Puccini: “Quando Men Vo”: Transcribed For Cello
From the opera La Boheme (1896), this aria (“When I Go Out”) can be comfortably played in its original key of E major but it is offered here in three different keys. Using the original key gives us our highest, culminating note on a “B”, which is quite low, but playing it in this key allows us to use the original piano accompaniment sheet music (which can be a considerable advantage). For more drama (and a little more danger) we can play it a minor third higher – up to a “D” – for which we have transposed the aria up into G major. For the “easier version” the aria is transposed down a tone from the original (into D major), which allows us to stay always in the Neck Region, the highest note now being the “A” harmonic (one octave above the open A string).
Fortunately, the key of the “play-along” piano accompaniment can be changed with one click of the mouse in the highly recommended (and truly amazing) “Amazing Slowdowner” program. With this program all three versions can be played with the same accompaniment track.
Here are the lyrics:
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Quando men vo Ed assaporo allor la bramosia E tu che sai, che memori e ti struggi, So ben: |
When I walk And then I relish the sly yearning And you who knows, who remembers and yearns, I know it very well: |