| 《星光燦爛》選自普契尼的三幕歌劇《托斯卡》。羅馬畫家馬裏奧·卡伐拉多西因掩護政治犯安格洛蒂脫逃而被捕受刑。歌劇女演員托斯卡正熱戀著他。警察總監斯卡皮亞以處死馬裏奧來脅迫托斯卡委身於他。托斯卡被迫假意允從，警察總監則答應搞一次假處決使馬裏奧獲得自由，托斯卡在拿到警察總監簽發的離境通行證後，趁其不備，刺死了他。黎明時，馬裏奧被帶往刑場，托斯卡告訴他這隻是假處決。誰料這是警察總監耍的花招，馬裏奧真的被處決。她刺死總監之事也已暴露，終於跳牆自殺。
該詠歎調是卡伐拉多西在第三幕中所唱。黎明，他走上刑台，即將被處決。遠遠望見梵蒂岡和聖·保羅大教堂，天空清亮，星光閃爍，一道暗淡的光線預示著黎明的到來。卡伐拉多西深情唱到："……甜蜜的親吻，和那多情的擁抱，使我多麽驚慌，她麵紗下美麗的麵容和身材……"Cavaradossi, in prison, awaits his execution. For the price of a ring (his last possession), Cavaradossi convinces a jailer to deliver a note to Tosca, then starts writing a farewell letter (E lucevan le stelle – “And the stars were shining.”). With the last line (E non ho amato mai tanto la vita – "And never have I loved life so much"), he bursts into tears. | |
