Aria Analysis - V'adoro Pupille from Giulio Cesare

In celebration of the recent passing of the Ides of March, I thought it would be appropriate to kick off this series with Julius Caesar by Handel!

The Aria Analysis is a series I've created to help with the learning process of a piece. Whether it's text translation, meaning, story, character development and more! 

You may have read numerous posts where I discuss this work by Handel (sorry to those who are getting sick of it...), but I felt it would be a good fit since I couldn't think of any Irish Arias to talk about for tomorrow!

The first aria chosen is one that I am currently working on! It is not the "Presti O'Mai" sung by Julius Caesar, not that I have left it on the back burner, it will soon return, but a different aria sung by Cleopatra! The aria V'adoro Pupille was assigned to me as a class project and I've been trying to figure out how to interpret this piece.

Cleopatra is known as a very strong, dramatic, egomaniac and is usually sung by a Mezzo or a Soprano with a dark and dramatic timbre.  I'd like to believe that this casting was put in place hundreds of years ago to show how powerful Cleopatra actually was, since most of the other characters voices contrast hers by having a lighter timbre (usually).

V'adoro Pupille is considered a lovesong based on the tempo, lyrics and mood. Cleopatra is attempting to seduce Julius Caesar by showing off some exotic moves. In other interpretations, Cleopatra is deemed as too strong of a personality to mess around with school girl games. They believe that since she knows she is beautiful and quite the seductress, she uses these skills to captivate and seduce Caesar into falling in love with her. Once she manages that, he can help her over throw her brother so she can sit on the throne. There are other side plots considered like that she might actually end up falling in love for Caesar, etc, but I personally believe that her one true love is Marc Anthony. 

(This recording is one of my favourites. While her vowels aren't the best, her ornamentation and the staging of this number is so captivating. The lighting, dancing and background dancers just top off this number!)

This is the "translation" of the original italian text. It's always interpretive, and not always correct, but this gives fair guidelines for what the text means!

V'adoro, pupille, I adore you, eyes, saette d'amore, lightning bolts of love, le vostre faville your sparks son grate nel sen. are welcome in my breast. Pietose vi brama My sad heart il mesto mio core, desires you (to be) compassionate, ch'ogn'ora vi chiama (my heart) which at every hour calls you l'amato suo ben. its dearest beloved. V'adoro, pupille, ecc. I adore you, eyes, etc.

You can find free sheet music for it here!

In Julius Caesar, the orchestra is smaller than those of the Baroque operas, especially in the later years. This way the musical and dramatic messages are conveyed with more economy than the later composers. In each version of this number, the ornamentation is different, which as a singer, provides many ideas on how you could possibly ornament this piece!

Now just for kicks and giggles, this is Cecilia Bartoli singing the role of Cleopatra in the Saltzburg production of Julius Caesar!

Hopefully this will provide some insight and maybe help out a few singers! If you have any suggestions for other arias/pieces give me a shout in the comments!

Until next time,

Tessa