Cecilia Bartholi singing Non So Piu from Act 1 of the Marriage of Figaro By Mozart
Many years ago, Koand was asked to come up with such a list. Koand says this particular piece would be apt for a desert island scenario because - amongst other reasons - it contains the line: “if I have no one to hear me I’ll speak of love to myself.”
The Interview is here.
Italian Lyrics
Non so piu cosa son, cosa faccio,
Or di foco, ora sono di ghiaccio,
Ogni donna cangiar di colore,
Ogni donna mi fa palpitar.
Solo ai nomi d'amor, di diletto,
Mi si turba, mi s'altera il petto,
E a parlare mi sforza d'amore
Un desio ch'io non posso spiegar.
Non so piu cosa son, cosa faccio,
Or di foco, ora sono di ghiaccio,
Ogni donna cangiar di colore,
Ogni donna mi fa palpitar.
Parlo d'amore vegliando,
Parlo d'amor sognando,
All'acqua, all'ombra, ai monti,
Ai fiori, all'erbe, ai fonti,
All'eco, all'aria, ai venti,
Che il suon de'vani accenti
Portano via con se.
E se non ho chi m'oda,
Parlo d'amor con me!
English Translation
I do not know anymore what I am, what I do,
One moment I'm on fire, the next moment I am cold as ice,
Every woman changes my color,
Every woman makes me tremble.
At the very mention of love, of delight,
I am greatly troubled, my heart stirs within my chest,
It compels me to speak of love
A desire I cannot explain.
I do not know anymore what I am, what I do,
One moment I'm on fire, the next moment I am cold as ice,
Every woman changes my color,
Every woman makes me tremble.
I speak of love while I'm awake,
I speak of love while I'm dreaming,
Water, shade, mountains,
Flowers, grass, fountains,
echo, air, and the winds,
The sound of my hopeless words
are taken away with them.
And if I do not have anyone near to hear me
I speak of love to myself!