Il mio tesoro

"Il mio tesoro"(or"Il mio tesoro intanto") is anariaforlyric tenorvoice from scene 2 in act 2 ofMozart's operaDon Giovanni.It is often performed in recitals and featured in anthologies of music for tenor.In the aria, Don Ottavio, a young nobleman, urges the listener to assure his (the nobleman's) beloved fiancée, Donna Anna, that he intends to secure vengeance for her against the man who murdered her father.

Libretto

Il mio tesoro intanto
andate a consolar,
E del bel ciglio il pianto
cercate di asciugar.

Ditele che i suoi torti
a vendicar io vado;
Che sol di stragi e morti
nunzio vogl'io tornar.

My treasure, meanwhile,
Go and console.
And from her beautiful eyes, the tears,
Try to wipe away.

Tell her that the wrongs against her,
I'm going to avenge,
That only of killing and death
As announcer will I return.

Music

The aria is set inB-flat majorand incut common time(), with tempo indication ofAndantegrazioso.It is 101barslong and takes about four minutes to perform. Itsvocal rangecoversD3to A4, while its tessitura is roughly F3 to G4.For most of the piece, the violins and violas playcon sordino(withmutes) for a mellow effect. In addition to the strings, the aria usesclarinetsin B-flat, bassoons andB♭ alto horns.

In other media

A concert performance of "Il mio tesoro" is mentioned in the opening paragraphs ofTolstoy's novelAnna KareninaExcerpts from it are sung by the protagonist's father in the 1949 black comedy filmKind Hearts and Coronets.

External links

• Mozart's autograph manuscript,Bibliothèque nationale de France
• "Il mio tesoro"onYouTube,sung byLuigi Alva,Aix-en-Provence Festival1960