Sebben, crudele

"Sebben, crudele" is an aria from Antonio Caldara's 1710 opera, La costanza in amor vince l'inganno (Faithfulness in love conquers treachery). It comes from the third scene of the opera's first act, and is sung by the character Aminta after his lover, Siliva, has become inexplicably cruel and unresponsive. ^[1]

Although the opera itself has been rarely performed in modern times, Sebben, crudele remains a popular concert aria. It has been recorded by Cecilia Bartoli, Beniamino Gigli and Janet Baker, amongst others.

Text

Italian	Translation in English
Sebben, crudele, mi fai languir, sempre fedele ti voglio amar. Con la lunghezza del mio servir la tua fierezza saprò stancar.	Although, cruel one, me you make languish, always faithful you I want to love. With the length of my servitude your pride, I will know how to wear down.

Bibliography

• Anthology of Italian Song of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries - Selected and edited with biographical notes by Alessandro Parisotti, G. Schirmer, 1926

References

1. "La Costanza in amor vince l'inganno : Drama pastorale da rappresentarsi nel Teatro Domestico dell'illustrissimo, ed eccellentissimo signor principe di Cerveteri pel carnevale del 1711". 1711.

External links

• The LiederNet Archive

{lyrics}

Sebben, crudele, Mi fai languir, Sempre fedele Ti voglio amar.

Sebben, crudele, Mi fai languir, Sempre fedele Ti voglio amar.

Sebben, crudele, Mi fai languir, Sempre fedele Ti voglio amar.

Con la lunghezza Del mio servir La tua fierezza La tua fierezza Saprò stancar. La tua fierezza Saprò stancar.

Sebben, crudele, Mi fai languir, Sempre fedele Ti voglio amar.