Perché più franco

by PIetro Torri
Cover Abramo, manuscript, 1731
English	Abraham
Genre	Azione sacra (oratorio)
Libretto	Domenico Lalli
Language	Italian
Premiere
Date	Spring 1731
Location	Munich

"Perché più franco" is an aria by Pietro Torri from his oratorio Abramo. The libretto was written by Domenico Lalli. THe preceding recitativo begins "Padre basta sin quì ..." and is included here for completion.

It appears on the following album:

Year	Album	Ensemble	Conductor
2020	La Vanità del Mondo (Album)	Ensemble Artaserse

Libretto

Perché più franco

(That your fatherly love)

from  Abramo
Pietro Torri (music),  Domenico Lalli (words)

(Isacco)

‎

Modernized Italian

Recitativo Padre basta sin quì. anche abbastanza ti conferma mio Padre il tuo dolore mi conferma tuo figlio il mio valore. fui da te generato per esser glorioso ed in terra, ed in cielo. ecco la via che tal mi rende. su prepara ormai il bel colpo felice, se tra noi di lagnarsi or più non lice. solo la cara madre raccomando al tuo amore. addio, mio Padre. Aria Perche più franco, e forte, sia il paterno amore, mio caro Genitore, Più non pensare à me. Prima di darmi morte Fingere al cor tu puoi, Che quel che uccider vuoi Il figlio tuo non è. Punctuation and capitalization added.

Ancient Italian

Recitativo Padre basta sin quì. anche abbastanza ti conferma mio Padre il tuo dolore mi conferma tuo figlio il mio valore. fui da te generato per esser glorioso ed' in terra, ed' in Cielo. ecco la via che tal mi rende. su prepara ormai il bel colpo felice, se tra noi di lagnarsi or più non lice. solo la cara madre raccomando al tuo amore. addio, mio Padre. Aria Perche più franco, e forte, sia il paterno amore, mio caro Genitore, più non pensare à me. Prima di darmi morte fingere al cor tu puoi, che quel che uccider vuoi il figlio tuo non è. Text from the Autograph at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, p.104

Recitativo Father, enough! Even if your pain confirms you enough, my father, me, your son, confirms my valour. I was fathered by you for glory, on earth as it is in heaven. Here is the path that will provide it. Come now, prepare the beautiful and joyful blow, If among us now lamenting is no longer permitted. I commend only my dear mother to your love. Goodbye, father. Aria That your fatherly love may be more sincere and stronger, my dear father Do not think of me anymore. Before you kill me You can pretend to yourself That the one you want to kill Is not your son.

Context and translator's notes

God demands that Abraham prove his loyalty by sacrificing his son, Isaac (Genesis 22:1-13). While in the original bible passage, Isaac is bound and silent while Abraham prepares the sacrifice, in Lalli's/Torri's version he is willing to give his life. Lalli makes it quite clear that for Isaac, sacrificing himself for God is a heroic deed. It might prove an interesting future task for scholars to find out what motivated Lalli to this change. It stands to reason that heroic sacrifice was to be glorified, and the sacrifice of an Isaac that finds heroism in his deed might have fit better into the politics of the day (maybe as preparation for a war) than, e. g., Jesus' entirely passive attitude. (FR, 2021)

Manuscripts and sheet music

Incipit of Perche più franco e forte

Free Score at the IMSLP:

• Manuscript:

Copyist S-Dl-554

Manuscript, 1731.

Public Domain

Sächsische Landesbibliothek, Dresden (D-Dl): Mus.2140-D-1

"Abramo (Torri, Pietro), Manuscript, 1731". IMSLP. Sächsische Landesbibliothek, Dresden (D-Dl): Mus.2140-D-1. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.

• Autograph, Bayrische Staatsbibliothek

Abramo, V (4), Coro, strings - BSB Mus.ms. 234

Torri, Pietro (1650-1737)

Lalli, Domenico (1679-1741)

Erschienen: 1731 (1731)

Sprache: Italienisch

Umfang: score: 74f

Autograph, 2 Teile

Ouverture zu Beginn (f.1-2) von anderer Hand; nur vl und b

Lederband mit Goldornamenten

Die Erstaufführung in München fand im Frühjahr 1731 statt

Textbuch siehe D-Mbs 4|o P.o.ital. 198 und 4|o Bav. 2195/II,30

Link zum Katalogisat/OPAC:

http://opacplus.bsb-muenchen.de/title/BV039609200

URN:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb00065394-9

Identifier: RISM 456010813 ; BSB-Hss Mus.ms. 234

Standort: München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek -- Mus.ms. 234

"Abramo, V (4), Coro, strings - BSB Mus.ms. 234 : [spine title:] ABRAMO // ORATOR[IO], Autograph". Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. Archived from the original on October 15, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.