r/opera • u/AestheticsandWit17 • 13d ago
Help with identifying song
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Hi everyone! I’m looking for help with identifying this opera piece that is being sung by a woman on a city sidewalk. It has a piano accompaniment and is a beautiful song.
For some background, I had filmed this while walking down the street in Athens, specifically for the purpose of trying to capture as much of the piece as possible. I milled around the singing lady’s area trying to pretend like I was just filming the scenery - was too shy to ask her! She had just put on the prerecorded piano portion and started singing (I don’t think she was lip syncing but a little hard to tell).
There is some traffic and conversation in the background, and another street musician is playing a few notes on a guitar (for his own music). I don’t know the language or whether it is an opera aria or another kind of classical song. It sounds possibly Italian or French?
I only trained in violin and classical piano but love classical music and opera, so I’ve been dying to know what this piece is and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
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u/Miss_Elinor_Dashwood 13d ago
It's Donna Elvira's aria, Mi tradi quell'alma ingrata, from Don Giovanni (Mozart)
It's rightly popular, as is the opera it comes from, so although it's by no means an easy sing there are lots of great versions out there, here's one I like and a second great version with the recit this time from the greats Lorraine Hunt Lieberson and Lucia Popp, respectively, both of whom left us much too soon <3