Have you ever seen a full moon as big as this one in Moonstruck? It’s comparable to the one presented in The Truman Show. I haven’t seen any like those; they are so big and illustrious. Take for example the Hadean epoch between 4.5 and 4 billions years ago. The blood-red moon appeared 15 times bigger than it is now. It was just 20000 miles away, but drifted away from Earth 4cm a year.
This piece from the Moonstruck movie soundtrack is a modern orchestration of the famous aria Musetta’s Waltz, from the opera La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini. The title of the movie says it all really. It captures the essence of ‘love’ and a heart’s contentment in the wake of the ‘pull’ and majesty of the full – moon.
This is the third musical piece to feature here from Italian composer Giacomo Puccini and the second from his Opera La Bohème. The classic opera La Boheme shows the Bohemian lifestyle (known in French as “la bohème“) of a poor seamstress and her artist friends. La Bohème is an opera in four acts composed between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème (1851) by Henri Murger.
La Boheme premiered in Turin in 1896, and although it was not an immediate success, it soon became one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the world. This scene takes place in Act IIat the Café Momus. Shortly after Mimì, Rodolfo, and their friends have taken seats for a drink, Marcello’s former girlfriend, Musetta, shows up with her current patron, the elderly Alcindoro. They quarrel for a bit, then the episode begins as Musetta initiates her move on Marcello. She grabs the spotlight, musically speaking, for a short self-promoting aria (Quando me’n vo’). It is a song directed at the people in the café as much as at the audience in the theater
English Translation of ‘Quando me’n Vo‘:
When I walk
When I walk all alone in the street,
people stop and stare at me
and look for my whole beauty
from head to feet …
And then I taste the slight yearning
which transpires from their eyes
and which is able to perceive from manifest charms
to most hidden beauties.
So the scent of desire is all around me,
it makes me happy!
And you, while knowing, reminding and longing,
you shrink from me?
I know it very well:
you don’t want to express your anguish,
but you feel as if you’re dying!
Regarding Puccini’s original composition as seen in the second video, I couldn’t help but forward this comment from YT by Michael Klimetz:
This magnificent composition will forever evoke the memory of my dear maternal grandmother. She was cultured, loving and refined woman who adored Italian opera. My earliest recollection of Musetta’s Waltz was as a young child, while sitting on her lap as she rested from preparing one of her legendary dinners. As the music filled her kitchen, the room bathed in afternoon sunlight, she scooped me up, held me with both arms in her signature warm embrace, and began to dance. She would gently whisper how beautiful I was and give praise to God for my presence in her life.
Reference:
1. Quando me’n vo’ – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
‘Moonstruck’ great movie, great acting! Fantastic Puccini!!
I haven’t seen Moonstruck in decades, and I don’t really need to revisit it (although it would be nice), since nearly every scene is embedded into my memory. Fantastic movie and hugely underrated. I bought the soundtrack on cassette as a kid in a nanosecond. And replayed it to death. I’m chuffed you loved the movie as well. The symbolism of the Moon and the Catholic family chemistry in this riveting, yet complex.
Agreed! I wouldn’t mind seeing it again though! Cher and Nicholas Cage, a good combination.
According to IMDB Movie Trivia:
Nicolas Cage’s screen test didn’t impress the studio, and they wanted to get someone else to play Ronny. But Cher insisted that Cage was the one to play that role, and threatened to quit unless he was hired. After a few days, the studio relented.
I thought Nicholas Cage was the right actor for the role. I think he is underrated!
I think his dramatic roles are underrated like in this and Leaving Las Vegas although he did win an Academy Award for the latter. He was such an unusual character in Moonstruck. He fitted perfectly as the wolf howling at the full – moon.
Ahhh!! ‘Leaving Las Vegas’ an unforgettable movie!!
Oh and the way you wrote this is simply stunning! ‘ It captures the essence of ‘love’ and a heart’s contentment in the wake of the ‘pull’ and majesty of the full – moon. ‘
I am enthralled you liked that line. It took lots of editing to get it how I wanted it. I was thinking of ‘pure love’ or ‘sublime love’. Then I realised ‘Love’ is what it is and ‘contentment’ also. They go hand in hand. Then the moon appears which symbolises that moment of pure bliss when one realises they have both things – love and contentment. And sometimes the reason for it is the person sleeping beside you as seen in the movie.
Matthew, this reads like poetry! So, so stunningly put!
Gee. Thanks Sharon.