Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: opera
Song Meaning of “Musica proibita” by Mario del Monaco
Mario del Monaco’s ‘Musica Proibita’ is a passionate ode to forbidden love. In Italy, the phrase ‘musica proibita’ (forbidden music) is often used to describe that special kind of romantic longing felt when two lovers are torn apart and cannot be together. The song speaks of the bittersweet despair of a love that can never be, and the beauty of a moment that passes too soon.
Del Monaco’s character yearns for a fleeting moment of connection with his beloved, who is kept away from him by unspoken laws. He sings of their powerful attraction and visceral longing for each other, and of how sweet and painful it is to once have tasted love and then be denied it. He speaks of the bittersweetness of a life without love, where he can only ever feel that longing from afar.
The lyrics are also full of imagery which paints a vivid picture of the scenery of such a romance. In the chorus, the singer compares their experience to a dance with the wind, or a sailboat gently coming ashore – two fragile moments which are brief yet beautiful.
Ultimately, ‘Musica proibita’ is a beautiful reminder of the power and intensity of love, and of how even love that cannot endure can have a profound impact on those that feel it.