Una furtiva lagrima (A furtive tear) is the romanza taken from Act II, Scene VIII of the Italian opera, L'elisir d'amore by Gaetano Donizetti. It is sung by Nemorino (tenor) when he finds that the love potion he bought to win his dream lady’s heart, Adina, works.
Nemorino is in love with Adina, but she isn't interested in a relationship with an innocent, rustic man. To win her heart, Nemorino buys a “love potion” with all the money he has in his pocket. The “love potion” is actually a cheap red wine sold by a traveling con man. But when he sees Adina weeping, he knows that she has fallen in love with him and the “Elixir” works.
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Italian
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Translation in English
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Una furtiva lagrima |
A single furtive tear |
A recording by Enrico Caruso features prominently in the movie Match Point (2005), directed by Woody Allen.
This aria is used frequently in the Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still OVA series when referencing to the Tragedy of Bashtarle, a key event prior to the main story. The song choice according to the makers of the OVA is based on "the sorrow of others not understanding your true feelings."
This song is also featured in the independent film Two Lovers with Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow, and another Joaquin Phoenix film: "It's All About Love".
In Pasolini's Mamma Roma, a group of young slackers is singing this aria to Ettore.
A muffled rendition of this song can be heard in the background as the disillusioned Captain Yossarian, played by Alan Arkin, aimlessly wanders the streets of war ravaged Rome in the movie Catch-22.
The character Jake Fratrelli, played by Robert Davi, sings a part of this aria in the feature film The Goonies.
This aria is also recently featured in episode "Earthling" of Fox's hit television show Fringe.
In the Colombian film Milagro en Roma (1988) directed by Lisandro Duque Naranjo one of Margarito Duarte's friends sings this aria and shatters a window with his voice when he sings "Cielo!"
In Michael Winterbottom's The Killer Inside Me, the aria is used twice: first when Lou Ford (Casey Affleck) thinks of Joyce Lakeland (Jessica Alba), the prostitute he battered into a coma; the second is when Lou soaks the inside of his house with gasoline and other accelerants.
In Clarice Lispector's "The Hour of the Star", the aria is "the only really beautiful thing" that Macabéa has experienced in her life.
The aria is heard more than once in Nikita Mikhalkov's 1977 film, Unfinished Piece for Player Piano (Неоконченная пьеса для механического пианино), including a complete rendition during the closing scenes.
Clive James selected this aria as one of his Desert Island Discs when interviewed by Sue Lawley for the programme of the same name for BBC Radio 4.
Pop singer Joe McElderry performed the song on Popstar to Operastar.