Instrumentation |
Piano, Baritone, Bass |
Scored for |
Solo, Accompanying piano |
Type of score |
Piano-vocal score |
Movement(s) |
1 to 1 from 1 |
Publisher |
Musik Fabrik |
Language |
English |
Difficulty |
Advanced |
Duration |
5'0 |
Text by William Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream Act V, Scene I)
The ultimate overblown death scene for an actor of limited abilities
In the play, Nick Bottom thinks that he is the greatest actor alive. However, he is appallingly dreadful - he shamelessly overplays every line, mugs incessantly and makes word errors. He thinks that he is fabulous when, in fact, he is ridiculous. His suicide scene is one of the great moments for comic actors and it can take as long as the actor wishes - even up to 5 minutes. This aria is set in the same manner and many buffo singers immediately come to mind as models for such satire. This selection cannot be overplayed. It can be sung by any male voice
TEXT: Sweet Moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams.
I thank thee, Moon, for shining now so bright.
For by thy gracious, golden, glittering gleams,
I trust to take of truest Thisbe sight.—
But stay, O spite!
But mark, poor knight,
What dreadful dole is here!
Eyes, do you see?
How can it be?
O dainty duck! O dear!
Thy mantle good,
What, stained with blood?
Approach, ye Furies fell!
O Fates, come, come,
Cut thread and thrum.
Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!
O wherefore, Nature, didst thou lions frame?
Since lion vile hath here deflowered my dear,
Which is—no, no—which was the fairest dame
That lived, that loved, that liked, that looked with cheer.
Come, tears, confound!
Out, sword, and wound!
The pap of Pyramus—
Ay, that left pap
Where heart doth hop. (stabs himself)
Thus die I, thus, thus, thus.
Now am I dead.
Now am I fled.
My soul is in the sky.
Tongue, lose thy light.
Moon, take thy flight.
Now die, die, die, die, die.
(dies)