Der Hölle Rache

This is such a great vengeance song. Look at her mouth as she maneuvers through the coloratura passages. She is actually mouthing different vowels for what should be the same syllable -- singing different vowels gives different harmonics (singing an ee sound has higher, more piercing harmonics than an ah sound), allowing her, a lone singer without the aid of a microphone, to cut through the orchestra. (For an interesting ends-justify-the-means justification of this distortion, read this). Slight alterations make all the difference to her power and accuracy, and the audience is none the wiser to the illusion. The act of hiding one's skill and effort, of making something contrived seem natural and effortless, is the icing on the cake of any manipulation -- without it the cake is hardly palatable.



Hell's vengeance boils in my heart;
Death and despair blaze around me!
If Sarastro does not feel the pain of death because of you,
Then you will be my daughter nevermore.

Disowned be forever,
Forsaken be forever,
Shattered be forever
All the bonds of nature
If Sarastro does not turn pale [in death] because of you!
Hear, gods of vengeance, hear the mother's oath!

***

Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen,
Tod und Verzweiflung flammet um mich her!
fühlt nicht durch dich Sarastro Todesschmerzen,
so bist du meine Tochter nimmermehr.

Verstoßen sei auf ewig,
verlassen sei auf ewig,
zertrümmert sei'n auf ewig
alle Bande der Natur
wenn nicht durch dich Sarastro wird erblassen!
Hört, Rachegötter, hört der Mutter Schwur!