William Marshall Sings on Bonanza (1964) w/English Subtitles
In this clip from the “Enter Thomas Bowers“ episode of Bonanza, my father William Marshall sings two Italian arias in a fictionalized portrayal of 19th century opera singer Thomas Bowers, also known as “The Colored Mario.“
The first song is a heavily condensed version of “M’Appari Tutt’Amor“ from Friedrich von Flotow’s “L’Ame en Peine“ and “Martha.“ The lyrics he sings are as follows:
il pensier di poter
palpitar con lei d’amor,
puo soprir il martir
che m’affana e strazia il cor.
e strazia il cor.
bella si che il mio cor
Ah... di dolor mordi morrò!
Si... morrò!
“The thought of being able
to quiver in love’s throes together with her
can soothe the suffering
which harrows me and torments my heart!
And torments my heart!
So beautiful is she that my heart
Ah! The bite of grief!
I shall die!
shall die!“
This aria is normally sung by a tenor, but needed to be transposed to match my father’s lower tessitura. For comparison, here’s a clip of Pavarotti singing the entire song (the vocal starts at 0:42):
The second song is “La calunnia“ (“the calumny/slander“) from Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.“ The aria befits the plot, and the lyrics he sings are as follows:
La calunnia è un venticello
un’auretta assai gentile
che insensibile, sottile,
leggermente, dolcemente,
a sussurrar.
Slander is a little wind,
a very gentle little breeze
which numbly, softly,
lightly, kindly,
begins to whisper.
Dalla bocca fuori uscendo,
lo schiamazzo va crescendo:
prende forza a poco a poco,
vola già di loco in loco.
Sembra il tuono, la tempesta
che nel sen della foresta,
va fischiando, brontolando,
e ti fa d’orror gelar.
Getting out from the mouth
the clamor grows:
it slowly strengthens,
it already flies from one place to another.
It seems like the thunder, like the storm
that in the depths of the forest
go whistling, grumbling,
and makes your blood run cold.
Alla fin trabocca e scoppia,
si propaga, si raddoppia
e produce un’esplosione
come un colpo di cannone,
come un colpo di cannone,
un tremuoto, un temporale,
un tremuoto, un temporale,
un tremuoto, un temporale,
che fa l’aria rimbombar.
un tremuoto, un temporale,
un tremuoto, un temporale,
un tremuoto, un temporale,
che fa l’aria rimbombar.
In the end it spills over and blow up,
it spreads, it doubles
and provokes an explosion
like a cannon shot,
like a cannon shot,
an earthquake, a rain storm,
an earthquake, a rain storm,
an earthquake, a rain storm,
which makes the air peal.
an earthquake, a rain storm,
an earthquake, a rain storm,
an earthquake, a rain storm,
which makes the air peal.
E il meschino calunniato,
avvilito, calpestato,
sotto il pubblico flagello
per gran sorte va a crepar.
And the miserable one who is defamed,
degraded, trampled,
scourged by the public opinion
fortunately dies.
E il meschino calunniato,
avvilito, calpestato,
sotto il pubblico flagello
per gran sorte va a crepar.
And the miserable one who is defamed,
degraded, trampled,
scourged by the public opinion
fortunately dies.
sotto il pubblico flagello
per gran sorte va a crepar.
scourged by the public opinion
he fortunately dies.
sotto il pubblico flagello
per gran sorte va a crepar.
scourged by the public opinion
he fortunately dies.
sotto il pubblico flagello
per gran sorte va a crepar.
scourged by the public opinion
he fortunately dies.
si va a crepar
si va a crepar
si va a crepar!
He dies.
He dies.
He dies!
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