from Act II of the Italian opera
La Rondine by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto: Giuseppe Adami
Role: Magda, a demimondaine (a woman supported by a wealthy man), Rambaldo's mistress
Voice Part: soprano Fach: lyric soprano
Setting: Outside of Magda and Ruggero's small house near the ocean
Synopsis: At Ruggero's urging, Magda reads a letter from Ruggero's mother that expresses her joy at hearing that her son has chosen a beautiful pure woman to marry. She despairs inwardly, though, because she is not pure and innocent. Before she met Ruggero, she was just a step above a prostitute.