"Ah, lo previdi! ... Ah, t’invola ... Misera! ... Deh, non varcar", K. 272, is a concert aria by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for solo soprano and orchestra, one of Mozart's first large-scale operatic concert pieces.[1]
Sung by the character Andromeda, this extensive concert aria takes around twelve to fourteen minutes to perform. There are various tempo markings, including Allegro risoluto, Allegro, Andante, Adagio and Andantino, consisting of 323 bars, primarily in the key of C minor. The work calls for two oboes, two horns in E and strings. The final cavatina "Deh, non varcar" features a lyrical accompaniment with the oboe, as Andromeda pleads for Perseus to wait for her in the afterlife.[2]
This operatic version tells of the myth of Andromeda, condemned to be sacrificed to a sea monster. However she is saved by the hero Perseus. She is obliged to marry Eurystheus, heir to the kingdom of Argos, but is in love with Perseus. In this aria Andromeda berates Eurystheus with an emotional fury at the apparent suicide of Perseus. She believes he failed to prevent Perseus’s death. Andromeda then reflects to (the absent) Perseus with an intense grief. The recitative and aria ends in a gentle cavatina "Deh, non vacar", with a quiet ending in B-flat major. The passionate writing hints at later roles for operatic soprano, such as Elektra in Idomeneo, The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni.
Composed in Salzburg in August 1777, the aria was written for Josepha Duschek, for whom Mozart later wrote Bella mia fiamma, addio, K528 in Prague.[3] Mozart recommended Ah, lo previdi! to his beloved Aloysia Weber, writing "I advise you to observe the expression marks—to think carefully of the meaning and the impact of the words—to put yourself in all seriousness into Andromeda’s situation and position!—and to imagine that you really are that very person.” The aria was published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1888. The original manuscript is housed in the Berlin State Library.
The text is by, taken from the 1772 opera Andromeda, probably composed by Giovanni Paisiello.
(ad Eristeo)Ma tu sì fiero scempio perchè non impedir?Come, o crudele, d'un misero a pietànon ti movesti?Qual tigre, qual tigre ti nodrì?Dove, dove, dove nascesti?
AriaAh, t'invola agl'occhi miei,alma vile, ingrato cor!La cagione, oh Dio, tu seidel mio barbaro, barbaro dolor.Va, crudele! Va, spietato!Va, tra le fiere ad abitar.
(Eristeo parte)RecitativoMisera! Misera! Invan m'adiro,e nel suo sangue intantonuota già l'idol mio.Con quell'acciaro, ah Perseo, che facesti?Mi salvasti poc'anzi,or m'uccidesti.
Col sangue, ahi, la bell'alma,ecco, già uscì dallo squarciato seno.Me infelice!Si oscura il giorno agli occhi miei,e nel barbaro affanno il cor vien meno.
Ah, non partir, ombra diletta,io voglio unirmi a te.Sul grado estremo,intanto che m'uccide il dolor,intanto fermati, fermati alquanto!
CavatinaDeh, non varcar quell'onda,anima del cor mio.Di Lete all'altra sponda,ombra, compagna anch'iovoglio venir, venir con te.
Ah, I foresaw this!With your sword, unhappy Prince you saved mebut took your own life
Why did you not prevent this terrible deed?Cruel man, not given to pityWhat tiger gave you suck?Where did you come from?Be gone from my sight!
Flee from my siteYou base spirit, unkind heart!By heavenYou are the cause of this barbaric sufferingThe most cruel and ruthlessGo and live amongst the wildest beasts
Unhappiness is me!I rage in vainMy beloved lies in a pool of his own bloodWhy, Perseus did you do this?Darkness falls, my heart grows faint.
With painful bloodThis beautiful soul is takenUnhappy meThe day is darkening before meWith a failing heart of torment
Depart not my beloved!I will be with youAt the end pauseAnd I will be with youWhile sorrow ends my life
Do not cross that streamSoul of my own soulTo the furthest shore of LetheI will be your companion forever, stay!Forever I will be with you.