from Act II of the French opera
La Fille du Régiment by Gaetano Donizetti
Libretto: Jean Francois Bayard
Role: Tonio, a Tyrolese peasant in love with Marie
Voice Part: tenor Fach: tenor leggiero
Setting: A room in Chateau Birkenfeld, the Swiss Tyrolese Mountains, 1815
Synopsis: The Marquise has chosen a man for Marie to marry. However, Marie still loves Tonio. When the Marquise catches Marie and Tonio together, she tells Tonio to leave but he first explains the depths of his love for Marie. He explains that he could not continue living if he could not be with her.