Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: opera
Song Meaning of “I Capuleti e i Montecchi: Eccomi… O quante volte, o quante” by Mirella Freni
This beautiful aria from Vincenzo Bellini’s opera I Capuleti e i Montecchi tells the story of Romeo and Giulietta, the two young lovers at the heart of the classic Shakespearean tragedy. In this song, the two lovers share a passionate and tearful farewell as they are about to face their tragic destinies. Mirella Freni’s thrilling interpretation is full of emotional intensity and vibrancy as she emotes the desperation, sorrow, and sadness in the lyrical text.
The song paints the image of two young, star-crossed lovers unable to be with each other despite their deep and passionate feelings for one another. Romeo’s impending departure to war painfully draws the two apart, and they must say goodbye for what could be their last time together. They lament the fates which have brought their tragedy upon them, understanding that their love, only just budding, can only hope to blossom if released from its cruel constraints. As they go their separate ways, the two must face the realities of their sorrowful situation without the hope of ever reuniting.
Freni’s performance captures the tragedy and despair of Romeo and Giulietta’s situation with a heartbreaking rendition of this iconic aria.