwary heart!
Pur mai non sentesi  felice appieno
Yet nobody feels happy fully
chi su quel seno non liba amore!
who on that bosom doesn't drink love,
La donna è mobil, qual piùma al vento,
Woman is fickle, like a feather in the wind,
muta d'accento e di pensier,
she changes the tone of her voice and her thoughts
e di pensier, e e di pensier!
and her thoughts, and her thoughts!

translation is from here

by the way.. just like any good opera, someone has to die... and so it is Gilda,
stabbed by an assassin meant for the Duke... paid for by Gilda's father... Rigoletto.