Nella Fantasia

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"Nella Fantasia" ("In My Fantasy")
Music by	Ennio Morricone
Lyrics by	Chiara Ferraù
Published	1998
Original artist	Sarah Brightman
Recorded by	Il Divo

Music of Italy
Genres:	Classical: Opera Pop: Rock (Hardcore) - Hip hop - Folk - jazz - Progressive rock
History and Timeline
Awards	Italian Music Awards
Charts	Federation of the Italian Music Industry
Festivals	Sanremo Festival - Umbria Jazz Festival - Ravello Festival - Festival dei Due Mondi - Festivalbar
Media	Music media in Italy
National anthem	Il Canto degli Italiani
Regional scenes
Aosta Valley - Abruzzo - Basilicata - Calabria - Campania - Emilia-Romagna - Florence - Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Genoa - Latium - Liguria - Lombardy - Marche - Milan - Molise - Naples - Piedmont - Puglia - Rome - Sardinia - Sicily - Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol - Tuscany - Umbria - Veneto - Venice
Related topics
Opera houses - Music conservatories - Terminology

"Nella Fantasia" ("In My Fantasy") is an Italian song based on the theme "Gabriel's Oboe" from the film The Mission (1986). With music by famed composer Ennio Morricone and lyrics by Chiara Ferraù, "Nella Fantasia" is popular among classical crossover singers, and has been performed by numerous artists and groups such as Amici Forever, Celtic Woman (Chloë Agnew), Sarah Brightman, Garðar Thór Cortes, Il Divo, Katherine Jenkins, Russell Watson, Wendy Kokkelkoren with Guido's Orchestra and Summer Watson. In 2007, the winner of the first season of the British TV show Britain's Got Talent, Paul Potts, covered this song on his album One Chance.

[edit] Origin

"Nella Fantasia" first appeared on Sarah Brightman's album Eden (1998). On the March 1999 video recording of her "One Night in Eden" concert, when introducing the song she said:^[1]

“

My next song was originally an instrumental written by the composer Ennio Morricone for the film The Mission. About three years ago I wrote Mr. Morricone, asking if he would give me permission to turn this particular piece into a song. He flatly refused. So every two months I would send yet another begging letter, until I think he got so sick of me he finally relented. And I am really glad that he did, because I think it works beautifully as a song.

”

In the liner notes of Eden, the lyricist of the song was named as "Ferraù". However, it has been suggested on the fansite Sarahbrightman.co.uk that the Italian lyrics of the song were written by Brightman herself.^[2] It is possible that Brightman wrote the lyrics of the song in English and they were translated into Italian by Ferraù. Confusingly, the liner notes of Brightman's subsequent album The Very Best of 1990–2000 (2001), which also featured the song, state that the composers of the song were Berta Ferraud and Ennio Morricone.^[1] It may be that "Berta" is a nickname and "Ferraud" a misspelling.

Later recordings by Il Divo on their self-titled album Il Divo (2004), by Amici Forever on their album Defined (2005), and by Garðar Thór Cortes on his album Cortes (UK release, 2007) confirm that the lyricist of the song is a female composer named Chiara Ferraù.^[1][3]

[edit] Lyrics

The lyrics of "Nella Fantasia" are as follows:

Italian

English translation

Nella fantasia io vedo un mondo giusto, Li tutti vivono in pace e in onestà. Io sogno d'anime che sono sempre libere, Come le nuvole che volano, Pien' d'umanità in fondo all'anima. Nella fantasia io vedo un mondo chiaro, Li anche la notte è meno oscura. Io sogno d'anime che sono sempre libere, Come le nuvole che volano. Pien' d'umanità. Nella fantasia esiste un vento caldo, Che soffia sulle città, come amico. Io sogno d'anime che sono sempre libere, Come le nuvole che volano, Pien' d'umanità in fondo all'anima.

In my fantasy I see a just world, Where everyone lives in peace and in honesty. I dream of spirits that are always free, Like the clouds that fly, Full of humanity in the depths of the spirit. In my fantasy I see a bright world, Where each night there is less darkness. I dream of spirits that are always free, Like the clouds that fly. Full of humanity. In my fantasy exists a warm wind, That breathes into the city, like a friend. I dream of spirits that are always free, Like the clouds that fly, Full of humanity in the depths of the spirit.

[edit] Notes