O Tu Palermo

Of all Verdi’s mature works (ie, post Rigoletto), his The Sicilian Vespers in either its French or Italian versions is the least performed. This neglect is hard to explain as the opera is a splendid work exhibiting all the characteristics that make its composer the master of the lyric theater.

The bass aria ‘O tu Palermo’ is sung by Procida at the beginning of Act 2. He has returned from exile to lead the Sicilians in revolt against their French occupiers. In it he expresses his his joy at returning to his native land and city.

The eight versions below are all sung in Italian. They include the recitative that precedes the aria. It is one of the finest solos for bass written by Verdi.

Ezio Pinza sang 879 performances at the Met between 1926 and 1948. He then went on to become a Broadway star creating the role of Emile de Becque in Rogers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific.

Boris Christoff was the mid 20th century bass whose dramatic impact came closest to Chaliapin’s. In 1950 he was invited to sing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City but was refused entry into the USA as a result of the McCarran Immigration Act, which banned citizens of Eastern bloc countries from entering the country. This refusal was ordered despite Christoff’s opposition to communism. He refused any further invitations to the Metropolitan and never appeared there. His dark sound was ideal for the most intense parts such as Verdi’s Philip II and Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov. His recording includes some of the dialogue that follows the aria.

Cesare Siepi took Christoff’s place in Rudolf Bing’s first production at the Met in 1950. He was Philip II in Don Carlo. He takes a very lyrical approach to the Vespri aria. It was this type of singing along with his good looks that made him an ideal Don Giovanni. He was a regular at the Met giving 491 performances between 1950 and 1973. He left the company because of a dispute with management while he was still at the peak of his vocal powers.

Bonaldo Giaiotti was a leading basso cantante of the middle of the last century. He was a regular at most of the world’s leading opera houses. Between 1960 to 1989 he appeared 414 times at the Met.

Giorgio Tozzi (born George John Tozzi in Chicago) sang 528 performances with the Met between 1955 and 1975. He appeared at virtually all of the world’s major opera houses. After dubbing the singing voice for the character of Emile de Becque (portrayed by Rossano Brazzi) in the 1958 film version of South Pacific, he spent many years playing the role of de Becque himself in various revivals and road tours of the show, including one at Lincoln Center in the late 1960s. After his singing career ended he taught at the Juilliard School, Brigham Young University, and Indiana University.

Nicolai Ghiaurov was one of the world’s greatest basses. He was especially known for his Verdi and Mussorgsky roles. Married to soprano Mirella Freni they frequently sang together. In Ghiaurov’s obituary in Opera News, Martin Bernheimer remarked: “He commanded a remarkable vocal instrument, strikingly generous in size, warm in timbre, dark in color. He rolled out the resonant tone at his command with generosity, and with special ease at the burnished top.”

Ferruccio Furlanetto has been one of the most successful basses in recent memory. Though 76 years old, he is still performing. He made his Met debut in 1980. In 1982 he sang the role of Procida with the company. His last appearance at the Met was in 2022. Thus far he has appeared 228 times with the company.

Ildar Abdrazakov is a Russian bass who is in the middle of a very successful career. He has appeared 177 times with the company.

The Sicilian Vespers has only been done 45 times by the Met. Its last appearance at the New York house was in 2004. Given the expensive stuff the Met has been feeding a reluctant audience, the reappearance of a neglected Verdi masterpiece is way overdue.

O patria, o cara patria, alfin ti veggo!
L’esule ti saluta
Dopo sì lunga assenza;
Il tuo fiorente suolo
Bacio, e ripien d’amore
Reco il mio voto a te, col braccio e il core!
O tu, Palermo, terra adorata,
a me sì caro riso d’amor, ah!
Alza la fronte tanto oltraggiata,
il tuo ripiglia primier splendor!
Chiesi aita a straniere nazioni,
ramingai per castella e città;
ma, insensibil al fervido sprone,
dicea ciascun: siciliani, ov’è il prisco valor?
Su, sorgete a vittoria, all’onor!

O fatherland, dear motherland, I see you in the end!
The exile greets you
After such a long absence;
Your flourishing soil
Kiss, and love again
I give my vote to you, with the arm and the core!
O you, Palermo, adored land,
Of my green years – laughter of love,
Raise your forehead so outraged,
Your recovery – premier splendor!
I asked to foreign countries,
I wandered through castles and cities:
But, insensitive to fervid spurs,
Respond with vain pity! –
Sicilians! Where is the ancient valor?
Come on, rise to victory, to honor!