William Marshall Sings on Bonanza (1964) w/English Subtitles

In this clip from the “Enter Thomas Bowers“ episode of Bonanza, my father William Marshall sings two Italian arias in a fictionalized portrayal of 19th century opera singer Thomas Bowers, also known as “The Colored Mario.“ The first song is a heavily condensed version of “M’Appari Tutt’Amor“ from Friedrich von Flotow’s “L’Ame en Peine“ and “Martha.“ The lyrics he sings are as follows: il pensier di poter palpitar con lei d’amor, puo soprir il martir che m’affana e strazia il cor. e strazia il cor. bella si che il mio cor Ah... di dolor mordi morrò! Si... morrò! “The thought of being able to quiver in love’s throes together with her can soothe the suffering which harrows me and torments my heart! And torments my heart! So beautiful is she that my heart Ah! The bite of grief! I shall die! shall die!“ This aria is normally sung by a tenor, but needed to be transposed to match my father’s lower tessitura. For comparison, here’s a clip of Pavarotti singing the entire song (the vocal starts at 0:42): The second song is “La calunnia“ (“the calumny/slander“) from Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.“ The aria befits the plot, and the lyrics he sings are as follows: La calunnia è un venticello un’auretta assai gentile che insensibile, sottile, leggermente, dolcemente, a sussurrar. Slander is a little wind, a very gentle little breeze which numbly, softly, lightly, kindly, begins to whisper. Dalla bocca fuori uscendo, lo schiamazzo va crescendo: prende forza a poco a poco, vola già di loco in loco. Sembra il tuono, la tempesta che nel sen della foresta, va fischiando, brontolando, e ti fa d’orror gelar. Getting out from the mouth the clamor grows: it slowly strengthens, it already flies from one place to another. It seems like the thunder, like the storm that in the depths of the forest go whistling, grumbling, and makes your blood run cold. Alla fin trabocca e scoppia, si propaga, si raddoppia e produce un’esplosione come un colpo di cannone, come un colpo di cannone, un tremuoto, un temporale, un tremuoto, un temporale, un tremuoto, un temporale, che fa l’aria rimbombar. un tremuoto, un temporale, un tremuoto, un temporale, un tremuoto, un temporale, che fa l’aria rimbombar. In the end it spills over and blow up, it spreads, it doubles and provokes an explosion like a cannon shot, like a cannon shot, an earthquake, a rain storm, an earthquake, a rain storm, an earthquake, a rain storm, which makes the air peal. an earthquake, a rain storm, an earthquake, a rain storm, an earthquake, a rain storm, which makes the air peal. E il meschino calunniato, avvilito, calpestato, sotto il pubblico flagello per gran sorte va a crepar. And the miserable one who is defamed, degraded, trampled, scourged by the public opinion fortunately dies. E il meschino calunniato, avvilito, calpestato, sotto il pubblico flagello per gran sorte va a crepar. And the miserable one who is defamed, degraded, trampled, scourged by the public opinion fortunately dies. sotto il pubblico flagello per gran sorte va a crepar. scourged by the public opinion he fortunately dies. sotto il pubblico flagello per gran sorte va a crepar. scourged by the public opinion he fortunately dies. sotto il pubblico flagello per gran sorte va a crepar. scourged by the public opinion he fortunately dies. si va a crepar si va a crepar si va a crepar! He dies. He dies. He dies!