"Vissi d'arte" is a soprano aria from act 2 of the opera Tosca by Giacomo Puccini. It is sung by Floria Tosca as she thinks of her fate, how the life of her beloved, Mario Cavaradossi, is at the mercy of Baron Scarpia and why God has seemingly abandoned her. The vocal range is E♭4 to B♭5.
Arte (Association relative à la télévision européenne) is a Franco-German TV network, a European channel, that promotes programming in the areas of culture and the arts. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping, Arte GEIE, plus two member companies acting as editorial and programme production centres, Arte France in Paris (France) and Arte Deutschland in Baden-Baden (Germany). As an international joint venture (an EEIG), its programmes cater technically to audiences from both France and Germany. This implies double-titling, opposite-language subtitling, dubbing, hosts who speak both languages alternately, and two separate audio tracks (through DVB-T, satellite television and digital cable).
Three-quarters of ARTE's programming are provided in equal proportion by the two member companies Arte France and Arte Deutschland while the remainder is being provided by Arte GEIE and the channel's European partners.
Arte France was formerly known as La Sept (La Société d'édition des programmes de télévision, but also a play on words, given that the name means the seventh (network) and La Sept existed while the fifth network was still La Cinq; it made satellite television programs at the time) and by ARTE Deutschland GmbH, a subsidiary of the two main public German TV networks ARD and ZDF.
Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore,
Non feci mai male ad anima viva!
Con man furtive
Quante miserire conobbi, aiutai…
Sempre con fe sincera,
La mia preghiera
Ai santi tabernacoli Sali,
Sempre con fe sincera
Diedi fiori agli altar.
Nell’ora del dolore perche,
Perche signore perche
Me ne rimuneri cosi?
Diedi gioielli
Della Madonna al manto,
E diedi il canto agli astir,
Nell’ora del dolore perche,
Perche, signore,