from Act I of the Italian opera Il Rè Pastore by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Pietro Metastasio

Role: Agenor, Alexander's friend, in love with Tamyris

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: tenor leggiero

Setting: the countryside of Sidon

Synopsis: Agenor is reunited with his love, Tamyris, who has disguised herself as a shepherdess to flee the country. When Agenor meets her, she is angry at him for helping Alexander to overthrow her father and wonders how he can still love her. He responds with this aria, which is Agenor's plea to the stars of love to show her how much he loves her. They have known all the ways of his heart ever since they captured him in the first place.

from Act II of the Italian opera Il Rè Pastore by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Pietro Metastasio

Role: Agenor, Alexander's friend, in love with Tamyris

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: tenor leggiero

Setting: the Greek military camp

Synopsis: After Tamyris has just reproached him for being cold to him, Agenor discloses his own heartbreak and pain with losing his love to Amintas by way of Alexander's decree. He sings that the only one who could understand his situation is one who has experienced it oneself. He cannot bear the torture and pain he is facing.

from Act II of the Italian opera Il Rè Pastore by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Pietro Metastasio

Role: Alexander, King of Macedonia

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: tenor leggiero

Setting: the Greek military camp

Synopsis: Alexander has decided to leave Sidon now that Amintas has taken the kingship. He leaves Agenor as the royal counselor. As a last act, he proposes to wed Tamyris to Amintas to tie up all loose ends. He, of course, doesn't know of any of the other characters' respective loves and Agenor is too obedient to bring it up. He believes that he has made everyone happy and he expresses these feelings in this aria, singing that if he leaves only peace and happiness behind him, he has fulfilled all of his wishes.

from Act I of the Italian opera Il Rè Pastore by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Pietro Metastasio

Role: Alexander, King of Macedonia

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: tenor leggiero

Setting: the countryside of Sidon

Synopsis: Alexander is convinced that Amintas is the right man to be king of Sidon. After so much war and violence, installing Amintas as king would be the perfect way to end the whole affair in a good way. In his aria, Alexander compares the war and violence to storms and lightning saying that, while they do damage initially, the rain they provide nourishes the soil in the long run.

from Act II of the Italian opera Il Rè Pastore by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Pietro Metastasio

Role: Alexander, King of Macedonia

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: tenor leggiero

Setting: the Greek military camp

Synopsis: Alexander asks the gods to help his decision to marry Amintas and Tamyris to work out correctly since they always make his decisions in war to work out correctly.

from Act I of the Italian opera Il Rè Pastore by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Pietro Metastasio

Role: Amintas, shepherd, in love with Elisa

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: male soprano|lyric soprano

Setting: the countryside of Sidon

Synopsis: Alexander and Agenor have just approached Amintas and asked him if he would like to live an easier life than the one he is leading. They know that Amintas is really the legitimate heir to Sidon's throne. After they leave, Amintas restates his love for Elisa and his lifestyle in the recitative proceeding the aria. In the aria, he goes on to describe his life of green fields, fresh air and water, and simplicity as a shepherd. He then sings that if he were to change his life, the gods would have made that decision for him.

from Act I of the Italian opera Il Rè Pastore by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Pietro Metastasio

Role: Amintas, shepherd, in love with Elisa

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: male soprano|lyric soprano

Setting: the countryside of Sidon

Synopsis: Amintas sings to the river, saying that he hears its murmuring. It asks Amintas where Elisa, his beloved, is.

from Act II of the Italian opera Il Rè Pastore by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Pietro Metastasio

Role: Amintas, shepherd, in love with Elisa

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: male soprano|lyric soprano

Setting: the Greek military camp

Synopsis: Amintas is not convinced that he is not really meant to be king. He is, though, convinced that if he is king, he only wants Elisa for his wife. He sings this to Agenor, saying that he will be her faithful lover and husband and only in her will he find joy, peace, and happiness. Agenor mistakenly thinks that he singing about Tamyris though, and is heartbroken.

from Act I of the Italian opera Il Rè Pastore by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Pietro Metastasio

Role: Elisa, noble Phoenician girl, in love with Amintas

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: lyric coloratura|soubrette

Setting: the countryside of Sidon

Synopsis: Elisa must leave Amintas so she sings to him before she leaves. She sings of the countryside and how they go around it together. She sings also of the cottage that they live in and how joy will find them there.

from Act II of the Italian opera Il Rè Pastore by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Pietro Metastasio

Role: Elisa, noble Phoenician girl, in love with Amintas

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: lyric coloratura|soubrette

Setting: the Greek military camp

Synopsis: Elisa has come to the Greek camp to find Amintas who has been crowned king. She finds the tent he is in, but is prevented from entering by Agenor who explains that Amintas is very busy. He tells her that he will find her later and bring Amintas with him. After trying unsuccessfully several times to enter, Elisa sings this aria, calling Agenor cruel and asking how he can keep her parted from her beloved. She then goes on to appeal to his compassion by asking him why he does not pity her state. After all, she says, doesn't he have a heart?

from Act I of the Italian opera Il Rè Pastore by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Pietro Metastasio

Role: Tamyris, princess disguised as a shepherdess, in love with Agenor

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: lyric coloratura|soubrette

Setting: the countryside of Sidon

Synopsis: Tamyris sings that she had been troubled and tormented by life but these troubles have suddenly passed now that she has found her beloved one again.

from Act II of the Italian opera Il Rè Pastore by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Pietro Metastasio

Role: Tamyris, princess disguised as a shepherdess, in love with Agenor

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: lyric coloratura|soubrette

Setting: the Greek military camp

Synopsis: Tamyris is angry with Agenor for not speaking up when Alexander told him that he wants Amintas and Tamyris to marry. He, in return, is cold and insulting towards her. She is hurt and responds in this aria, singing that he was the one who gave her away to another so why is it her fault? She goes on to sing that she is the one who is been betrayed but she does not insult him.