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Richard Wagner Wagner’S Der Ring Des Nibelungen, and Isolde in Tristan Und Isolde

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Richard Wagner Wagner’S Der Ring Des Nibelungen, and Isolde in Tristan Und Isolde Indianapolis Opera and Nashville Opera; Odabella PROGRAM NOTES by Scott Sorenson in Atilla with Sarasota Opera; and Leonora in Il Trovatore and Serena in Porgy and Bess with Tole- do Opera. Other notable roles include Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer, Brünnhilde and Sieglinde in Richard Wagner Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, and Isolde in Tristan und Isolde. Born: May 22, 1813, Leipzig Ms. Graham has appeared in concert as Isolde Died: February 13, 1883, Venice in Tristan und Isolde, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Washington Chorus at the Kennedy Center; appeared as Soprano Soloist in Elijah with “Arrival of the Guests at poser. The Paris Opera was not interested inRienzi the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Verdi’s Requiem Wartburg Castle,” (completed 1840) and he was forced to eke out a with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Mississippi living making piano arrangements and writing arti- Symphony Orchestra, and The Händel Society of from Tannhäuser cles for music periodicals. It was during the summer OTHALIE GRAHAM soprano Dartmouth; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with (Dresden, 1843-5; rev. Paris, 1861 of 1841 that the philologist Samuel Lehrs intro- Lima Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra; and and Vienna, 1875) duced Wagner to the German legends of Lohen- Soprano Othalie Graham has made her mark Serena in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess with Jackson- Instrumentation: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, grin, a knight of the Holy Grail, and Tannhäuser, a on the opera world, receiving critical acclaim inter- ville Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Sym- 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, medieval minnesinger. Realizing that both of these nationally. Of her Turandot, EDGE Boston lauded: phony. tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tales and their leading characters were excellent op- “Her voice is sumptuous, with firmly-focused, pen- Highlights include a recital with the Lieder- and strings. eratic subject matter, Wagner stored these ideas in etrating highs. Possessing beauty, temperament and kranz Society; a solo performance in “A Life in Op- his memory for future reference. In the meantime, Performance time: ca. 8:00 superb acting skills, Graham is destined for star- era – Celebrating Leontyne Price” with Springfield he feverishly dove into another non-commissioned dom in the world of opera.” Recent engagements Symphony Orchestra; Isolde in Tristan und Isolde work, The Flying Dutchman, finishing it in only sev- include productions of Turandot with Knoxville with the Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra; I was in a state of gnawing, sensuous agitation en weeks by November, 1841. Suddenly, Wagner’s Opera, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Teatro Brünnhilde excerpts from Die Walküre for the that excited continually both blood and nerves fortune changed when he learned that the Dresden Cervantes de Málaga, and a Martin Luther King L’Opéra de Montréal; the Britten War Requiem when I sketched out the music for Tannhäuser Opera had accepted Rienzi. By April of the follow- Jr. Tribute Concert with Bach Festival Society of with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe and brought it to completion. ing year, an optimistic Wagner and his wife Minna Winter Park. In the 2019-2020 season Ms. Graham Verdi; appearances at opera galas for Pacific Opera Richard Wagner had departed the French capital en route to Dres- sings the role of Lady Macbeth with Opera Caro- Victoria, Vancouver Opera, Oakville Symphony, den. lina and Toledo Opera. Orquesta Sinfonica de Xalapa and Orquesta Filar- She has portrayed Turandot around the world mónica de la UNAM; a concert performance as Wagner composed his three-act opera Tannhäuser was also beginning to take shape in including with the Detroit Symphony, Arizona Isolde in Tristan und Isolde in Zagreb, Croatia; a Tannhäuser early on in his career. He had already Wagner’s mind at this time. During the summer of Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera Columbus, gala concert with the Philharmonic Orchestra of written and premiered Rienzi at Dresden’s Köni- 1842, Wagner vacationed for three weeks in Tem- Opera Delaware, Utah Festival Opera, Connecticut Sonora; and concerts with ProMusica and Festival gliches Hoftheater in October of 1842 and three plice (now a part of the Czech Republic) and was Grand Opera, Pensacola Opera, Sacramento Op- Opera. months later offeredThe Flying Dutchman at the inspired to plan Tannhäuser’s basic structure, write era, and Nashville Opera, as well as Orquesta Fi- Ms. Graham was the first-place winner of the same venue. Unfortunately, Dutchman only re- a portion of the libretto, and compose some of the larmónica de la UNAM, Edmonton Opera, Grand Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition in ceived a lukewarm reception from the German National Theater of Peru, and Ópera de Nuevo the Wagner Division, the first-place winner of the audiences. Wagner, still only twenty-nine, was León. She has also performed the role in concert Joyce Dutka Competition, a recipient of the presti- disappointed in the musical public’s perception of the Westfield Symphony Orchestra, the Harrisburg gious Sullivan Foundation Grant, and the first-place Dutchman yet was inspired to continue work on an- Symphony, and Boston’s Chorus pro Musica. winner in the Wagner Division of the Liederkranz other grand opera whose dramatic scenario and the- Recent seasons’ roles include Aïda with Festival Competition. In Canada, her many awards and matic sketches had been left on the back burner for Euro Mediterraneo, Istanbul International Opera honors include the coveted Jean Chalmers prize in nearly a year. This is where the story ofTannhäuser Festival, Opera Carolina, Toledo Opera; Elektra the Canadian Music Competition, winner of the begins. with Academy of Vocal Arts and Teatro di San Edward Johnson Competition, and first place in Wagner had been living in Paris since the fall of Poster for the first Paris production ofTannhäuser (1861). Carlo Napoli; Minnie in La Fanciulla del West with the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques Competition. 1839. These were difficult days for the young -com All-Wagner Gala: Fire & Fury | September 8, 2019 30 31 All-Wagner Gala: Fire & Fury | September 8, 2019 PROGRAM NOTES by Scott Sorenson PROGRAM NOTES by Scott Sorenson significant musical themes. Following this brief ous revisions to the score throughout his life – the respite, Wagner shelved these earliest efforts while most important being the Paris one of 1861 and the the first performances ofRienzi and Dutchman final Vienna version of 1875. InCosima Wagner’s Richard Wagner consumed his energies. Rather than Dutchman’s Diaries (1878-83), Wagner’s second wife revealed storm-tossed seas and violent shipwrecks, Wagner before her husband’s death that he felt “he still owed Born: May 22, 1813, Leipzig was convinced that Tannhäuser’s story of lust, love, Tannhäuser to the world.” During the course of the Died: February 13, 1883, Venice and forgiveness related more to the general human opera’s one hundred seventy-five year history, it has experience and would be understood. become one of the staples of the genre. Work resumed on the new dramatic opera in Tannhauser’s drama centers upon two well- 1843 (libretto finished in July) with two years of known German folk tales. The first deals with the “Dich, teure Halle,” steady progress being made until the final notes of thirteenth century minnesinger and poet Tannhäus- from Tannhäuser the famous overture were penned in April of 1845. er while the second focuses on a six-hundred-year- (Dresden, 1843-5; rev. Paris, 1861 Tannhäuser (full title Tannhäuser und der Sänger- old singing contest held at Wartburg Castle. Wag- and Vienna, 1875) krieg auf Wartburg, “Tannhäuser and the Minne- ner weaves a story about the conflict between chaste singer’s Contest at Wartburg”) was first heard in and erotic love and how true redemption from the Instrumentation: Soprano soloist with orchestra Dresden’s Königliches Hoftheater on October 19, profane can be received through pure love. The comprising 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 1845 with Wagner conducting. Even though a mag- “Arrival of the Guests” scene occurs at the close of 2 bassoons, 4 horns, and strings. nificent production was given, Dresden’s operago- Act II. Here, a parade of noble couples enters the Performance time: ca. 5:00 ers did not receive Tannhäuser as enthusiastically as Singer’s Hall at Wartburg Castle to greet their host, Tannhaüser from the the composer had anticipated. Most of this had to Landgrave (Count) Hermann. Highlighted by bril- Joy is not in things. It is in us. do with the fact that this was Wagner’s first oper- liant trumpet fanfares interspersed throughout the Codex Manesse (ca. Richard Wagner 1300-40), an anthology atic endeavor to place considerable emphasis on the eight-minute courtly march, this is one of the finest of minnesinger poetry. drama while removing the traditional distinction and most dignified symphonic processionals ever between recitative and aria. Wagner made numer- written. Tannhäuser was a documented historical figure found on the manuscript’s pages, Tannhäuser’s __________________________________________ who flourished during the mid-thirteenth century. Buβlied (Poem of Atonement) is quite unusual for © Traverse Symphony Orchestra, 2019. Program notes may not be He was a German wandering poet and minnesinger the collection. It is known that Tannhäuser’s con- reproduced without the written permission of the Symphony whose prose/songs remain extant in the great four- tributions to the anthology date from 1245-65, yet teenth century illuminated manuscript Codex Ma- his biography is obscure beyond what is found in nesse. Compiled for the Manesse family of Zurich the Codex Manesse. during the years 1300-40, the Codex Manesse or In Tannhäuser, Wagner weaves a story center- (Great Hei- Groβe Heidelberger Liderhandschriff ing upon the struggle between carnal and pure love. delberg Book of Songs/Poetry), is the single most The general storyline of the opera unfolds as fol- comprehensive primary source of Middle High lows: German minnesinger poetry.
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