SKU: AP.36-A915501

ISBN 9798892703277. UPC: 659359566639. English.

The three-act operetta LA RONDINE (The Swallow) by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) was first completed in 1916 and premiered at the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo on March 27, 1917. It tells the story of Magda, a Parisian courtesan, who is torn between more transactional love she has chosen and the romantic love of a wife with the young man Ruggero, whom she meets at a small house party of her protector Rambaldo, then again at a Paris nightspot. After leaving to live with Ruggero for some time, she flees back to Rambaldo when Ruggero proposes marriage, declaring that she cannot keep her past a secret and she will not allow her previous life to bring grief to both Ruggero and his parents. Never satisfied, Puccini revised the operetta in both 1920 and 1921, altering the ending each time, and he passed before he settled on the definitive version. The beautiful tenor aria PARIGI! È LA CITTÀ DEI DESIDERI (Paris! It is the city of desire) was not included in the original libretto and added by Puccini to give Ruggero, the romantic lead, something to do in the first act. While it does not move the plot forward, the aria does quickly endear listeners to the Ruggero character. The aria was later cut from the opera and is not usually heard in staged versions, although the music was used again with different text in Puccini's 1917 song MORIRE?, S. 89. This edition of the aria by Michael Kaye is from the second version (1920) of the opera.

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SKU: BT.GOB-000609-020

David Well composed 'Frida's Whiskers' in commemoration of his own cat, who met an untimely end.
Frida (whose real name was 'Godefrida van Coopersburg thoe Nieuwenhuys') was a lively creature, who led a playful and uncomplicated life.
She used to sleep in her basket for hours, but when she woke up she upset the entire house and its furnishing.
Curtains were inspected from top to bottom and flower pots fell from window-sills just like that!
Outside, in the open air she was in her element. She used to frolic, bouncing into the air.
After such playful moods she would return to her basket tired but satisfied where, being the cleanly cat that shewas, she subjected her entire body, whiskers included, to a thorough wash.

David Well componeerde 'Frida's Whiskers' ter nagedachtenis aan zijn erg jong gestorven kat.
Frida (haar volledige naam luidde 'Godefrida van Coopersburg thoe Nieuwenhuys') was een levenslustig beestje dat een speels en onbekommerdleven leidde.
Zo kon ze vaak urenlang in haar mand liggen te slapen tot op zeker moment het complete huis en haar inrichting onveilig gemaakt werden.
Gordijnen werden van onder tot boven ge?nspecteerd en bloempottenvielen pardoes uit de vensterbank.
In de buitenlucht was ze in haar element. Ze sprong soms met alle poten tegelijk de lucht in.
Na een speelse bui keerde ze moe maar voldaan terug in haar mand waar, zo proper alsze was, het hele lichaam, inclusief snorharen, aan een grondige wasbeurt werden onderworpen.

SKU: AP.46433