Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: opera
Song Meaning of “Berenice : Col versar, barbaro, il sangue” by Giuseppe Maria Orlandini
This beautiful baroque piece by Giuseppe Maria Orlandini showcases a story of war and bloodshed. The song paints a vivid picture of the turmoil of battle and describes the barbarity of the warriors’ bloodthirsty rage. The song speaks of the sadness and horror of the conflict, as the warriors’ blood is spilt in a desperate attempt to fight off a powerful enemy. The title ‘Berenice: Col versar, barbaro, il sangue’ translates to ‘Berenice: with the shedding of barbarian blood’. The name ‘Berenice’ evokes a sense of tragedy as it is widely known from the Shakespearean tragedy, ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ in which Berenice,Mark Antony’s beloved, is killed in battle.
The song is deeply moving in its portrayal of a terrifying and sadly inevitable event. The lyrics, the instrumental accompaniment with its heroic tempo, and the use of a minor key invoke a sense of sorrow and despair. The emotions described in the song reach far beyond its own classical era and still resonate into today, speaking to us of the massive scale of brutality that is war.