# Need Help - Wedding Ideas please.



## dnbvic (Oct 12, 2015)

Hi,

My name is Victoria and i'm getting married next year, we have a Opera Singer coming to sing a song. I've loved the sound of opera, it is beautiful.

Could anybody recommend some nice love opera songs a solo singer could sing. The translation of the lyrics would have to be happy.

Many Many Thanks in advance.

Victoria


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

If you want it strictly to be an opera aria, perhaps Gilda's "Caro nome" from _Rigoletto_ might suffice. (The praising of the name of her romantic lover)

Also a popular beauty from _West Side Story:_ "One Hand, One Heart"


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

For a wedding, I think you're best off with the "top hits" - O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi, Un bel di from Butterfly, Voi che sapete from Marriage of Figaro, Ombra mai fu from Serse, Ebben? Ne andro lontana from La Wally, etc.

Probably avoid the Habanera from Carmen and La Donna e Mobile from Rigoletto for thematic conflict with the event...


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> If you want it strictly to be an opera aria, perhaps Gilda's "Caro nome" from _Rigoletto_ might suffice. (The praising of the name of her romantic lover)
> 
> Also a popular beauty from _West Side Story:_ "One Hand, One Heart"


Just hope your guests are unfamiliar with the plot of _Rigoletto_. Naive Gilda is infatuated with a womanizer and ends up dead in a gunny sack. Not an auspicious beginning for a life together, eh?

_West Side Story_ ends sadly, but at least Tony and Maria were nice kids who could have been happy in a better world.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> Just hope your guests are unfamiliar with the plot of _Rigoletto_. Naive Gilda is infatuated with a womanizer and ends up dead in a gunny sack. Not an auspicious beginning for a life together, eh?
> 
> _West Side Story_ ends sadly, but at least Tony and Maria were nice kids who could have been happy in a better world.












Well, neither is leaping onto a funeral pyre with your winged steed- but we make an allowance for that inauspicious beginning, don't we?


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, Victoria. But I'm confused as to why you'd want advice from a bunch of strangers. Our task is made harder by not knowing whether the singer is male or female . Isn't this something best discussed with the singer? I'm sure he/she would have the relevant expertise in such things.

I'd recommend this singer for weddings if she's available. ;-). 





The aria here is Sempre Libera from La Traviata. I'm sure you're aware that it often ends badly for the characters in opera, so perhaps best not to put too much store in the words.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Marschallin Blair said:


> Well, neither is leaping onto a funeral pyre with your winged steed- but we make an allowance for that inauspicious beginning, don't we?


What kind of allowances? What is _Gotterdammerung_ the inauspicious beginning of? Are you suggesting that she might as well have Brunnhilde's Immolation Scene sung at her wedding?


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> What kind of allowances? What is _Gotterdammerung_ the inauspicious beginning of? *Are you suggesting that she might as well have Brunnhilde's Immolation Scene sung at her wedding?*


No, I'm suggesting along with Han Solo that single-handedly attacking a Death Star or leaping onto a funeral pyre isn't my idea of 'heroism'- but rather of 'suicide.'

- and what kind of wedding would that be?


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

As suggested above I think "O mio babbino caro" can be a good choice. It's a girl pleading to her father... to marry the guy she is in love with!. And the opera itself (_Gianni Schicchi_) is a farce, a commedy. (a little bit of a dark commedy, true, but...).

O mio babbino caro,
mi piace, è bello bello,
vo'andare in Porta Rossa
a comperar l'anello!
Si, si, ci voglio andare!
E se l'amassi indarno,
andrei sul Ponte Vecchio
ma per buttarmi in Arno!
Mi struggo e mi tormento,
O Dio! Vorrei morir!
Babbo, pietà, pietà!
Babbo, pietà, pietà!

Also, it would be familiar to anyone at the wedding with a modicum of previous exposure to opera.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Marschallin Blair said:


> No, I'm suggesting along with Han Solo that single-handedly attacking a Death Star or leaping onto a funeral pyre isn't my idea of 'heroism'- but rather of 'suicide.'
> 
> - and what kind of wedding would that be?


I fail to see why the definition of heroism is relevant in any way to the topic at hand, unless you think Victoria needs to be warned away from immolations at her wedding. But no one has suggested that. Perhaps suggesting some music, or commenting on a suggestion, would be more helpful.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

I agree that it is important helpful to know the Fach or vocal type of the opera singer; they are definitely specialists. I also find it very likely that the opera singer you are hiring will have some suggestions for what they can sing.

I can name a few things, but I expect they won't work very well.

It depends a lot on what you want, but one thing that springs to mind are a few end showcases from Rossini operas with happy endings, but these would require very special singers. One is "Non più mesta" from La Cenerentola is Cinderella expressing her joy at marrying her prince (the first part of the extended aria "Nacqui all'affanno e al pianto" where she graciously forgives her family for their machinations against her may or may not be appropriate). The lyrics are quite short (though repeated), and don't actually mention love or her beloved.



> Non più mesta accanto al fuoco, Starò sola a gorgheggiar, no! Ah fu un lampo, un sogno, un gioco, Il mio lungo palpitar.
> 
> No longer sadly moaning will I sit alone by the fire. Ah, nothing by a flash, a dream, a jest was all my long distress.


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## dionisio (Jul 30, 2012)

dnbvic, 

It would depend how familiar are you and your spouse with opera. All the suggestions above are good ones.

As for me, as i hope to get married soon (in 1 or 2 years), i have but two numbers that i would like to be played. At the entrance of my bride-to-be, i choose "Elsa's procession" from Lohengrin. And then somewhere in the middle, i would want Ombra Mai Fu.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> What kind of allowances? What is _Gotterdammerung_ the inauspicious beginning of? Are you suggesting that she might as well have Brunnhilde's Immolation Scene sung at her wedding?


Early in the discussions of (recorded) music to have at my wedding:

Me: I'm trying to figure out what Wagner would work.
Her: Hmmm.
Me: How about the Liebestod? It directly is about love; it's in the title!
Her: I know German!

We ended up with a section of "Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla" from Szell's _Wagner Without Words_ as our recessional. I have thus far not fathered any children with the Earth-goddess. We have also managed to not burn down our apartment!

We have also not killed any world leaders, even though the processional was the circus music that opens Sondheim's _Assassins_ mixed into "Untitled" by Neutral Milk Hotel.

Our ceremony music was full of questionable choices. It is one of my favorite things.


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## Faustian (Feb 8, 2015)

I think the quintet from Die Meistersinger would be a lovely selection for a wedding, and hope to have it played at mine...of course, not really feasible for the OP unless they plan on hiring 5 opera singers...


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## Antony (Nov 4, 2013)

Hi Victoria,

Congratulations for your upcoming marriage! My best wishes!

I would suggest this song, Lippen Schweigen. It's from the operetta The Merry widow  .
It's a charming love duet. A waltz, so you can use it to open the bal too 

Lippen Schweigen




[/QUOTE]

Lyrics - original in german
(translated in english - from http://www.simonkeenlyside.info) Simon Keenlyside is also a very good tenor 

Danilo:
Lips are silent,
violins whisper:
Love me!
Every step
says: please
love me!
Every hand-clasp
shows it clearly.
Now I know, it's so, it's so,
you love me!

Hanna:
At each step of the waltz,
my soul joins in the dance,
my eager heart leaps,
knocks, and pounds:
be mine, be mine!
And my lips say no word,
yet still it echoes on and on:
I love you, oh, so much,
I love you!

﻿Hanna and Danilo:
Every hand-clasp
shows it clearly,
now I know
it's so, it's so,
you love me!


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## aimee (Nov 7, 2013)

Best wishes to you Victoria for your upcoming wedding.

How's about this cute little song from LVB, with wonderful lyrics for the event:






Ich liebe dich​
Ich liebe dich, so wie du mich,.......................I love you as you love me,
Am Abend und am Morgen,...........................In the evening and the morning,
Noch war kein Tag, wo du und ich..................Nor was there a day when you and I
Nicht teilten unsre Sorgen.............................Did not share our troubles.

Auch waren sie für dich und mich...................And when we shared them
Geteilt leicht zu ertragen;..............................They became easier to bear;
Du tröstetest im Kummer mich,......................You comforted me in my distress,
Ich weint in deine Klagen...............................And I wept in your laments.

Drum Gottes Segen über dir,..........................Therefore, may God's blessing be upon you,
Du, meines Lebens Freude.............................You, my life's joy.
Gott schütze dich, erhalt dich mir,...................God protects you, keeps you for me,
Schütz und erhalt uns beide............................And protects and keeps us both.

(source)


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## aimee (Nov 7, 2013)

...another one  -- Susanna's aria from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro- that would fit your big day...






Deh vieni, non tardar​
Giunse alfin il momento....................................The moment finally arrives
Che godro senz'affanno.................................... When I'll enjoy [experience joy] without haste
In braccio all'idol mio....................................... In the arms of my beloved...
Timide cure uscite dal mio petto!........................Fearful anxieties, get out of my heart!
A turbar non venite il mio diletto.	.......................Do not come to disturb my delight.
O come par che all'amoroso foco.......................	Oh, how it seems that to amorous fires
L'amenita del loco,............................................The comfort of the place, 
La terra e il ciel risponda....................................Earth and heaven respond,
......................................................................[Oh, it seems that earth, heaven and this place 
......................................................................answerer my heart's amorous fire.]
Come la notte i furti miei risponda.......................As the night responds to my ruses.

Deh vieni, non tardar, o gioja bella......................Oh, come, don't be late, my beautiful joy
Vieni ove amore per goder t'appella.....................Come where love calls you to enjoyment
Finche non splende in ciel notturna face................Until night's torches no longer shine in the sky
Finche l'aria e ancor bruna,.................................As long as the air is still dark 
E il mondo tace.................................................And the world quiet. 
Qui mormora il ruscel, qui scherza l'aura...............Here the river murmurs and the light plays
Che col dolce susurro il cor ristaura......................That restores the heart with sweet ripples 
Qui ridono i fioretti e l'erba e fresca......................Here, little flowers laugh and the grass is fresh
Ai piaceri d'amor qui tutto adesca.........................Here, everything entices one to love's pleasures
Vieni, ben mio, tra queste piante ascose...............Come, my dear, among these hidden plants.
Vieni, vieni! .....................................................Come, come!
Ti vo' la fronte incoronar di rose...........................I want to crown you with roses.

(source)


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Don't Try the Duet between the Don and Zerlina from Don Giovanni. It may derail the ceremony:lol:


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## gardibolt (May 22, 2015)

Marzelline's aria O wär’ ich schon mit dir vereint from Fidelio is all about anticipating marriage and going through tough times together.

If the truth my heart doth tell,
Very soon a bride I’ll be;
The impulse pure with love to dwell,
The heart’s law is to me;
But for a little time, at least,
I my feelings must suppress;—
Delay most cruel!
Why throbs my heart within my breast?
Oh, come, and give thy soothing rest,
Hope, brightest jewel!
Ah! what pleasure, what delight,
Shall I with my lover know!
Light are all the cares of life
When those we love partake our woe!

Ich liebe dich (also known as Zärtliche Liebe) above is a good option too though it's not opera.


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