6.4 Nessun dorma

Why "...fredda stanza." and not "stanza fredda"?  It seems  to be an unusual example of adjective before noun?  Just curious.  Thanks.  Chris

Hi Chris, 

Hope you are doing great :)

Thanks for your question and for looking into such a great song!

Although in Italian the adjective commonly follows the noun, sometimes you can invert the order, especially when it's a song or a poem.

In this specific case, "stanza" rhymes with "speranza" (it would not have worked otherwise). 

However, although it looks unusual (in fact, it is not common), it is acceptable for these kinds of texts.

Sometimes you can invert the order in ordinary circumstances too (you don't need to be Puccini): 
"Sei proprio un bel ragazzo"
"Che bravo cane!"
"Hai fatto proprio una brutta cosa".

Please note: it is not always possible to invert the order. Sometimes it could sound weird (for instance "ho una gialla collana" - "I have a yellow necklace" is not acceptable), sometimes it could potentially change the meaning of the sentence (for instance "un vecchio amico" means a friend you've known forever, while "un amico vecchio" means a friend who is old).

Hope this helps but I would be very happy to discuss it further as needed :)


 

I suppose "Che gelida manina" (keeping on the Puccini theme) is another example?

Pete

I'm sorry, but "Nessun dorma" is not a "song",  it is an "aria"!  Let's not insult the art by turning it into a piece of popular music.  Years of playing in the opera pit has made me very sensitive to that issue.

Personally, I think it's wonderful that the people are even aware of such a beautiful work, as evidenced by Pavarotti's 1972 performance of "Nessun Dorma" at Italia '90 World Cup ceremony, courtesy of the BBC's soundtrack credits.  It opened many people's minds and hearts to the beauty of opera.  It was widely reported as the "hit song" of the year.  A unique opportunity for people to become more aware of the nuances of opera.  My wife and I were two of those countless new 'fans' of opera.

Chris, how many people who love that "song" are going to sit through the three hour opera to hear the "aria" in it's context?  I would guess very few.  By the way, when the chorus sings it at the end, that was not Puccini.  One of his students finished the opera; rather than composing new music, he borrowed material from the rest of the work.  Great choice; it is one of the most effective endings in all Opera!

Hi Peter, 

Exactly, you are completely right, that's another example!

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Hi Robert, 

Thanks for providing more details about it. Clearly, with the term "song" I didn't intend to lessen this work of art (that goes without saying), nor I implied it was a "pop" song.
As Chris also mentioned, I also personally believe that it's a positive thing that a wider audience was able to enjoy it, even without being necessarily into the opera world - which indeed is an extraordinary world.