Pur ti miro, pur ti godo (from L'incoronazione di Poppea) by Cla

Herman Posthumus (1512/1523-1566/1586): Landscape with Roman ruins, 1536
Canvas, 96 x 141.5 cm.
Vienna, Liechtenstein Museum



THE CORONATION OF POPPEA was Claudio Monteverdis last opera (1642). It is an Italian opera in three acts. After Monteverdi's death, the composer Pietro Francesco Cavalli (1602-76), who oversaw later productions of the work in Rome, made some revisions to the last act. It is with his reworkings that the opera is performed today.

The libretto, by Giovanni Busenello, was based on Roman history in 64 AD.

Major Characters:

Nerone (Nero), Emperor of Rome (castrato role, now sung by mezzo-soprano)
Poppea, mistress of Nerone, soon to be Empress (soprano)
Ottavia, wife of Nerone, to be deposed (soprano)
Seneca, philosopher and advisor to Nerone (bass)
Ottone, a Roman commander (alto)
Drusilla, Ottones lover (soprano)

The beautiful love duet that closes this aria is Pur ti miro, pur ti godo,

Libretto:

Pur ti miro,
Pur ti godo,
Pur ti stringo,
Pur t'annodo,
Più non peno,
Più non moro,
O mia vita, o mi tesoro.
Io son tua...
Tuo son io...
Speme mia, dillo, dì,
Tu sei pur, speme mia
L'idol mio, dillo, dì,
Tu sei pur,
Sì, mio ben,
Sì, mio cor, mia vita, sì.
Pur ti miro,
Pur ti godo,
Pur ti stringo,
Pur t'annodo,
Più non peno,
Più non moro,
O mia vita, o mi tesoro.

The final love duet (G major, 6/4 meter) between Nerone and Poppea, both singing the same text, is in A-B-B-A structure. In the Adagio opening section (A) and instrumental introduction based on a four-note ground bass is repeated over and over throughout the section by instruments such as lute, harp and harpsichord.

The lovers singing [(Pur ti miro, pur ti godo)(I adore you, I desire you)] in slow and steady independent lines in imitative counterpoint intermingle in a tender dialogue that mirrors their exchange of love, as the ground bass repeats itself so their happy love seems endless.

The melismatic treatment of their emotional imitative phrase pur t'annodo (I enchain you) seems to bind the two lovers together.

The dissonance is heard on such phrases as piu non peno (no more grieving) and piu non moro (no more sorrow).

The Presto middle section (B) offers contrasting music of a more animated character. Short motives Io son tua, Tuo son io (I am yours, you are mine) are excitedly imitated between the lovers over the playing of free bass until they are bound together in a strong homorhythmic statement of si mio ben, si mio cor, mia vita, si (O my love, feel my heart, my loved one, see)
The entire section B is repeated in softer, and more intimate exchange between the lovers begore returning to the Adagio opening section A and the ground bass.

Arleen Auger, soprano
Della Jones, mezzo-soprano
City of London Baroque Orchestra
conducted by Richard Hickox