Vide Cor Meum

Florence opera scene from Hannibal

Vide cor meum (See my heart) is an aria composed by Irish composer Patrick Cassidy based on Dante Alighieri's Vita Nova, specifically on the sonnet A ciascun'alma presa, third chapter.

Composition

The song was performed by Libera / The Lyndhurst Orchestra, conducted by Gavin Greenaway. The main voices belong to Danielle de Niese and Bruno Lazzaretti who sing some fragments taken from La Vita Nuova, supposedly assembled with no grammatical or syntactic sequence. The result of this technique is, in fact, a heterogeneous but harmonic composition; its lyrics allow the audience to be participant of an extraordinary event: an inner dream and unearthly dialogue, to which Dante Alighieri (in Florentin dialect) and God (in Latin) take part. Amore, Beatrice and Dante's heart are the main topic. So the linguistic "nonsense" becomes pure illusion.

Productions

The song first appeared in the movie Hannibal (2001), while Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Italian Inspector Pazzi see an outdoor opera in Florence, and was specially composed for the movie. This aria was chosen to be performed at the 73rd Oscars in 2001 during the presentation of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial award to producer Dino De Laurentiis and at the 53rd Annual Emmy awards.

It was also used in Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven (2005), during King Baldwin IV's death scene and following funeral.

As an homage to the films, the score was used in the final scene of the first and second season finales of NBC's Hannibal.

Releases

Patrick Cassidy's Vide Cor Meum (20th Anniversary Edition)in 2020 - Single by London Symphony Orchestra, London Voices, Ben Parry, Vivica Genaux & Matthew Long by Supertrain Records

Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins releases a version of Vide Cor Meum on her album Music from the Movies (2012) with the Czech Film Orchestra, David Rowland and Rhys Meirion

British vocal group Blake recorded Vide Cor Meum on their first album Blake (2007) with the London Philharmonic Orchestra

English soprano Sarah Brightman recorded Vide Cor Meum for her World Tour Limited Edition bonus track her Hymn (album).

Lyrics

E pensando di lei (Florentin dialect)
Mi sopragiunse un soave sonno
Ego dominus tuus (Latin)
Vide cor tuum
E d'esto cuore ardendo (Florentin dialect)
Cor tuum (Latin)
(Lei paventosa)(Florentin dialect)
Umilmente pascea (Florentin dialect)
Appresso gir lo ne vedea piangendo
La letizia si convertia in amarissimo pianto
Io sono in pace
Cor meum (Latin)
Io sono in pace (Florentin dialect)
Vide cor meum (Latin)

While thinking of her (Beatrice)
A sweet sleep came over me
I am your master
Here is your heart
And on this burning heart
Your heart
(she fearful)
(she) obediently fed
Then I saw him (Amore) leaving in tears
Joy became bitterest lament
I am in peace
My heart
I am in peace
See my heart

External links

• References to Dante in the movie Hannibal, archived from greatdante.net