Marcos Portugal's Aria: Sofia Pedro, Gili Rinot, Myrna Herzog & The PHOENIX Orchestra

Sofia Pedro (soprano), Gili Rinot (classical clarinet), the PHOENIX Orchestra on period instruments, Myrna Herzog (conductor & musical director): Marcos Portugal's Aria Qual piacere e qual diletto from the opera Oro non compra amore (1804) - at the Abu Gosh Festival. We are indebted to the invaluable support of the Embassy of Portugal in Israel and of the Camões Institute, that made this possible. Our hearty thanks also to Philippe Castejon & castejon-music-editions.com, for the music. Born in Lisbon, Marcos Portugal had immense success as an opera composer, achieving international fame still unsurpassed in the history of Portuguese music. He came to Brazil in 1811 at the request of King John VI and remained in Rio de Janeiro when the Portuguese court returned to Portugal, in 1821, continuing to serve his pupil, the king’s son. Illustrating the lighter side of the life in Rio de Janeiro in the early 19th century, we present one of Portugal’s arias from his comic opera Oro non compra amore - his first opera staged in Rio, at the birthday of Queen Dona Maria I, on December 17 of the year he arrived, 1811. The PHOENIX orchestra on period instruments: Luis Otávio Santos (Brazil), Yaakov Rubinstein, Noam Gal, Lilia Slavny, Lia Raikhlin, Fabiol Cezma– violins / Miriam Fingert, Tami Borenstein– violas / Lucia D’Anna – cello / Antonino Tertuliano (Brazil) – contrabass/ Moshe Epstein – classical flute / Gili Rinot, Nurit Bloom – classical clarinets / Ricardo Rapoport (Brazil), Alexander Fine – classical bassoon / Alon Reuven, Ruty Varon – natural horns / Nadav Ovadia – timpani. TEXT & TRANSLATION Marcos Portugal - Aria Qual piacere e qual diletto (What a pleasure and what delight) from the opera Oro non compra amore (Gold does not buy love - libretto by Giuseppe Caravita, 1804, Lisbon) Qual piacere e qual  diletto mi sorprende in tale istante. Dolce palpito hò nel petto, Che dolce palpito sento nel petto. Ah... si, nò, che spiegarlo, oh Dio, non sò Ma qual moto io sento quà che frequente ticchetà accostatevi, toccate. Ah Barone qual contento vorrei dirvi quel che sento questo core fortunato sí, sempre grato a voi sarà. Giorgio al certo non prevede che burlato resterà, ma qual moto io sento quà che frequente ticchetà giusto quà, si giusto quà, il ticchetà Ah Barone qual contento accostatevi, toccate questo core fortunato sí, sempre grato a voi sarà. TRANSLATION: What a pleasure and what a delight surprise me in this moment. A sweet heartbeat I have in my chest, What a sweet throb I feel in my chest. Ah... yes, no, I cannot explain it, oh God But what a motion I feel here that is frequently ticking. Do come near, touch. Ah, Baron, what a happiness I would like to tell you what I feel, this fortunate heart, yes, will be forever grateful to you. Giorgio certainly does not foresee that will remain deceived, But what a motion I feel here that is frequently ticking, exactly here, so exactly here, the ticking. Ah, Baron, what a happiness, Do come near, touch. This fortunate heart yes, will be forever grateful to you.