"Song to the Moon”
Moon, high and deep in the sky
Your light sees far,
You travel around the wide world,
and see into people's homes.
Moon, stand still a while
and tell me where is my dear.
Tell him, silvery moon,
that I am embracing him.
For at least momentarily
let him recall of dreaming of me.
Illuminate him far away,
and tell him, tell him who is waiting for him!
If his human soul is, in fact, dreaming of me,
may the memory awaken him!
Moonlight, don't disappear! 🌙
(English translation from Czech)
Today’s MELOPHILIA MOMENT features the beautiful aria “Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém / Song to the Moon” from Dvořák’s ninth opera Rusalka.
Dvořák composed the opera between April and November of 1900, and on March 31, 1901, Rusalka premiered Rusalka in Prague. It was so successful in that theaters in other nations began to take notice. Within ten years after its Czech premiere, Rusalka premiered throughout the world and is beloved season after season.
There are songs that we are meant to “fit” with. Songs that click into our souls like a missing puzzle piece. This is one of those clicks for me. I first performed the aria in concert with Vancouver Symphony the Summer of 2008, while I was pregnant with my daughter. In preparation for the concert, I was coached by a dear friend originally from the Czech Republic, Eva Lund - and Eva’s deep appreciation for the opera and the language spilled over. I treasured every session with Eva, and truly feel in love with the Czech language. I perform the aria any chance I get. In 2016, I was beyond humbled to perform it in Chicago at a Masterclass with that one and only @reneeflemingmusic, and then to dig even deeper into Czech language and culture this past summer singing in Prague.
