Godwin Books

Godwin Books The author, Robert S. Thomson, has a PhD in Romance Languages from Yale University. He wrote “Ope

Music for Siegfried’s death
06/19/2023

Music for Siegfried’s death

What a powerful piece of music!

Here's another song by the late Vicente Fernandez, a great singer of ranchera music. ¿Qué caso tiene buscarla?What's the...
05/06/2023

Here's another song by the late Vicente Fernandez, a great singer of ranchera music. ¿Qué caso tiene buscarla?What's the point of looking for her? ¿Qué caso tiene seguirla? What’s the point in following her? De nada vale adorarla si no podré conseguirla.”It’s worth nothing to adore her if I won’t be able to get her. Así me dije una noche, mojándome en una esquina…...

Here’s another song by the late Vicente Fernandez, a great singer of ranchera music. ¿Qué caso tiene buscarla?What’s the point of looking for her? ¿Qué caso tiene seguirla? What’s the p…

This is a charming movie about a young American opera lover who goes to Italy to study voice.
04/15/2023

This is a charming movie about a young American opera lover who goes to Italy to study voice.

One Night of Love (1934) – Oscar winner musical – Full movie – YouTube I think this is the first movie I have attempted to include in a blog posting. “One night of love& #822…

Here’s another song sung by Carlos Gardel. As usual with tangos, the main theme is nostalgia. The narrator looks back on...
03/21/2023

Here’s another song sung by Carlos Gardel. As usual with tangos, the main theme is nostalgia. The narrator looks back on his life--his fellow soldiers in the barracks, his favorite bar, the tragic deaths of his girl friend and his mother. It's all about nostalgia but he does not reproach God for his losses, that would be tempting fate. He must resign himself....

Here’s another song sung by Carlos Gardel. As usual with tangos, the main theme is nostalgia. The narrator looks back on his life–his fellow soldiers in the barracks, his favorite bar, the tr…

I usually post on songs in Spanish, Italian and French. Here's a song in English. I suggest you make a paper copy of it ...
03/13/2023

I usually post on songs in Spanish, Italian and French. Here's a song in English. I suggest you make a paper copy of it and then play some of the versions that you can find on Youtube: Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, or (the young) Rosemary Clooney. I tried to download these versions for you and include them here, but without success....

I usually post on songs in Spanish, Italian and French. Here’s a song in English. I suggest you make a paper copy of it and then play some of the versions that you can find on Youtube: Bing C…

In this post I am giving you the words in Italian for the song, "Chitarra Romana". It was written in 1934 and in 1936 ma...
03/03/2023

In this post I am giving you the words in Italian for the song, "Chitarra Romana". It was written in 1934 and in 1936 made a big splash thanks to Carlo Buti's sensitive rendition. When I first started studying Italian in 1958 I was truly smitten with just about everything Italian. Before long I bought myself a long-playing record of Italian songs as sung by Carlo Buti....

In this post I am giving you the words in Italian for the song, “Chitarra Romana”. It was written in 1934 and in 1936 made a big splash thanks to Carlo Buti’s sensitive rendition.…

1 Mamma son' tanto felice Mother, I am so happy 2 Perché ritorno da te. To come back to you 3 La mia canzone ti dice My ...
02/18/2023

1 Mamma son' tanto felice Mother, I am so happy 2 Perché ritorno da te. To come back to you 3 La mia canzone ti dice My song says to you 4 Che (è) il più bel giorno per me. That it’s my most beautiful day. 5 Mamma son' tanto felice. Mother, I’m so happy 6 Vivere lontano…...

      1 Mamma son’ tanto felice             Mother, I am so happy 2 Perché ritorno da te.    &nb…

“O soave fanciulla”: one of the most passionate love duets ever written.
02/07/2023

“O soave fanciulla”: one of the most passionate love duets ever written.

Visit the post for more.

You will find two links in this post. In the first one a young Italian woman explains and illustrates the body language ...
01/31/2023

You will find two links in this post. In the first one a young Italian woman explains and illustrates the body language and sounds of a native speaker of Italian. Here's the link (copy it and put it in the google search bar. The second link takes you to Vittorio Gassman reading from Dante's "Inferno." In my opinion Gassman's readings of Dante are unsurpassed....

You will find two links in this post. In the first one a young Italian woman explains and illustrates the body language and sounds of a native speaker of Italian. Here’s the link (copy it and…

I hope you enjoy these three versions of Rosini's charming cavaletta (an aria that introduces a character in an opera). ...
01/25/2023

I hope you enjoy these three versions of Rosini's charming cavaletta (an aria that introduces a character in an opera). The text below comes from my 2009 book, "Operatic Italian" where I use Rosina's cavaletta to illustrate the future tense in Italian. The word "furba" (cunning, manipulative) comes to mind when listening to the music and I finish this post with…...

I hope you enjoy these three versions of Rosini’s charming cavaletta (an aria that introduces a character in an opera). The text below comes from my 2009 book, “Operatic Italian” …

Here are three versions of “Casta Diva” from Bellini’s “Norma.” (1) Anna Netrebko (1990s?), Maria Callas (1960s?) and (3...
01/22/2023

Here are three versions of “Casta Diva” from Bellini’s “Norma.” (1) Anna Netrebko (1990s?), Maria Callas (1960s?) and (3) Joan Sutherland (possibly 1958) Which do you prefer? In the first act of Bellini’s "Norma" the high priestess Norma is visited by a group of angry Druids. They plead with her to declare war on Rome, who rules them oppressively. Norma calms them down and convinces them that now is not the time to fight....

Here are three versions of “Casta Diva” from Bellini’s “Norma.” (1) Anna Netrebko (1990s?), Maria Callas (1960s?) and (3) Joan Sutherland (possibly 1958) Which do you prefer? In the first act of Be…

Here are the footnotes tor my book “Florence, Dante and Me.” The book itself was written (in the form of letters) during...
01/16/2023

Here are the footnotes tor my book “Florence, Dante and Me.” The book itself was written (in the form of letters) during the academic year 1960-61 and the notes were added around 2016 when I finally got around to publishing the letters in the form of a book. In the intervening fifty-six years I had plenty of time to think about the many ways that my year in Italy had changed me and set the course that my life was to follow....

Here are the footnotes tor my book “Florence, Dante and Me.” The book itself was written (in the form of letters) during the academic year 1960-61 and the notes were added around 2016 when I finall…

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