William Wu (吳文修)：La fatal pietra sovra me si chiuse (致命的大石頭已在我的上方關閉) fm "Aida" by Verdi. Tokyo,1982.

Maestro William Wu (吳文修教授, 1935-2009) was a primo dramatic tenor of the National Opera House in Berlin during 1973-79. His biography has been included in Who’s Who in Opera, The New York Times, since 1976, where he was further selected as one of the 50 leading classical singers in the world. His outstanding performance as Radames in Verdi’s Aida in Tokyo won him the 1984 Vienna World Opera Award. His faultless vocalization is mainly based upon anatomic physiology and modern sound science fascinating with uniquely perfect high notes and solid middle register. It is the profound feelings in the every note he sings that is particularly touching. Among his numerous students in Taiwan and Japan, baritone Te-Tsung Hsu (許徳崇) is one of the best and tenor Yun-Seng Giang (姜雲生) used to receive the most care.

For more nice-listening singing of Maestro William Wu, please visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/312817434432486

[Synopsis of "La fatal pietra sovra me si chiuse (The fatal stone has closed above me)“ from "Aida” by Verdi]

In the second half of the Act 4 of Verdi’s Aida, Radamès has been taken into the lower floor of the temple and sealed up in a dark vault, where he thinks that he is alone. As he hopes that Aida is in a safer place, he hears a sigh and then sees Aida. She has hidden herself in the vault in order to die with Radamès. They accept their terrible fate and bid farewell to Earth and its sorrows. Above the vault in the temple of Ptah, Amneris weeps and prays to the goddess Isis. In the vault below, Aida dies in Radamès' arms as the priests pray to the god Ptah.

[威爾第歌劇《阿依達》的男女高音二重唱「那致命的大石頭已在我的上方關閉）」的劇情概要]

在威爾第歌劇《阿依達》第四幕的後半段中，拉達梅斯被帶入神殿下層的黑暗地窖裡。他明知自己是孤單一人，但當他希望阿依達是在一個更安全的地方時，他卻聽到一聲嘆息，竟然看到阿依達。她是先躲在地窖中，以便和拉達梅斯一起赴死。他們已接受可怕的命運，告別了地球及其悲傷。而在神殿的上方，安娜莉斯哭著向女神伊希斯祈禱。在下面的地窖中，當祭司們向神祈禱時，阿伊達已死在拉達梅斯的懷裡。

[English translation of the lyrics of "La fatal pietra sovra me si chiuse (The fatal stone has closed above me)“ from "Aida” by Verdi]

RADAMÈS
The fatal stone has closed above me.
This is my tomb. Never again shall I see the light of day, nor see Aida.
Aida – where are you?
May you at least live happily, never knowing my horrid fate.
A sigh? A ghost, a vision – no, this is a human form!
Heaven – Aida!

AIDA
Yes, I.

RADAMÈS
You, in this tomb!

AIDA
In my heart, I sensed your fate.
Secretly I came into this tomb opened to receive you.
And here, far from every human eye,
I have chosen to die with you!

RADAMÈS
To die – so pure, so lovely!
To die, for love of me!
In the flowering of your youth, to give up your life!
Heaven created you for love, yet I in loving you have killed you!
No, you shall not die!
I have loved you too much, you are too lovely to die!

AIDA (in a delirium)
See? The angel of death, with shining wings, comes near, to bear us to eternal joys upon his golden wings.
Above us heaven is opening.
There, every sorrow ends, and there joy begins, the joy of immortal love.
(From above are heard the hymns of the priests and
priestesses invoking the gods.)

PRIESTS and PRIESTESSES
Great Phtha, life-giving spirit of the world, ah!
We invoke thee!

AIDA
How sad a song!

RADAMÈS
The joy of the priests!

AIDA
Our funeral hymn.

RADAMÈS
(trying to move the stone which closes the vault)
Nor does my strength suffice to move thee, O fatal stone!

AIDA
It is useless! On earth, all is finished for us.

RADAMÈS (with sad resignation)
It is true!
(He comes back to Aida, to sustain her.)

AIDA
O Earth, farewell – farewell, vale of tears, dream of joy which vanished into sorrow.
Heaven opens to us, our wandering souls fly fast towards the light of eternal day, etc.

AIDA and RADAMÈS
O Earth, farewell, etc.
Ah! Heaven opens for us, etc.

PRIESTS and PRIESTESSES
Mighty Phtha, etc.
(Aida sinks into the arms of Radamès. Amneris enters the Temple, dressed in mourning, and prostrates herself on the stone which seals the vault.)

AIDA and RADAMÈS
...O Earth, farewell, etc.
Heaven opens to us!

AMNERIS
I pray for thy peace...beloved, lifeless body;
May Isis, placated, receive you into Heaven!

PRIESTS and PRIESTESSES
Mighty Phtha!

AMNERIS
Peace, I implore of you! Peace, peace, peace!

[威爾第歌劇《阿依達》中的男女高音二重唱「致命的石頭已在我上方關閉」的歌詞中譯]

拉達梅斯
致命的石頭已在我上方關閉。
這是我的墳墓。
我再也見不到天日，也見不到阿伊達了。
阿伊達－妳在哪裡？
願妳活得幸福，永遠不知道我可怕的命運。
嘆息聲？ 是鬼魂，異象? 不，是人形！
天啊，阿伊達！

阿伊達
是的，我。

拉達梅斯
妳，在這座墳墓裡！

阿伊達
在我心裡，已感覺到你的命運。
我偷偷來到這座敞開的墳墓裡迎接你。
在這裡，遠離所有人的視線，
我選擇和你一起死！

拉達梅斯
死，那麼純潔，那麼可愛！
為了愛我，去死?
在妳青春綻放的時候，放棄妳的生命！
上天因愛妳而創造妳，我卻因愛妳而殺了妳！
不，妳不會死！
我太愛妳了，妳太可愛了，妳不該死！

阿伊達（神智不清）
看？ 死亡天使帶著閃亮的翅膀靠近，用他金色的翅膀載著我們走向永恆的歡樂。
天堂在我們頭頂上敞開。
在那裡，一切悲傷結束，喜樂開始，不朽之愛的喜樂。
（從上面可以聽到牧師的讚美詩和女祭司祈求諸神。）

男女祭司
偉大的神，世界的生命之靈啊！
我們呼喚祢！

阿伊達
多麼悲傷的一首歌啊！

拉達梅斯
祭司們的喜樂！

阿伊達
我們的葬禮讚美詩。

拉達梅斯
（試圖移動關閉地窖的石頭）
我的力量移不動你，致命的石頭啊！

阿伊達
沒用！在地球上，我們的一切都結束了。

拉達梅斯
是真的！
（他回到阿伊達身邊，支持她。）

阿伊達
哦，地球，再見，淚水之谷，歡樂的夢想，消失在悲傷中。
天堂向我們敞開，我們漂泊的靈魂快速飛向永恆之光。

阿伊達和拉達梅斯
地球啊，再見。
啊! 天堂為我們敞開。

男女祭司
強大的神
（阿伊達倒在拉達梅斯的懷裡。阿姆納麗絲穿著喪服進入聖殿，跪倒在密封拱頂的石頭上。）

阿伊達和拉達梅斯
……地球啊，再見，等等。
天堂向我們敞開！

安納瑞斯
我祈求祢的平安……心愛的、毫無生氣的身體；
願伊西斯得到安撫，迎接你進入天堂！

牧師和女祭司
全能的神！

安娜莉斯
平安，求祢賜給我們平安！