Caro mio ben

"Caro mio Ben" was written for a concert in London. The song express love to the extent that one's heart feels ill when alone. "Caro mio ben" is a soprano arietta, however low-voice versions of the song have been created. The song starts with a theme which is repeated twice, before moving to the second part, the climax of the song. Lastly, the piece returns to the theme for the conclusion. The song is intended to be sung at a slower tempo, Larghetto. "Caro mio ben", like many similar opera songs of the time, is written in a major key. The second iteration of the theme near the beginning is often reduced, from four phrases to three. == Attribution and possible composers ==

"Caro mio ben" has been attributed to both Tommaso Giordani, his father Giuseppe, and an unrelated Giuseppe Giordani, nicknamed "Giordanello". The general consensus for centuries was that Giordanello had composed the aria; however, recent research, primarily by John Glenn Paton, has shown that it was likely actually composed by Tommaso. Giuseppe Giordani (1751–1798), nicknamed "Giordanello", was born in Naples on 19 December 1751. He wrote over 30 operas, but most are largely forgotten. In 1778, Giordani married a famous singer, Emanuela Cosmi. In the 1780s, Giordani focused his career in the north of Italy, and he later became maestro di cappella at Fermo Cathedral. His largest success was the oratorio La distruzione di Gerusalemme, which is believed to be the first ever sacred drama, a theatrical rendition of parts of the Bible, to be presented in a theatre. This oratorio was received well by the local press and was even acclaimed by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Giordani died in Fermo on 4 January 1798 at the age of 47. Tomasso Giordani (c. 1733–1806) was born in Naples into a family of musicians and dancers. After touring Europe in the 1740s and receiving a music education, he composed his first work, a comic opera, in 1756. In 1764, Giordani visited Ireland for the first time, living in Dublin for three years and continuing his career in music composition. In 1766, his opera "''L'eroe cinese" was staged at Crow Street Theatre in Dublin, and is thought to be the first opera seria performed in Ireland. After being accused of plagiarism, Giordani returned to London where he remained for the next 16 years. He returned to Ireland in 1783 but came back to England in 1784 after his opera company went bankrupt. In October of that year, he made a deal with his creditors, allowing him to return to Dublin. Giordani then married a daughter of Tate Wilkinson, the manager of Crow St. Theatre, and in 1787 he became the musical director of the theatre. His last work was The Cottage Festival, or A Day in Wales'', with barrister Leonard MacNally as his librettist. Giordani has been the subject of many accusations of plagiarism. He died in Dublin in February 1806 at the age of 73. == Lyrics ==

Original Italian Caro mio ben, credimi almen Senza di te languisce il cor Il tuo fedel sospira ognor Cessa crudel, tanto rigor Caro mio ben credimi almen Senza di te languisce il cor. Literal translation Dear my beloved, believe me at last Without you languishes my heart Your faithful one sighs always Cease, cruel one, so much severity Dear my beloved, believe me at last Without you languishes my heart. Poetic translation Thou, all my bliss, believe but this When thou art far, my heart is lorn Thy lover true ever doth sigh Do but forgo such cruel scorn Thou, all my bliss, believe but this When thou art far my heart is lorn ==Legacy==

"Caro mio ben" became well known in the late 18th century thanks to the singing of Gaspare Pacchierotti, a castrato and male soprano. "Caro mio ben" is popular among vocal students for expanding their range and practising their vocal technique. In this song, she transposes the excerpt into a minor key and uses it as a bridge. Harry Collingwood also references the song in his 1907 book With Airship and Submarine. Franklin Hamilton mentions the song in his 1911 novel Robert Kimberly. == Notes ==