The Soprano’s Opera Music in Season 2, Episode 4
Contents
In the Soprano’s second season, episode four, “Commendatori”, opera music is used to foreshadow the death of a major character.
Introduction
In the fourth episode of the second season of The Sopranos, “Commendatori”, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) goes to Naples, Italy, on vacation with his family. While there, he is taken to see the opera Cavalleria Rusticana by his cousin, Antonio Mona (Burt Young). This begins Tony’s love affair with opera music, which continues for the rest of the series.
Tony particularly enjoys the arias “Voi lo sapete” and “Regina Coeli”, both sung by soprano Cherry Jones in this episode. He later requests that his daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) download the arias onto her iPod so that he can listen to them while jogging. In the sixth season, Tony reflects on his love for opera music when he hears “Voi lo sapete” playing in a restaurant and is reminded of his happy times in Naples with his family.
The Soprano’s Opera Music in Season 2, Episode 4
“Donna non vidi mai”
In the fourth episode of the second season of The Sopranos, “Donna non vidi mai” (“I Have Never Seen a Woman”), Tony and his family attend a performance of Cavalleria Rusticana at the Metropolitan Opera. While there, they meet with some friends who are also opera fans, and they discuss the music.
Donna non vidi mai is one of the best-known arias from Cavalleria Rusticana, and it is sung by the character Santuzza. The aria is a beautiful piece of music, and it is often performed by opera singers as a standalone piece.
“Voi che sapete”
In the episode, “Voi che sapete” is sung by Carmela Soprano at a party hosted by Meadow Soprano to celebrate her 16th birthday. The music for the party was provided by Johnny Sack’s band.
The song is originally from the opera “The Marriage of Figaro” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The lyrics for the song are in Italian, and they translate to:
You who know what love is
You who have felt its pain
How can you laugh and play
As if you felt no strain?
“E lucevan le stelle”
In the episode “D-Girl”, while Christopher and Carmela wait for news of Jackie Aprile’s health at a hospital, they share a touching moment when Carmela sings an Aprile family memory – the 1927 aria “E lucevan le stelle” from the opera Tosca by Giacomo Puccini.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the music in season 2, episode 4 of The Sopranos was classical opera. This was likely due to the fact that the storyline of the episode revolved around Tony Soprano attending the opera with his family. While at the opera, Tony was visibly moved by the music, which confirms its classical genre.
