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Home , Bastien und Bastienne, Francesco Cilea, Verismo

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE

GRADUATE RECITAL IN VOICE

A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music in Music, Performance

by

Yifan Zhu

May 2020 The graduate project of Yifan Zhu is approved:

Prof. Ketchie Diane Date

Prof. Erica Davis Date

Dr. Katherine R Baker, Chair Date

California State University, Northridge

ii TABLE OF CONTENTS

Signature page……………………………………………………………………………ii

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………..iv

Appendix:Program………………………………………………………………………x

iii ABSTRACT

GRADUATE RECITAL IN VOICE

by

Yifan Zhu Master of Music in Music, Performance

The repertoire for my graduate recital includes a range of periods from the classical period to the twentieth century. My recital of eight sets of music includes four from different periods as well as essential genres of art song literature, including the German lied, the French mélodie and Italian art song as well as selections from the twentieth century. From these genres and languages, the eight sets provide the audience with a world tour of different composers’ styles. Each period expresses different types of love as well as the illuminates the emotional journeys of various characters.

Music is my life and my life is music. ——

The first set of my program is by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), is one of the most important composers of the classical period. His father was a famous violinist, composer, and music educator, and provided his son with an excellent musical education. When Mozart was 12 years old, he was asked by Franz Anton Mesmer to compose Bastien und Bastienne, K.50, a one-act comic opera1. This was his first opera, and it provided the basis of his later . The opening selection of my recital is “Vedrai, carino” from Act II, Scene I of the Mozart’s opera, , composed in 1787. Zerlina, a peasant girl, sharing with her fiance, Masetto, the fact that she possesses a remedy for everything that is upsetting him. The remedy is actually the beating of her own heart out of love for him. The music is in 3/8 meter, which is danceable and lively. During this , Mozart uses a lot of appoggiatura in the vocal as well as the piano to illustrate that Zelina is both clever as well as gentle. The second Mozart aria is “Porgi, Amor” from the opera buffa2 Le Nozze di Figaro based on a story by the French dramatist Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. Porgi, Amor is in the first scene of Act II, and is sung by the Countess Rosina. In this aria, she expresses her inner pain and wishes that her love for her husband would returned by him to her.

1It is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with ensembles, songs, ballads, and arias which were often strophic, or folk-like. Singspiel plots are generally comic or romantic in nature, and frequently include elements of magic, fantastical creatures, and comically exaggerated characterizations of good and evil. 2 (Italian: “comic opera”)genre of comic opera originating in in the mid-18th century. It developed from the intermezzi, or interludes, performed between the acts of serious operas.

iv This aria is in E flat major, giving it a warm and sacred feeling. In this piece, Countess Rosina begs Cupid to let her husband come back to her. This aria shows Rosina’s elegance as well as her inner sorrow. Despite her longing and frustration, she remains restrained due to the social restrictions of that time period.

Those are miracles that no merely human brain can work. The artist is the sound conduct of a Force that dictates to him what he should do. ——— Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) is one of the greatest composers of the nineteenth century, and is a famous composer of German Lieder3. He composed nearly 380 songs for solo voice as well as choir, and approximately 100 songs were folk songs and children’s songs. His German lieder make up the second section of my program. The song “Der Jäger” describes a womanizer, which is someone who entices as many women as he can. The introduction of this piece is playful because both hands play the same notes in a different range. The music is a 3/4 meter that is danceable and tuneful. “O kühler Wald” uses Clemens Brentano's poem, which is the monologue of a lover alone in a forest. The piano uses block chords and develops a very simple vocal line that is and peaceful. The range of this song is not significant. “Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer” describes a young girl begging for her lover to come to see her before she dies. The soaring vocal line enhances the emotion of this piece. It shares musical motives with his Violin Sonata No.2 in A major.

To come to Fauré in the history of French song is to enter the promised land. —— James Husst Hall

Fauré’s mélodie4 comprise the third set of the program. Gabriel Fauré (1845- 1924) is one of the most famous French composers from the romantic period. His compositions explored a variety of musical textures and some new colors in the creation of French mélodie. “Après un rêve”, one of his most famous compositions, is a perfect example of Fauré’s unique style, by using traditional song form with a legato vocal line soaring above block chord parallel harmonies. The song is composed in AAB form. In the A section, he uses the same melody with different words to describe a beautiful dream, and he uses new material to strengthen the emotion in the B section to enhance that it is a perfect dream, from which people do not want to wake up. The piano supports the voice by repeating block chords, and the vocal line is very legato in contrast to the piano accompaniment. “Après un rêve” is a typical piece from his early compositional period (1860-65). while Chanson d’amour and “Clair de lune” are from his middle period (1880-1904). Chanson d’amour is a song about obsessive love. Fauré

3 Lied, plural Lieder, any of a number of particular types of German song, as they are referred to in English and French writings. The earliest so-called lieder date from the 12th and 13th centuries and are the works of minnesingers, poets and singers of courtly love 4 Mélodie, (French: “melody”),the accompanied French art song of the 19th and 20th centuries. Following the model of the German Lied,

v strengthens the poem by writing the first four phrases as a refrain. The piano line uses broken chords, and this same structure of the accompaniment helps to express the ecstasy of romantic love. This piece is in simple binary form, and Fauré chooses to repeat it, which emphasizes the eagerness of this love. Fauré often chooses the theme of love in his middle compositional period. In the mélodie, Clair de lune, Fauré creates a special solo introduction for the piano that has its own harmonic and melodic development. The vocal line is contrasting from the piano and is through-composed without almost any repetition. The song creates the mood of a peaceful night.

I lived for art, I lived for love ——

“Mi chiamano Mimì” is the last selection in the first half of my recital, and is one of the most famous arias from La bohéme by Puccini (1858-1924). Giacomo Puccini was born into a musical family, and he wrote his first opera when he was 26 years old. He then became famous quickly in 1893 due to his opera, Manon Lescaut. One of his most important characteristics is that his plots tend toward verismo5: every character is in an authentic real life situation. He composed ten operas and created a specific place and time for each opera. La bohéme, and mark the pinnacle of his compositional works. La bohéme is based on Scènes de la vie de Bohème, a novel by Henri Murger. “Mi chiamano Mimì”(“They call me Mimi”) occurs after Rodolfo sings “Che gelida manina” to Mimì as an introduction, and Mimì is immediately attracted to him. Mimì, a seamstress, responds and sings of her own dreams to Rodolfo. She is lively, but mature and a little bit shy, and has suffered troubles in her life. Even so, she still has a desire for a better future. The end of this aria uses style to enhance Puccini’s style. Although composed in D major, Puccini composed many notes out of D major (B flat, G sharp,), which moved the tonal center to the dominant tonality (A major), using harmonic instability to portray Mimì’s varying emotions and her psychological characteristics. “Un Bel Di Vedremo”, is from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, is based in part on the short story Madame Butterfly (1898) by John Luther Long. One important feature of this opera is that Puccini set the opera in Nagasaki, Japan, but the opera is sung in Italian, which was quite unusual for that time. Madama Butterfly is a story about a young geisha named Cio- Cio-San, or Madame Butterfly, from Nagasaki, who gives up her work and religion to marry an American naval officer named Pinkerton, but Pinkerton decides to return to America. Several years later, he comes back to Japan with his new American wife, and he discovers that Butterfly has given birth to his son. He asks to take his son back to America, and Butterfly agrees to it, but then, tragically commits suicide at the end of the opera. In this aria, Butterfly stands on the hill, imagining Pinkerton will return, and she still remembers that Pinkerton called her “tiny little bride, a scent of verbena." In this aria, Puccini uses a wide range of emotion to show Butterfly’s emotional state of mind. The form of this aria is ABAC. The A section starts with a high

5 In opera, verismo (Italian for "", from vero, meaning "true") was a post-Romantic operatic tradition associated with Italian composers such as , , Umberto Giordano, and Giacomo Puccini. Verismo as an operatic genre had its origins in an Italian literary movement of the same name.

vi note and goes down slowly and peacefully, and sounding like a violin. Then, the B section changes from 3/4 meter to 2/4 meter, as the mark of con semplicità, and the voice line becomes simple and stable, while the accompaniment changes to block chords. When the A section appears again, the music is marked con forza, which means that the vocal line should be forceful in this section, because of her strong beliefs.

Bellini’s music comes from the heart, and it is intimately bound up with the text. ——

The first set of the second half program is by (1801-1835). He composed not only operas but also many art songs. One of his musical characteristics is that he achieves a good balance between music and texture. “Il Fervido Desiderio” was composed near the end of his composing life.

Quando verrà quel dì When will that day arrive che riveder potrò when I might see you again, quel che l’amante cor tanto desia? that which my loving heart so desires? Quando verrà quel dì When will that day arrive, che in sen t’accoglierò, when in my breast, bella fiamma d’amor, anima mia? I may welcome you, Beautiful fire of love, my soul? —— The words and translation of “Il Fervido desiderio”

The form of this song is a simple binary form, because Bellini focuses more on melody and expression. “Almen Se Non Poss’io” is also a simple binary form, and Bellini extended it a little at the end of the B section with florid ornamentation. The accompaniment plays broken chords, which highlights the elegance of vocal phrases. This song says that if I am not able to follow my love, I beg you to go to him for me. “Per pietà, bell'idol mio,” published in 1829, from a set of songs Sei Ariette, is emotional and written in a typical style. In this song, the singer is accused of being unfaithful to his lover, it in a minor tonality to show the inner torment, but it develops excitedly to express its anger. For example, the piano changes the chords with accented 2nd and 4th beats, followed by an accented octave C in the introduction. The English set includes two songs by John Jacob Niles (1892-1980) and one song by Gladys Rich (1892-1972). John Jacob Niles is an American folksinger, folklorist, and composer of solo and choral songs, who was born in 1892 in Louisville, Kentucky. “Black is the color of my true love’s hair” was recorded by Cecil Sharp initially, who brought this melody to the America from England during World War I. “Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair” was initially written from a male point of view to describe his lover and his emotion. This song was refined by John Jacob Niles. He repeated the melody four times but using different words, which strengthened the emotion in this song. Also, the tonality (g minor) provides a sorrowful atmosphere for this piece, and the imperfect cadence makes every phrase more thoughtful with the words providing the firm declaration about his deep love. The Black Dress is a the story about a forsaken girl feeling disappointed about losing a relationship. She copes with her disappointment by singing “Fa-la-la-la-la-la”, in an innocent and simple folk style.

vii Gladys Rich published “American Lullaby” in 1932. The narrator is a nurse who is comforting a baby before putting the baby down for a nap. This song is a portrait of upper-middle-class American life in the mid-twentieth century: the baby’s father is a stockbroker, and her mother is going to a bridge party. The baby’s parents are rich, but they do not have much interaction with their child. The piano accompaniment of this piece is quite simple and made up by broken chords. Moreover, it is a simple binary form in 4/4 meter, but the piano plays legatissimo in order to make this song sound like a traditional lullaby. Since I am a Chinese student, I have included a Chinese art song in bel canto style as the final selection in my recital. 我爱你中国 (“I Love You, China”), composed by Qiufeng Zheng (1931- ), is from the movie 海外赤子 (“Overseas Chinese”), about a

Chinese girl studying abroad and her love for her home country. The introduction of this piece is descriptive because the free vocal line with significant range is constantly change, the grand piano line creates a broad view of nature to listeners. The text of this song also provides a sense of nature: the seedlings growing in spring, the golden fruits in autumn, the north city covered by snow and a small river with running water. Music is the best way to communicate with others in telling an emotional story. In the eight sets of my recital, this music depicts love for one’s country, the love of nature, the love of physical passion, and the sorrow of unrequited love. With my voice, I hope to successfully communicate this full range of emotion with my audience.

viii

Works Cited

Beaumont, Rachel. “Puccini's Madama Butterfly Musical Highlight: 'Un Bel Dì. Vedremo'

- Royal .” Puccini's Madama Butterfly Musical Highlight: 'Un Bel Dì Vedremo' - News - Royal Opera House, 18 Mar. 2017, www.roh.org.uk/news/

puccinis-madama-butterfly-musical-highlight-un-bel-di-vedremo.

Cantoni, Linda, and Betsy Schwarm. “.” Encyclopædia Britan. nica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 17 Mar. 2016, www.britannica.com/topic/The-Marriage-of-Figaro-opera-by-Mozart.

“French Composers.” Song: a Guide to Art Song Style and Literature, by Carol Kimball, Hal Leonard, 2006, pp. 180–190.

“German Composers.” Song: a Guide to Art Song Style and Literature, by Carol Kimball, Hal Leonard, 2006, pp. 103–111.

Guida, Nick. “Tradition Records Discography Original LP Releases.” An Evening with. John Jacob-Niles: Tradition Records at the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, clancybrothersandtommymakem.com/trad_1036_jjn_02.htm.

“Italian Composers.” Song: a Guide to Art Song Style and Literature, by Carol Kimball, Hal Leonard, 2006, pp. 426–428.

Schwarm, Betsy, and Linda Cantoni. “Don Giovanni.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 6 Jan. 2017, www.britannica.com/topic/Don-Giovanni-opera-by-Mozart.

Simeonov , Jenna. “Aria Guides: Mi Chiamano Mimì.” Schmopera, Schmopera, 25 May 2016, www.schmopera.com/aria-guides-mi-chiamano-mimi/.

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Appendix: Program

1. Vedrai, carino Wolfgang Anna Mozart

2. Porgi, amor Wolfgang Anna Mozart

3.Der Jäger Johannes Brahms

4.O kühler Wald Johannes Brahms

5.Immer leiser wird Johannes Brahms

6. Clair de lune Gabriel Urbain Fauré

7. Après un rêve Gabriel Urbain Fauré

8.Chanson d’amour Gabriel Urbain Fauré

9.Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì Giacomo Puccini

intermission

10.Il fervido desiderio Vincenzo Bellini

11.Almen se non poss’io Vincenzo Bellini

12.Per pietà, bell'idol mio Vincenzo Bellini

13. Black is the color of my true love’s hair John Jacob Niles

14. The black dress John Jacob Niles

15. American Lullaby Gladys Rich

16. Un Bel Di Vedremo Giacomo Puccini

17. I love you, China Qiufeng Zheng

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