Decca Classics the BarbicanCentre principal funderof is thefounder and Corporation The Cityof London
Flotow Schubert C Schumann T de lamunte S Ciortea Respighi Tosti interval Op 14 No 11 Rachmaninov Hahn – ‘Waltz of theFlowers’ Tchaikovsky, arrGrainger Donizetti Bellini Paisiello L Boulanger ‘Tristesse’ Chopin, arr Litvinne Debussy Martini Rameau Tuesday 10 December2019 7.30pm, Hall in recital Gheorghiu Angela advertising by Cabbell(tel 02036037930) Programme produced by HarrietSmith; hearing aidto Tsetting onentering thehall. Please useourinductionloop–justswitch your Use ahearingaid? the performance. Take photos ormake recordings during Please don’t... the performance. Turn off watch alarmsandphonesduring Please do... Part of Barbican Presents 2019–20 Alexandra Dariescu Angela Gheorghiu Balfe ¸ Brediceanu teph La serenata; Ideale;Sogno I dreamt Idwelt in marblehalls a L’heure exquise Malinconia, ninfa gentile ˇ nescu Qui sola,virgin rosa 20minutes Plaisir d’amour Romanian Dance Nel corpiùnonmisento Le grillon Nebbie
Nuit d’étoiles Ständchen, D957No 4 Me voglio fa ’nacasa
Trois Morceaux
Notturno, Op 6No2 Cântecul fluiera Cine m-audecântând Son, Op8No 5;Vesenniye vody,
soprano soprano
piano Étude, Op10 No3,
The Nutcracker Suite
s ˛ ului; Mandruili
t ¸ a 2 And AngelaGheorghiu alsodemonstrates either, with songsby DonizettiandBellini. Italian opera composersare not neglected Hahn’s ‘L’heure exquise’. of Debussy’s youthful ‘Nuitd’étoiles’ and ‘Ständchen’ we move to thealluring beauty and style.From thedarknessof Schubert’s the 19th century, ranges wideinmood It’s arecital that,though centred around Alexandra Dariescu. joined atthepianoby hercompatriot introduction: AngelaGheorghiu. Sheis given by asoprano whoneedsno A warm welcome to tonight’s performance, Welcome Huw Humphreys, Head of Music,Barbican I hopeyou enjoy it. It promises to beavery specialevening. revel intheirfolk origins. Brediceanu andGeorge tephaˇ S¸ nescuthat Romanian roots too, withpiecesby Tiberiu Suite. Thetwo artistscelebrate their Flowers’ from the evergreen reworking of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Waltz of the as well asPercy Grainger’s irresistible by Clara SchumannandLiliBoulanger, of solopianopieces,including works Interspersed withsongare aselection by Tosti, Flotow andBalfe. a soft spot for theirresistible melodiesspun Nutcracker
composed asongto atext thathefound inthe after Rameau. Andin of French composerswhocame to prominence Johann Paul Martinibelongsto thegeneration and add hisown charming musicalembroidery? from a contemporary collector of popularsongs So isthemelodyby Rameau ordidheborrow it early 19th century, theJacques Brel of hisday. of themostpopularFrench songwriters of the was publishedby Pierre-Jean deBérenger, one the poemintwo shortverses ismuchyounger. It the French Baroque Jean-PhilippeRameau, but garret andthesongiscredited to thatmaster of reincarnation of awriter whodiedinafreezing fireside cricket whomhewants to believe isthe tale of Cinderella with thepoetaddressing a deceptive. them to each other. Butappearances canbe piano; itwas the19th centurythatmarried Song itselfhasamucholderhistory thanthe gifted Victorian orEdwardian amateur. is well beyond themodesttalents of the that muchof whatwe are goingto hear solo pianopieces,thoughithasto besaid is precisely thatsongisintertwined with One of thepleasures of tonight’s concert or Leblancs,andsettledyour daughters. kept upwiththecultural Joneses,orSchmidts was aguarantee of marriageability. Soyou both fine sewing andanabilityasawater-colourist talent for musicmaking,alongwithagiftfor these soirées: for thedaughters of thehousea sing? There was, of course,apractical side to neighbours to hearyour daughters play and drawing room andinviting your friendsand grand piano,installing itinyour capacious your superiortaste thanby purchasing avery ambitions. Whatbetter way to demonstrate rich middleclassesandtheirburgeoning cultural its roots were nurtured inthesalonsof thenewly bequeathed to usby the19th century, inwhich The songrecital withpianoaccompaniment was through many lands d’amour: ajourney of song Plaisir Le grillon (‘The cricket’) hints at the (‘Thecricket’) hintsatthe Plaisir d’amour he he Chopin never christened his a hallmarkof thiscomposer’smature style. unsettle thelistener inamannerthatbecame of therepeated refrains intheopening verse step. Andthequite different approach to each matching thepoet’s‘calmmelancholy’step by harmonies in the pastandto anew aesthetic. Debussy’s backwards andforwards: to thetraditions of how to write songsthatsimultaneously looked iconoclast inDebussy, butitalsoshowed him traditional poeticforms thatattracted the set. Itwas perhapsBanville’s easy way with by Théodore deBanville thatthecomposer first publishedcompositionandoneof 13 poems Nuit d’étoiles Devil doesn’talways have allthebesttunes. century Christianhymn it was alsoappropriated for anearly20th- Help FallinginLove of ElvisPresley’s mostsuccessfulsongs, plaintive melodywas even borrowed for one appealed to Hector Berlioz,too, andMartini’s This lamentfor thetransience of humanlove novel in Paris intheearlypartof thelastcentury. Russian dramatic soprano whomade herhome are going to hearitthis evening – Litvinnewas a camps. Itisto words by FéliaLitvinnethat we since Polish musicwas prohibited inthedeath as asecret protest by thesecourageous musicians 1943/4 for theWomen’s Orchestra of Auschwitz Rosé recomposed thefinal sectionof thepiecein and even a popsong.More seriously, Alma this Countless generations have sincetransformed Malibran had performed avocal ‘adaptation’. pronounced himselfmostsatisfied after Maria and inLondon1837 thecomposerhimself most beautiful.Itproved irresistible for singers the piece–composedin1832 –was oneof his admitted thatthemelodywhichthreads through ‘Tristesse’ oreven ‘L’Adieu’, althoughhefreely Étude Célestine into aPalm Courtfavourite, atango , composedin1880, was Debussy’s Nuit d’étoiles by Jean-Pierre ClarisdeFlorian. . Just to balance things out . Justto balancethingsout My GodLoves Me shiftimperceptibly, Étude , Op 10 No3, Can’t Can’t . The . The
3 Programme note 4 collection one of the songsthatDonizettiwrote for his ‘Me voglio fa ’nacasa’ belongsto Naples.It’s nymph intheopeninglines–may suggest. that Melancholy–whomhepersonifies asa hills granted himby thegods,whatever desires is content not to stray from thefountains and Romantic manner, withthepoetanoutsiderwho Pindamonte isfashionably plaintive inthe phrase of justtwo bars.Thetext by Ippolito limbed melodiesoutof nomore thanasingle he spinsoneof hischaracteristically long- the composershows hismastery intheway ‘Malincolia’ isthefirst of thesixsongsand which alternate minorandmajormodes. the publisherRicordi issuedasetof of hisopera had made Milanhishomeafter thesuccess or ariato identifythecomposer. By1829 he to heartheopeningphrase of aBellinisong unmistakable styleof hisown. You have only fully paid-upRomantic composerwithan Bellini iseverything thatPaisiello isnot: a of opportunitiesto parade theirvirtuosity. under theskinheoffers hissingersallmanner of theunbearable itch felt whenlove gets tradition of histime.Andinthisshortaccount competent composerworking intheItalian mi sento’ makes itplainhewas athoroughly a dead duck.Buthissong‘Nelcorpiùnon Rome in1816, Paisiello’s opera was thereafter The Barberof Seville opera, andwhilehisloyal claque gave Rossini’s who turnedSeville’s favourite barberinto an Giovanni Paisiello istheother Italian composer is athoroughly outgoingendto theset. ‘Cortège’, besttranslated as‘Procession’ and everything seemsbrighter andclearer. ‘D’un jardin clair’theshadows are banished more thanahintof Gallicnostalgia. Thenin secret garden in‘D’unvieuxjardin’, with before herdeath.We encounter amysterious Trois Morceaux music andit’sevident inhershortpianopieces, longer. There isapersonalstamp to allof her hint atwhatmighthave beenhad shelived just 24leaving ahandfulof compositionsthat to wintheprestigious PrixdeRome, diedat musical tracks. Lili,whowas thefirst woman both European andAmerican,ontheright about every major20th-centurycomposer, the sister of Nadia, whoseemsto have setjust The pianistLiliBoulanger(1893–1918) was Soirées d’automne àl’Infrascata Il pirata, , composedin1914, four years the bird atitspremiere in and inthatsameyear Sei ariette , four
outset we are propelled alongonatideof As onecommentator hasnoted: ‘From the virtuoso composer-pianist isalready inevidence. de force Hall inOctober 1901. It’sayoung man’s given itspremiere inLondonattheoldSteinway version was thefirst of histranscriptions and orchestral musicfrom theballet.Grainger’s Waltz isthefinal movement inhisown suite of flowers, to write amarch for tinsoldiers,awaltz of the length ballet of theFlowers’ from Tchaikovsky’s lastfull- trodden pathwhenhetranscribed ‘TheWaltz soloist andcomposerwas following awell- salon pianistbefore becomingaprofessional himself inEdwardian Londonasafashionable Percy Grainger whofirst made anamefor ‘Tristesse’ for thelefthand.)TheAustralian-born (Just listen to Godowsky’s dazzlingversion of transcriptions of theworks of other composers. virtuoso pianistsmade ever more elaborate Taking aleaffrom Liszt’sbook,19th-century in thisshortsongisunmistakably Neapolitan. playfully Italian, theswitch from majorto minor he loves inahandsomehouseby theseais young manwhodreams of life withthewoman to Neapolitan traditional songs.Whilethe reminder thataudienceshad longbeendrawn out of acomposersuchas Donizetti.Anda out of Naples,you cannever take Naples proof that,whileyou cantake thecomposer its subtitle‘Canzonenapoletana’ it’sakindof songs andtwo duetsfirst publishedin1837. With gossamer-thin pianopart seemsto breathe as half heard, invokes amoonlitlandscape, the the artsof love. Asthesinger, somehow only jeunesse dorée century pastoral paintingsinwhich anelegant that takes its cuefrom Antoine Watteau’s 18th- of Paul Verlaine’s poemof thesamename one of thecomposer’sfinest recherche dutemps perdu so meticulouslyinhissequenceof novels Marcel Proust who chronicled thatgildedage fin desiècle that breathe theheavily perfumedairof the of perfection by GabrielFauré. Theseare songs under hismusicalwing–andbrought to akind by Gounod–whotook theyoung Venezuelan belong to thetradition of French songinitiated Reynaldo Hahn’scarefully wrought florid cadenza andaclattering apotheosis’. virtuosic passagework, culminatinginahighly etc – Grainger was not yet 20.Andthe ’, Tchaikovsky told afriend,andthe . (For atimeHahnwas thelover of The Nutcracker inhabitsanArcadia devoted to .) ‘L’heure exquise’, mélodies . ‘It’s awfully fun . ‘It’sawfully fun mélodies , is a setting , isasetting À la À la tour
it insistsonakiss. She smilescontentedly. How where, burrowing down into thebedclothes, serenade singinginto thebeloved’s bedroom, the guitar inthepianopartasalover sendshis In ‘Laserenata’ you canheartherhythms of to frighten thedrawing-room audience. in atraditional tonal language: nothing here and sacrifice, they are allcarefully corseted at transgressive passionandtalk of death Leoncavallo, noless.Andwhilethey may hint admired by Puccini,Boito, Mascagni and were performed by MelbaandCaruso French, EnglishandNeapolitan dialect.They century, composedover 350songsinItalian, who, inacareer thatspannedover half a 20th-century salonbetter thanPaolo Tosti bourgeois world of thelate 19th- andearly No songwriter represents thebutton-backed part thatbuildsto athunderous climax. an intense vocal lineandachallengingpiano This isademandingsongfor both artists,with rivers beginto roar again, heralding spring. moment whenthewinter icebreaks andthe Tyutchev andcelebrates thatparticularlyRussian text isby theRussianSymbolistpoetFyodor of thecomposer’smostpopularsongs.The vody’ (SpringWaters), whichhasbecomeone Romances In 1896 Rachmaninov publishedasetof that very Russiankindof melancholy. magnificent melodythatcurlsitsway around being nomore thanadream ismatched to a feelings aboutpasthappinessinhishomeland the set.HeinrichHeine’soriginalregretful to sensefeelings of lossthreading through working onthesesongsandit’snot difficult had diedinParis theyear thecomposerwas six settranslations by Alexey Pleshcheyev, who graduated from theMoscow Conservatory; all written in1893 whenRachmaninov had scarcely ‘Son’ (ADream) was oneof asetof sixsongs never composedanother songfor solovoice. into exile intheWest duringtheGreat War he So oneshouldnot besurprisedthatafter going they embodyhisdeepestfeelings aboutRussia. songs between 1890 and1916 andit’sclearthat Sergey Rachmaninov wrote atotal of some73 of each stanza allthemore breathtaking. modest leapsthatare thelast-lineinvocation one withthevocal line,whichonly makes the Alfredo Cesareo’s stanzas, carefully removing revealing thatTosti omitted someof Giovanni , hisOp 14. Thisincluded‘Vesenniye 12 12 into theirchestregister. Themoodisbleak. Come!’ –demandsthatsingersdigdeep valley isdark/Ohsad, ohunloved one/Come! final stanza –‘Andrepeats to me:come/the dynamic range from an octave andahalf,embracing aremarkable accompaniment asthevocal linestretches over blocks of soundslowly move through the heralding theconfession ‘Isuffer’. Unyielding just asdark–withslow-moving minorchords song isaltogether more interesting –though with Mussolini’sFascists. However, Respighi’s her artisticcopy-book whenshesignedup a settingof apoemby Ada Negri,whoblotted songs –some75altogether. ‘Nebbie’(Mists)is pines, fountains andfestivals of Rome to write Ottorino Respighi sometimesabandonedthe true lives they lived outintheirdreams. preparing to tell hisgeneration aboutthe was composedin1886 SiegmundFreud was the lyricalpianopart.When‘Sogno’(Dream) line thatdelicately hintsatdesire issetagainst – thatitwas alladream. Anarching vocal in andthenawaking to discover –regretfully the advances of herman,before finally giving triple andduple.In‘Sogno’awoman resists piano accompaniment andthevocal line, in this a delicate prelude Tosti stretches histechnique about thedesire thatabsenceprovokes. After its appealto several generations of tenors. Itis century operatic aria,whichperhapsexplains ‘Ideale’ isnot sovery different from a19th- any unbecomingsuggestions of sensuality. sweetheart would forsake herspinning! opening melody. Ifonly thepretty mountain agreeable scentof traditional musicaboutthe is amore conventional love songwithan (MyLittleMountain Sweetheart) munte’ la de a memory of littlebeechwhistle.‘Mandruilit¸ of theWhistle)tells alove story through the (TheSong ului’ chooses. So‘Cântecul fluieras˛ a quirkyqualityto thetexts nescu thatS¸tephaˇ always there to supportthesinger. Often there’s songs are well mannered, withthepianopart at whichhehimselfhad earlierstudied.Hisown while teaching singersattheBucharest Academy operas, puttinginto practice whathehad learnt until 1902. nescuhimselfcomposedfive tephaˇ S¸ company inRomania in1885, whichsurvived national identityandhefounded thefirst opera opera shouldplay amajorrole inexpressing European musicalgeneration whobelieved that George nescuwas S¸tephaˇ amemberof that romanza withdifferent timesfor the piano to to fortissimo . The . The
5 Programme note 6 after thecomposer’sdeathto beperformed final song-cycle songs, andoften prisedfrom itssettinginthat ‘Ständchen’ isoneof Schubert’sbest-loved road ahead was uncertain inthe1830s. reminds usthatfor Clara Wiecktheromantic All’s well thatendswell butthatDminordetour troubled Dminorinthedevelopment section. opening andalsotheslipfrom Fmajorto amore something entirely herown –inthelilting Chopin andJohnField,Clara invests itwith the A–B–Astructure of thenocturnesuggests four years before shefinally marriedRobert. If a setof sixminiatures composedin1835–6, Nocturne isthesecondof her Clara Schumann, much of hermusicremains unpublished,and fine composerFanny Mendelssohnwas, though lives. We are beginningto appreciate whata from behindtheshadows thatmencastover their composers of the19th centuryare stepping out Inch by inchtwo of themostimportant women sing well, butbecauseitsetsmy heartatease.’ almost shoutingclimax. ‘Idon’tsingbecauseI tail of thesongaspianoandsingerreach their about reasons to sing.Butthere’s astinginthe swings into anapparently carefree setof lines Bartók’s The buzzingpianoprelude isreminiscent of singing) isanarrangement of oneof thosesongs. ‘Cine m-audecântând’ (Anyone whohearsme wrote extensively onRomanian traditional music. published acollectionof 170 folk melodiesand to arranging traditional Romanian songs.He devoted agreat dealof hisprofessional life Tiberiu Brediceanu was bornin1877 and Romanian Dances Schwanengesang née Wieck,too. Schumann’s and the singer then and thesingerthen Soirées musicales assembled assembled , lived before beingabducted by gypsies. recalling thesplendourinwhichsheonce exiled for hispolitics.IntheariaArlineisdimly Thaddeus, amemberof thePolish nobility in 1843; itissungby Arline,whoisinlove with successful work, dwelt inmarblehalls’was written for hismost least 29stage works underhisbelt.‘Idreamt I 19th-century Britishopera composers,withat Balfe was perhapsthemostsuccessfulof all on justaboutany diva’s recital programme. probably played catch-up withTosti’s ‘Farewell’ marble halls’to theirgenerous bosoms.Indeedit Michael WilliamBalfe’s ‘Idreamt Idwelt in The great sopranos of thepastalsoclasped sang ‘TheLastRose’ andAdelina Patti too. the winter to lookforward to. LuisaTetrazzini summer days are gonewithonlythechillof sugar-sweet melody andasenseof regret that appeal of thesongiseasilyunderstood, a back to 1805 andthenitwas anIrishrose. The poem borrowed for Flotow’s libretto goes rosa’. However, ThomasMoore’s original Rose’ becametheItalian ‘Quisola,virgin Vienna in1847. Very soontheGerman‘Letze for hisopera favourite composedby Friedrichvon Flotow ‘The LastRose of Summer’was aVictorian all of thiscomposer’sgreatest music. the sunlightandshadows thatplay through mixes hopewithminor-key doubts,reflecting wrapped around aserenade to alover that on itsown. Itsheart-stopping melodyis Programme note ©Christopher Cook Martha The BohemianGirl , first performed in , premiered Nuit d’étoiles, Tressaillir dansleboisrêveur. Et j’entends l’âmedemamie Vient éclore aufond demoncoeur, La sereine mélancolie Je rêve auxamourdéfunts. Qui soupire, Triste lyre Sous ta briseettes parfums, Sous tes voiles, Nuit d’étoiles, Nuit d’étoiles Claude Debussy (1862–1918) Jean-Pierre ClarisdeFlorian(1755–94) Plaisir d’amour, L’eau couleencore; elleachangépourtant. Je t’aimerai,’ merépétait Sylvie: Vers ceruisseauquiborde laprairie, ‘Tant quecette eaucoulera doucement Plaisir d’amour, Elle mequitte etprend unautre amant. J’ai tout quitté pourl’ingrate Sylvie: Chagrin d’amourdure toute lavie. Plaisir d’amournedure qu’unmoment; Plaisir d’amour Johann Paul Martini Pierre-Jean deBéranger (1780–1857) N’ayons dumondeaucunsouci. Petit grillon,n’ayons ici, En guettant unrayon degloire. Mourut defroid danssontaudis, Revit unauteur qui,jadis, Non: maisentoi, jeleveux croire, N’ayons dumondeaucunsouci. Petit grillon,n’ayons ici, Qui, déjàvieux,toujours chansonne. Petit grillon,chante avec moi. En rêvant àjenesaisquoi, Au coindel’âtre oùjetisonne Le grillon Jean-Philippe Rameau Tes regards bleuxcommelescieux; Je revois ànotre fontaine etc etc etc . . . (1741–1816) (1683–1764) The pleasure of love, the water stillflows –butherlove haschanged. I shalllove you’, thefaithless woman told me– towards thestream around theplain ‘As longasthewater flows quietly The pleasure of love, another love. now shehasforgotten me,andputshertrustin I forgot everything for her, for faithless Sylvia; the painof love lastsalifetime, The pleasure of love lastsbutamoment: Translation ©SusannahHowe not trouble ourheads abouttheworld. Little cricket, let’syou andI while waiting for amomentof glory. died years ago of coldinhisgarret, is reincarnated awriter who In you, orsoI’dlike to believe, not trouble ourheads abouttheworld. Little cricket, let’syou andI songs. for thoughI’mnow old,Istillsingmy mocking little cricket, singalongwith me, dreaming of whoknows what, By thehearthwhere Istirtheembers, your eyes asbluethesky; By ourfountain Iseeagain Starlit night, tremble inthedreaming wood. and Ihearthesoulof my love flowers deepinmy heart, A calmmelancholy I dream of loves thathave died. that sighs, a mournfullyre beneath your breeze andyour perfumes, beneath your veils, Starlit night, Translation ©Kenneth Chalmers etc . etc etc . .
7 Texts 8 Giuseppe Palomba ( Che disperar mifa! Amore èuncerto che Pietà, pietà,pietà! Che cosaèquesta, ahimè? Mi pungichi,mimastichi, Mi pizzichi,mistuzzichi, Amor, sei colpatu. Cagion delmiotormento, Brillar lagioventù; Nel corpiùnonmisento Nel corpiùnonmisento Giovanni Paisiello (1740–1816) Félia Litvinne(1860–1936) Adieu clairsoleil!Tout estfini, tout estfini! Ô bonheurperdu, avec leprintemps, Tristement lesfleurs seferment. Notre rêve heureux s’efface, A fait mourirtout monbonheur! Le froid cruelquimesaisit Triste monâmes’éteint, Ses rêves finis! Mon coeurlassépleure ceschants, Et maintenant coeurgrisé. Versaient lapaix,paixdélicieusedansmon fidèles! Au printemps leschantsdesoiseauxjoyeux et La nature entière subitl’hiver. Le froid nousétreint, Tout estfini, La nature estendeuil. Les oiseauxpeureux setaisent; L’été semeurt! Les fleurs després sesontfanées, Tout estfini, Tristesse (ÉtudeOp10No3,arrFéliaLitvinne) Fryderyk Chopin(1810–49) Théodore deBanville (1823–91) Nuit d’étoiles, Et cesétoiles sonttes yeux. Cette rose, c’estton haleine, etc . fl 1765–1825)
farewell, brightsun!Allisended! O happiness,lostwiththespringtime, in sadness theflowers are wilting. Our happy dream isfading, has killedmy every delight! the cruelchillenfolding me My sorrowful soulisdying, sings thismournfulsong! its dreams atanend, And now my weary heart, enraptured heart. poured peace, wonderful peace into my In springthesongof themerryandfaithful birds all nature isenduringwinter. the coldembraces us, All isended, nature isinmourning. The fearful birds are silent; summer isdying! the meadow flowers are withered, All isended, Starlit night, these stars are your eyes. this rose isyour breath, Translation ©Kenneth Chalmers that bringsmeto despair. Love isacertain something Have pity! Alas, whatisthis? pinch meandbite me, You stingme,poke me, you are the causeof my torment. love, itisyour fault, the sparkleof youth inmy heart; I nolongerfeel Translations ©SusannahHowe etc .
Apaisement Un vaste ettendre Rêvons, c’estl’heure. Où levent pleure … Du saulenoir La silhouette Profond miroir, L’étang reflète, O bien-aimée. Sous laramée … Part unevoix De chaque branche Luit danslesbois: La luneblanche L’heure exquise Reynaldo Hahn(1874–1947) Anonymous Tralla lale… Ognuno dice‘mòsponta lusole’, Quanno Nennellamiaseva afacciare Tralla lale… E deprete preziuse libarcune, D’oro ed’argiento liscalinefare Tralla lale… Fravecata depennepavune, Me voglio fa ‘nacasamiez’‘omare Soirées d’automne àl’Infrascata –‘ Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848) Ippolito Pindemonte (1753–1828) Né maiquelmonte trapasserò. Né maiquelfonte co’desirmiei, M’udiron alfine, pago iovivrò, Fonti ecollinechiesiagli Dei; Ai piacer veri nato nonè. I tuoipiaceri chitieneavile, La vita miaconsacro ate; Malinconia, ninfa gentile, ‘Malinconia, ninfa gentile’ Composizioni dacamera – Vincenzo Bellini(1801–35) Du firmament Semble descendre
Me voglio’ LiederNet Archive Translation ©LukLaerenbergh Tralla lale… Everyone says ‘look,thesunisrising’, When my Nennellashows herself Tralla lale… And balconiesof precious stones, With stairs of goldandsilver Tralla lale… Plastered withpeacock feathers, I’d like to buildahouseinthemiddleof thesea LiederNet Archive Translation ©Antonio Giuliano go beyond thatfountain andthatmountain. with my desires, never more shallI they heard meatlast;Iwilllive satisfied I asked thegodsfor fountains andhills; is not bornto truepleasures. One whodespisesyour pleasures I devote my life to you. Melancholy, gentlenymph, from theheavens seems to flow down sense of calm A vast andtender This isthemomentfor usto dream. in whosebranches thewindisweeping … of theblack willow the silhouette the poolreflects Like adeepmirror, Oh my love! beneath thecanopy of leaves … from every branch, a voice risesup shimmers inthewoods: The white moon , from the , from the
9 Texts 10 Ah, la! Vola, oserenata, vola. Pura la lunasplende. La lampada s’accende; E dietro iveli dell’alcova bruna L’ale ilsilenziostende, Splende pura laluna, O serenata, vola. Posa tra lelenzuola: E, conlabellatesta abbandonata, La miadiletta èsola, Vola, oserenata, La serenata Paolo Tosti Fyodor Tyutchev (1803–73) Tolpitsya veselo zaney. Rumyany, svetly khorovod I tikhikh,tyoplykh mayskikh dney Vesna idyot, vesna idyot!’ Ona nasvyslala vperyod. My molodoy vesny gontsy, ‘Vesna idyot, Vesna idyot, Oni glasyat vo vsekontsy: Begut ibleshchut,glasyat. Begut ibudyat sonny breg, A vody uzhvesnoy shumyat, Eshcho vpolyakh beleyet sneg, 12 Romances ,Op 14–No11,‘Vesenniye vody’ Sergey Rachmaninov Heinrich Heine(1797–1856) Aleksey Nikolayevich Pleshcheyev (1825–93), after No to byl son! Zvuchali mnelyubvi slova … So vsekhstoron Semya druzey zhiva byla. No to byl son! Tam elkachalas nado mnoy … Prekrasen on! I umenya byl kray rodnoy; Six Romances ,Op 8–No5,‘Son’ Sergey Rachmaninov (1873–1943) Paul Verlaine (1844–96) C’est l’heure exquise. Que l’astre irise… (1846–1916) (1846–1916) and moving inacrimsondance The bright,soft days of May return, Spring iscoming,springcoming!’ the heralds of heradvance. We are theyoung spring’smessengers, ‘Spring iscoming,springcoming!’ They callacross theearth: sparkling beneaththesky. flooding thesleepingearth, but thewaters of springare risingalready, The fields are stillwhite withsnow, It was onlydreaming! loving words calledme… on every side I lived amongfriendsandfamily; It was onlydreaming! Pine trees swayed above me… how fair itwas! There was alandthatwas my own; Translation ©SusannahHowe This isthemomentof perfection. that are bathedinmoonlight… Ah, la! Fly, serenade, fly. the moonshineswithapure light. the lampislit; and behindthecurtains of thedarkalcove silence spreads itswings The moonshineswithapure light, fly serenade. is resting between thesheets: and, withherlovely head relaxed, my beloved isalone Fly, serenade, they gladly throng to jointhespring. Pur mivinsietidissi dino. Ho provato ilmartirio elamorte, Il desiotentatore lottò. Io taceva, ecoll’animaforte Imploravi, curvato almiopiè. Solo unguardo chefosse promessa, Mi chiedeadolcemente mercè, Tu parlavi elavoce sommessa Sfavillava iltuo sguardo d’amor. Mi guardavi nelfondo degl’occhi, Come unsanto cheprega ilSignor… Ho sognato chestavi aginocchi Sogno Carmelo Errico(1848–92) Una novella aurora. E amerisplenderà,neltuosembiante, A sorridermiancora, Torna, caro ideal,torna unistante In quelsognoscordai. E delaterra ogniaffanno, ognicroce, Lungamente sognai; In te rapito, alsuondelatuavoce, Di te, deituoisplendori. E fupienalastanza solitaria Nel profumo deifiori; E tisentiinelaluce,l’aria, De lanotte nelvelo. Io tiseguiicomeun’amicaface Lungo leviedelcielo: Io tiseguiicomeiridedipace Ideale Giovanni Alfredo Cesareo (1860–1937) Ah, la! Vola, oserenata, vola. Sogna sullidol’onda. La miasignora bionda. E a’baci mieiricusaancorunnido E ’lvento sulafronda, L’onda sognasullido, O serenata, vola. Torna fra lelenzuola; Ma, sorridendoancormezzoassonnata, La miadiletta èsola, Vola, oserenata, a new dawn. and inyour face willshinefor me to smileatmeagain, Come back, dearideal,for aninstant I forgot inthatdream. and earth’severy anxiety, every torment of thesoundof your voice, Absorbed by you, Idreamed a longtime of you andof your radiance. and thesolitary room was full in theperfumeof flowers, and Isensedyou inthelight,air, in theveil of darkness, I followed you like afriendlytorch along thepathsof heaven; I followed you like arainbow of peace Translations ©Decca Ah, la! Fly, serenade, fly. The waves dream ontheshore. to receive my kiss. and my fair lady stillrefuses and thewindamongbranches, The waves dream ontheshore fly serenade. and shemoves beneaththesheets; but shesmilesaslies,half-asleep my beloved isalone Fly, serenade, but conquered myself andsaidnoto you. I suffered torment anddeath, fought off thatalluringdesire. I stayed silentandwithstrength of mind for just onelookasmy pledge. knelt there atmy feet, you pleaded begged mesweetly for mercy; You spoke, and ingentletones your gazesparklingwithlove. You were lookingdeepinto my eyes, like asaintpraying to theLord … I dreamt you were kneeling, LiederNet Archive Translation ©JohnGlennPaton, from the
11 Texts 12 Ada Negri(1870–1945) Vieni! O triste, odisamata, È buialavallata. E miripete: Vieni; Vola; Un gemito d’estinto Pel grigiocielsospinto Son sola; Come hofreddo! Offron, pregando, ibronchi nudi. Gli addolorati tronchi Dell’aere aimorsicrudi Torvi. Traversan lebrughiere Fidati all’alinere, Alto gracchiando, icorvi, Piano. Salgono daltacente Le nebbiesonnolente Soffro, lontan lontano Nebbie Ottorino Respighi (1879–1936) Olindo Guerrini(1845–1916) Ma sognavo …eilbelsognosvanì! Chiusi gliocchi,tistesi lebraccia, E laforza delcormitradi. Ma iltuolabbro sfiorò lamiafaccia Viersul celcudor. Ce’aduce noroc Viersul celcufoc Zi pegandulmeu Zi cuglasult A! Ce’aduce noroc Viersul celcufoc Zi pegandulmeu Zi cuglasult Mult zicidr Drag I Fluiera Cântecul fluiera George t ¸ i zicituduios. a fluiera ˇ s ˛ frumos,
S ¸ teph a
ˇ g a a s
˛ ˇ ˇ , a u u
ˇ a l
ˇ a nescu s s ¸ ˛ ului . (1843–1925) come! Oh sad, ohunloved one, the valley isdark. And repeats to me:come, flies; a wail of extinction driven through thegrey sky I amalone; How coldamI! offer, praying, theirbare branches, the sorrowful tree trunks To theraw weathering of theair grimly. cross theheath trusting theirblack wings Shrilly cawing, thecrows, plain. rise from thesilent the sleepingmists I suffer. Far, far away Translation © disappeared! But Iwas dreaming …andmy beautifuldream I closedmy eyes, heldoutmy armsto you … and my heart’sstrength betrayed me. Then your lipsbrushedmy cheek the lyricfullof longing. that bringsluck, the burninglyric so Icanunderstand Say itoutloud ah! that bringsluck the burninglyric so Icanunderstand Say itoutloud you often say, my dear. ‘Dear littlewhistle’, you say tenderly to yourself. ‘Beautiful littlewhistle’, LiederNet Archive Translation ©ThomasAGregg SusannahHow e , from the
C Nu i-ldeeDumnezeu. Gândul care-l gândesceu Zice c Cine m-audecântând, Cine m-audecântând Tiberiu Brediceanu (1877–1968) Vasile Alecsandri De-a tot toarce nu Tu saˇ -micîn Tu saˇ -micîn Vino-n aˇ iarbaˇ ,mîndruli Ce se-ngînaˇ cu-nisvor. Cres¸ te-o iarbaˇ infloritaˇ Sus inluncainverzitaˇ , Eu laflori dinsinultaˇ u. Tu lafragi deprinpaˇ s¸ unaˇ , Saˇ culegemimpreunaˇ , S¸ i-misaiiute celpîrîu, Lasaˇ furca-n buruiene De-a tot toarce nu S¸ isaˇ ui Saˇ uraˇ s¸ tiata caˇ su Caˇ te-as¸ face, zaˇ u,puicu Saˇ te strâng lapieptulmeu? Ce nutreci coleapepunte, Mandruili Mandruili Vasile Alecsandri(1821–90) Zi cuglasult Mult zicidr Drag I Fluiera Liebchen, komm’ zu mir! In denstillenHain hernieder, Durch dieNacht zuDir; Leise flehen meineLieder Schwanengesang, D957–No 4,‘Ständchen’ Franz (1797–1828) Schubert Anonymous Da-mi maistâmp t ¸ i zicitucudrag. a ˇ nucânt,c a fluiera ˇ a t¸
ˇ s i peDumnezeu. ˛ n-amniciung defag, t ¸ t a ¸ a delamunte t¸ t¸
ˇ a i dedulcedor. i doina,doini delamunte
ˇ g â a s
˛ ˇ , a u,
ˇ s ¸ l tiu cânta, a etc s t¸ ˛ a ˇaˇ . t¸ t¸
ˇ i-e lene? i-e lene?, r inima. .
a
ˇ t¸ nd. aˇ , t¸ aˇ , t¸ aˇ , etc . Aren’t you tired of spinningyet?, sing to mewithsweet yearning. of longing, and singto methesongof longing,thatlittlesong Come into thegrass, my littlesweetheart, grows rightdown to aspring. grass that’srunto seed Here inthegreen meadow and I’llpluckflowers from your breast. you’ll pickwildstrawberries from themeadow let’s gogatheringtogether, jump over thelittlecreek, Leave thedistaff intheweeds, Aren’t you tired of spinningyet? and forget aboutGod. hate your littlehouse I would really make you, littlemaiden, so Icanclaspyou to my breast? won’t you comeacross thebridge, My littlemountain sweetheart, Say itoutloud, you often say, my dear. ‘Dear littlewhistle’, you say lovingly to yourself. ‘Little beechwhistle’, Beloved, cometo me! Down into thesilentgrove, Through thenightto you; Softly my songsplead Translations ©Decca but becauseitsetsmy heartatease. I don’tsingbecausewell, should becomereality. God forbid thatthethoughtsinmy mind might thinkIhave noworries. Anyone whohearsmesinging etc . etc .
13 Texts 14 Thomas Moore (1779–1852) This bleakworld alone? Oh! whowould inhabit And fond onesare flown, When trueheartsliewither’d. The gemsdrop away! And from Love’s shiningcircle When friendshipsdecay, So soonmay Ifollow, Lie scentlessanddead. Where thy mates of thegarden Thy leaves o’erthy bed, Thus kindlyIscatter Go, sleepthouwiththem; Since thelovely are sleeping, To pineonthestem; I’ll not leave thee,thouloneone, Or give sighfor sigh. To reflect back herblushes, No rosebud isnigh No flow’r of herkindred, Are faded andgone; All herlovely companions Left bloomingalone; ‘Tis thelastrose of summer, –‘Quisola,virgin rosa’Martha Friedrich von Flotow (1812–83) Ludwig Rellstab (1799–1860) Komm’, beglücke mich! Bebend harr’ichDirentgegen! Liebchen, höre mich! Lass auchDirdieBrustbewegen, Jedes weiche Herz. Rühren mitdenSilbertönen Kennen Liebesschmerz, Sie verstehn desBusensSehnen, Flehen siefürmich. Mit derTönesüßenKlagen Ach! sieflehen Dich, Hörst dieNachtigallen schlagen? Fürchte, Holde,nicht. Des Verräters feindlich Lauschen In desMondesLicht; Flüsternd schlanke Wipfel rauschen That you loved mestillthesame. But Ialsodreamt whichpleasedmemost Of ahighancestral name; I had richestoo great to count–couldboast That Iwas thehopeandpride. And of allwhoassembledwithinthosewalls With vassals andserfsatmy side, I dreamt Idwelt inmarblehalls marble halls’ The BohemianGirl–‘Idreamt Idwelt in Michael William Balfe (1808–70) Translation ©Richard Wigmore Come, make mehappy! Trembling, Iawait you! Beloved, hearme! Let your heart,too, bemoved, They touch every tender heart. With theirsilvery notes They know thepainof love; They understand theheart’syearning, They are imploringfor me. With theirsweet, plaintive songs Ah! they are imploringyou; Do you not hearthenightingalescall? That thehostilebetrayer willoverhear us. My darling,donot fear In themoonlight; Slender treetops whisperandrustle Alfred Bunn(1796–1860) that you loved mestillthesame. But Ialsodreamt, whichcharmedmemost, Came forth my handto claim; And Idreamt thatoneof thatnoblehost They pledgedtheirfaith to me. withstand, And withvows nomaidenheartcould That knightsuponbendedknee, I dreamt thatsuitors soughtmy hand,
Decca Classics About the performers Her next exclusive recording agreement was and anumberof discsof opera arias. bohème traviata with Deccain1995, recording DVDs of She signed her first exclusive recording contract Buenos Aires, amongothers. Moscow, Taipei, SanJuan,Ljubljanaand Barcelona, Valencia, Prague, Montreal, Lumpur, Zurich,Vienna,Salzburg, Madrid, Lisbon, Valencia, Baalbek, Amsterdam, Kuala Chicago, Philadelphia, SãoPaolo, LosAngeles, Rome, Seoul,Venice, Athens,Monte-Carlo, York, London,Paris, Salzburg, Berlin,Tokyo, halls around theworld, appearinginNew constant demandinopera housesandconcert ( that shefirst sang hermuch-acclaimed Violetta Vienna State Opera. Itwas attheRoyal Opera at theMetropolitan Opera, New York, andthe bohème Covent Garden, whenshesangMimì( 1992 withherdebutattheRoyal Opera House, Her riseto international stardom began in Bucharest. at anearlyage andtrained withMiaBarbuin Romanian town of Adjud. Shebegansinging Angela Gheorghiu was borninthesmall Angela Gheorghiu signed in1998 withEMIClassics(now Warner Angela Gheorghiu La traviata and , adiscof sacred arias– ). Thesameyear shemade herdebut ) in1994. Sincethenshehasbeenin L’elisir d’amore soprano and,onCD, Mysterium La La La – album Last monthshereleased hernew solo at theClassicBRITAwards (2001 and2010). has twicebeenvoted Female Artistof theYear prizes, including and publicacclaim andshehaswon many recordings have received widespread critical 25 years of AngelaGheorghiu’s career. Her celebratory box set, In March 2015 Warner Classicsreleased a recorded a numberof recital albums.Shehasalso Requiem, duetswithRoberto Alagna, plus Werther Rondine Classics), for whichshehasrecorded den Linden)and (Semperoper) andBerlin (Staatsoper Unter London (Royal Opera House),Dresden ‘Star of Romania’, thecountry’shighest accolades for herartistry, includingthe She hasreceived numerous awards and and received popularandcriticalacclaim. It was released intheatres around theworld in In December2000sheperformed thetitle-role she isperforming thisevening. which features muchof therepertoire Oxford, ChinaandtheUSA, and recitals inLondon,Istanbul, Berlin, Her future engagements includeconcerts minds of apanoramic spectrum of audience. communicator whopenetrates theheartsand musical intelligence, butalsoamagnetic technique andprofound dramatic and – asinger/actress withanexceptional vocal Angela Gheorghiu isarare phenomenon Art was published: In October 2018 herfirst autobiography and, lastyear, Italy’s ‘Premio Puccini’. honour, several honorary doctorates Tosca , written together withJonTolansky. Plaisir d’amour , , thefilm directed by BenoîtJacquot. , Manon Roméo et Juliette L’Amico Fritz Angela Gheorghiu: ALife for , Gramophone La bohème Il trovatore Autograph for DeccaClassics, and , Gianni Schicchi Fedora , inLiège. Tosca Carmen Awards and , celebrating in in for DG. , Verdi’s La La ,
15 About the performers 16 Marco Borggreve the Stavanger Symphony andRoyal Scottish Cottis andGinastera’s Liverpool PhilharmonicOrchestra underJessica Germaine Tailleferre’s BBC Symphony Orchestra under James Gaffigan, Nadia Boulanger’s new andlesser-known works. Theseinclude In addition to core repertoire, shechampions which tonight’s concertispartof anextensive tour. her collaboration withAngelaGheorghiu, of Moscow PhilharmonicOrchestra. Shecontinues Symphonique deQuébecandaUKtour withthe Liverpool PhilharmonicOrchestra andOrchestre Philharmonia, aswell asreturns to theRoyal Sydney Symphony orchestras andtheAuckland Orchestra, theDetroit, Houston, Melbourneand the Orchestre NationaldeFrance, Tonkünstler Highlights of thisseasonincludedebutswith entrepreneur wholikes to thinkdifferently. makes herstand outasacreative and innovative approach to programming and captivating stage presence. Hervision worldwide withhereffortless musicality Dariescu impresses audiencesandcritics Romanian-born BritishpianistAlexandra Alexandra Dariescu Alexandra Dariescu Fantaisie variée piano Concierto Argentino Ballade withtheRoyal with the with the with with
and received theUK’s Women of theFuture is aLaureate of the Verbier Festival Academy of theYoung ClassicalArtistsTrust (YCAT), she Drama withRonan O’Hora. Aformer artist a Masters attheGuildhallSchoolof Music& Mark Ray andDinaParakhina, shepursued with NelsonGoerner, Alexander Melnikov, Music withtheGoldMedal,where shestudied graduating from theRoyal NorthernCollegeof Sir AndrásSchiffandImogenCooper. After Alexandra Dariescuhasbeenmentored by Gheorghiu, saw therelease of hernew albumwithAngela for herby EmilyHoward (ECM).Lastmonth (Signum) and Royal PhilharmonicOrchestra under Darrell Ang Tchaikovsky’s PianoConcerto No 1withthe Szymanowski. Shehasalsorecorded Fauré, Chopin/DutilleuxandShostakovich/ the complete preludes of Boulanger/Messiaen/ preludes for ChampsHillRecords, featuring Her discography includesthree discsof an audiobookof thesamenameonSignum. the Emirates andtheUSA. Shehasreleased since beenheard across Europe, Australia, China, was premiered atMilton Courtin2017, andhas solo pianowithdanceanddigital animation.It ground-breaking multimediaperformance for Alexandra Dariescu’s debut withtheTonkünstler Orchestra thisseason. performs Ries’sThird PianoConcerto for her National orchestras underJohnStorgårds. She European Leader by Friendsof Europe. Romanian Crown’ and was selected asaYoung she received theaccolade ‘Officer of the Northern Collegeof Music.Inspring2018 and Honorary Associate Artistof theRoyal Lyddington, Cultural Ambassador of Romania 2017 shewas appointed patron of music in Award intheArtsandCulture category. In Plaisir d’amour Mesmerism The Nutcracker andI , aconcerto written (DeccaClassics). is a isa