An Evening of Song: From Schubert to Verdi
Logan Campbell, bass-baritone Deb Watts Elliott, piano
UIS Faculty Series Illinois Symphony Orchestra Guild Event
February 20, 2021 7:00 pm University of Illinois - Springfield Performing Arts Center Program Order
“La Vendetta” from L e Nozze di Figaro M ozart ( 1756-1791)
“Bois épais” from A madis L ully ( 1632-1687)
“Quia fecit mihi magna” from M agnificat Bach ( 1785-1750)
“Der Doppelgänger” from S chwanengesang Schubert ( 1797-1828)
“Romans” from 3 Songs for Bass Voice Sjögren ( 1853-1918)
INTERMISSION
“Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific Rodgers and Hammerstein (1902-1979) (1895-1960)
“Il lacerato spirito” from S imon Boccanegra V erdi ( 1813-1901)
Old American Song Set #1 Copland The Dodger ( 1900-1990) Long Time Ago Simple Gifts I Bought Me A Cat Performer Biographies Logan Campbell, b ass-baritone, i s a recent addition to the faculty at The University of Illinois - Springfield as Music Director and Conductor of the UIS Orchestra. Campbell enjoys a budding career as a conductor, equally at home with Symphonic repertoire, Pops, Opera, and Musical Theatre. He is presently in his first season as Assistant Conductor of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Conductor of the Illinois Symphony Youth Orchestras.Logan has worked as a guest conductor, rehearsal conductor, or cover conductor with area orchestras like the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Scruffy City Orchestra, Morristown Community Orchestra, and Brevard Philharmonic. As a student at UT, he worked with the UT Symphony Orchestra, UT Opera Orchestra, UT Chamber Orchestra, VolOpera, and UT Opera Theatre.
Logan performed with the UT Opera Theatre from 2018-2020 in productions of La Finta Giardiniera and Carmen, with the Knoxville Opera in Lucia di Lammermoor, the Furman Lyric Opera in Die Zauberflöte, and the Franco-American Vocal Academy in Le Nozze di Figaro and B astien und Bastienne i n. He was the Bass soloist with the UT Chamber Singers in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, performed at the Tennessee Theatre in February 2020, and Handel’s Messiah, performed in December 2019. Logan has also performed internationally, mostly in Germany. Selected as an ambassador for the State Department funded program, The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals, he lived in Leipzig, Germany for a year and studied German language, politics, and music.
He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Furman University, and holds a double Masters of Music degree in Voice Performance and Orchestral Conducting from the University of Tennessee. Logan is the recipient of the Thomas Fulton Career Development Award for his outstanding work as a conducting and voice student at UT. His primary conducting teachers were James Fellenbaum, Dr. Leslie Hicken, Dr. Hugh Floyd, and Maestro Edvard Tchivzhel with the Greenville Symphony.
Deb Watts Elliott, piano, is pianist, organist, and music coordinator at Laurel United Methodist Church and leads the Westminster Presbyterian Church Jazz Trio for the Saturday evening service there. She has participated as a vocal director and pit musician for many area musical theatre productions, and also works as a legal assistant at Sorling, Northrup, Hanna, Cullen & Cochran, Ltd. Deb enjoys spending time with her husband, John, and her children and grandchildren, as well as travel.
Program Notes & Translations
“La Vendetta” from L e Nozze di Figaro Mozart ( 1756-1791)
Composed in 1786, L e Nozze di Figaro has remained a classic in the operatic repertoire. The libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, librettist for 28 operas including D on Giovanni and Così fan tutte, tells the story of two servants, Susanna and Figaro, who through love wish to marry. This is a problem for Count Almaviva who aims to foil these plans through seduction despite his marriage with the Countess. Nevertheless, through scheming and careful planning, the Count is exposed and taught the lesson of fidelity. This day of madness serves as the setting for numerous dramatic circumstances to unfold. One of the first is the entrance scene of Dr. Bartolo and Marcellina, Bartolo’s old housekeeper. Through this unique introduction, we are revealed to Bartolo’s vengeance for Figaro, hence the title “La Vendetta.” Figaro had previously borrowed money from Marcellina and agreed to marry her should he be unable to repay her at the appointed time. Having failed to fulfill his side of the bargain, she plans on enforcing the promise by suing him. This conveniently aligns with Bartolo’s frustration with Figaro for thwarting his attempt at marrying Countess Rosina who is now married to Count Almaviva. Bartolo agrees to represent Marcellina in her legal action for free so he can also get his revenge, too.
Bene, io tutto farò, Good, I’ll take care of everything, senza riserve, tutto a me palesate. without reservation, everything will be revealed to me. (Avrei pur gusto di dar in moglie, (I would like to give my old servant, la mia serva antica a chi mi fece, to the man that made me un dì rapir l’amica.) lose my Rosina.)
La vendetta, oh, la vendetta, Vengeance, oh vengeance È un piacer serbato ai saggi. is a pleasure for the wise. L'obliar l'onte, gli oltraggi, Forgetting shames and insults è bassezza, è ognor viltà. is a sign of lowness and cowardice,
Coll'astuzia... coll'arguzia, With cunning, with wit, col giudizio, col criterio with wisdom, with common sense, si potrebbe… It could be done... il fatto è serio, The case is serious ma credete si farà. But believe me, it will be done.
Se tutto il codice dovessi volgere, Even if I had to turn all the law-code, se tutto l'indice dovessi leggere, Even if I had to read all the index con un equivoco, con un sinonimo, By using a misunderstanding, by using a synonym qualche garbuglio si troverà. We will find a tangle.
Tutta Siviglia conosce Bartolo, All Seville knows Bartolo; il birbo Figaro vinto sarà! Figaro, the rascal, will be defeated! “Bois épais” from A madis Lully ( 1632-1687)
A century earlier than the work you previously heard, A madis was first performed in 1684. Jean-Baptiste Lully collaborated with Phillippe Quinault to produce this five act t ragédie en musique based on the original text, Amadís de Gaula. This complex plot depicts love and chivalry through the faithful love of Amadis and Oriane. It is opposed by the sorcerer family of Arcabonne and Arcalaus, and still other subplot circumstances add to the action. This particular aria is found in the second act where the main character, Amadis, is alone. It is a prime example of an air de cour, or “court air.” This forest pastoral scene is where he sings of his suffering.
Bois épais, redouble ton ombre; Deep woods, increase your shade; Tu ne saurais être assez sombre, You could not be dark enough, Tu ne peux pas trop cacher You could not conceal too well Mon malheureux amour. My unhappy love.
Je sens un désespoir I feel a despair Dont l'horreur est extrême, Whose horror is extreme, Je ne dois pas plus voir ce que j'aime, I am to see no longer what I love, Je ne veux plus souffrir le jour. I no longer want to bear the light of day.
“Quia fecit mihi magna” from M agnificat Bach ( 1785-1750)
A Magnificat is a presentation depicting the story of Mary, mother of Jesus, as she responds to Elizabeth. In this passage of Luke 1:46-55 we hear the words of Mary to her cousin, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. Mary is rejoicing with the privilege of giving birth to the promised Messiah and glorifying God for His power, holiness and mercy. In this particular verse, Luke 1:49, she exclaims His power and His compassion for her. The entire Magnificat is unique in the way Bach divides the verses into each movement. He makes movements 3 and 4 out of only one verse, Luke 1:48, and separates the doxology into two sections of the 12th movement.
Quia fecit mihi magna For the mighty one has done Qui potens est, great things for me, Et sanctum nomen eius. And holy is his name.
“Der Doppelgänger” from S chwanengesang S chubert ( 1797-1828)
Schubert’s Schwanengesang, or Swan Song, is a collection of 14 songs composed at the end of his life and published posthumously. It was intended to serve as Schubert’s final testament, as it was titled by its first publisher, Tobis Haslinger. Unlike previous song cycles, three poets are used for S chwanengesang, which may or may not have been Schubert’s desire. Nevertheless, all 14 songs were composed in 1828 during the final year of Schubert’s life.
Der Doppelgänger is the tenth song in the cycle and the text was written by Heinrich Heine. In Heine’s B uch der Lieder, or Book of Poems, we find this text. Divided into five sections, Schubert selects only poems found in the third; a section entitled D ie Heimkehr (The Homecoming). The order of Heine texts is rearranged for Schubert’s cycle and many argue it should remain in the same order for dramatic intent. Through-composed, each stanza is unique to the text, with an overarching passacaglia established by the piano accompaniment in the first four bars. Schubert paints the text with chords and growing anguish as the narrator reveals his awareness of his own form in the moonlight.
Still ist die Nacht, es ruhen die Gassen, The night is quiet, the streets are calm, In diesem Hause wohnte mein Schatz; In this house my beloved once lived: Sie hat schon längst die Stadt verlassen, She has long since left the town,
Doch steht noch das Haus auf demselben Platz. But the house still stands, here in the same place.
Da steht auch ein Mensch und starrt in die Höhe, A man stands there also and looks to the sky, Und ringt die Hände, vor Schmerzensgewalt; And wrings his hands, overwhelmed by pain: Mir graust es, wenn ich sein Antlitz sehe, - I am terrified – when I see his face, Der Mond zeigt mir meine eigne Gestalt. The moon shows me my own form!
Du Doppelgänger! Du bleicher Geselle! O you D oppelgänger! You pale comrade! Was äffst du nach mein Liebesleid, Why do you ape the pain of my love Das mich gequält auf dieser Stelle, Which tormented me upon this spot So manche Nacht, in alter Zeit? So many a night, so long ago?
“Romans” from 3 Songs for Bass Voice Sjögren (1853-1918)
Best known for his lieder and piano works, Emil Sjögren was a Swedish composer from the romantic period. 3 Songs for Bass Voice, op. 2, was composed early in his life in 1877. The librettist for each song in the cycle is different and the languages used include Danish and Swedish. The middle song, “Romans,” is the only Swedish text. The librettist was Hugo Montgomery-Cederhielm, a Swedish attaché at the Embassy in Rome. He composed one work of poems during his philosophy studies in Stockholm and from that text, Sjögren uses his poetry for three different cycles.
När aftonens stjärna glimmar, When the star of the evening shines, så drömmande blir min håg. so does my mind become dreamy. Ett svallande hav min ande, My spirit becomes a surging sea, var tanke är där en våg. where very thought is a wave.
De vaggas mot fjärran stränder The waves crash against distant shores i flyende stundens nu. in this flying moment. Men stranden där sist de somna, But the beach where they last rested, är du, blott du, blott du! is you, only you, only you!
“Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific R odgers and Hammerstein ( 1902-1979) (1895-1960)
“Some Enchanted Evening” has been described as “the single biggest popular hit to come out on any Rodgers and Hammerstein show” and was deemed the “greatest song ever written for a musical” by the iconic Andrew Lloyd Webber. In S outh Pacific, the leading male character, Emile, describes the first moment he saw Nellie. Only having known each other a few weeks, they each worry that the other may not feel the same in return. It is through this song, which appears in the first act of the show, that Emile aims to prove his affection. Sung by both Ezio Pinza and Giorgio Tozzi, Metropolitan basses, the song has remained a classic in the musical theatre repertoire for the lower male fach.
Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger, you may see a stranger across a crowded room, And somehow you know, you know even then, that somehow you'll see here again and again.
Some enchanted evening, someone may be laughing, you may hear her laughing across a crowded room, And night after night, as strange as it seems, the sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams. Who can explain it, who can tell you why? Fools give you reasons, wise men never try.
Some enchanted evening, when you find your true love, when you hear her call you across a crowded room, Then fly to her side and make her your own, or all through your life you may dream all alone. Once you have found her, never let her go, Once you have found her, never let her go.
“Il lacerato spirito” from S imon Boccanegra Verdi
(1813-1901)
Simon Boccanegra was not originally well-received by opera lovers in the mid-19th century. Complications of the original plot led to this lack of approval, but with revisions made by Verdi 23 years later, the opera began to be recognized more as a standard in the operatic repertory. This particular aria appears in the prologue, although it was part of Act 1 in the original 1857 version. At any rate, the opening of this production establishes the relationship between Boccanegra and Fiesco, the father of Boccanegra’s lover, Maria. Through a series of events, Maria dies early on and Fiesco is heartbroken and sings this aria as a sad father.
A te l'estremo addio, Palagio altero, A final farewell to you, lofty palace, Freddo sepolcro dell'angiolo mio! The cold tomb of my angel! Nè a proteggerti valsi! You are not worthy to protect her! Oh maledetto! Oh vile seduttore! Oh evil one! Oh vile seducer! E tu, Vergin, soffristi And you, Virgin Mary, did you stand by, Rapita a lei la verginal corona? While her virginal crown was taken? Ah! che dissi? Deliro! Ah, what am I saying? Lunatic! Ah, mi perdona! Ah, forgive me!
Il lacerato spirito del mesto genitore The wounded spirit of a sad father, Era serbato a strazio d'infamia e di dolore. Was kept in agony of shame and grief. Il serto a lei de'martiri pietoso il cielo diè… Give her, o heaven, a martyr’s garland, Resa al fulgor degli angeli, Yield her to the splendour of angels, Prega, Maria, per me. Pray for me, Mary.
Old American Song Set #1 Copland (1900-1990)
Composed in 1950, the old American Song Set #1 was commissioned by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears for Britten’s Music and Arts Festival in Aldeburgh, England. Despite its original premiere, William Warfield gave the set its first American performance in January of 1951 with Copland at the piano. Later in1954, Copland arranged the set for chamber orchestra and voice. Each individual tune has a fascinating background, but the set covers topics like politics, children’s songs, and religious texts. “The Dodger” was a campaign song associated with the 1884 election of Grover Cleveland. “Long Time Ago” is a nostalgic poetic ballad that was discovered by Copland in the Harris Collection at Brown University, a unique collection with approximately 250,000 volumes of American and Canadian poetry, plays, and vocal music dating back to 1609. “Simple Gifts” may sound a bit familiar if you are a fan of Copland’s works as this tune also appears in his ballet, Appalachian Spring. This Shaker melody is set in a recitative-style where the accompaniment shifts tonality on weak beats to give a sense of no real rhythmic pulse. Lastly, “I Bought Me A Cat” is simply a children’s nonsense song that would have been sung for fun.
The Dodger 1. Yes the candidate’s a dodger, yes a well known dodger, Yes the candidate’s a dodger, yes and I’m a dodger too. He’ll meet you and treat you and ask you for your vote But look out boys he’s a dodgin’ for a note, 3. Yes the lover he’s a dodger, yes a well known dodger, Yes we’re all dodgin’, a dodgin’, dodgin’, dodgin Yes the lover he’s a dodger yes and I’m a dodger too. Yes we’re all dodgin’ out away through the world He’ll hug you and kiss you and call you his bride But look out girls he’s a tellin’ you a lie. 2. Yes the preacher he’s a dodger, yes a well known dodger, Yes we’re all dodgin’, a dodgin’, dodgin’, dodgin Yes the preacher he’s a dodger yes and I’m a dodger too. Yes we’re all dodgin’ out away through the world He’ll preach you a gospel and tell you of your crimes But look out boys he’s a dodgin’ for your dimes, Yes we’re all dodgin’, a dodgin’, dodgin’, dodgin Yes we’re all dodgin’ out away through the world
Long Time Ago 1. On the lake where droop’d the willow 3. Rock and tree and flowing water Long time ago, Long time ago, Where the rock threw back the billow Bird and bee and blossom taught her Brighter than snow. Love’s spell to know.
2. Dwelt a maid beloved and cherish’d 4. While to my fond words she listen’d By high and low, Murmuring low, But with autumn leaf she perished Tenderly her blue eyes glisten’d Long time ago. Long time ago.
Simple Gifts
1/3. .‘Tis the gift to be simple ’tis the gift to be free 2. When true simplicity is gained ‘Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed And when we find ourselves in the place just right, To turn, turn will be our delight. ‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight. ‘Till by turning, turning we come round right.
I Bought Me A Cat
1. I bought me a cat, my cat pleased me, 5. I bought me a pig, my pig pleased me. I fed my cat under yonder tree. I fed my pig under yonder tree. My cat says fiddle eye fee. My pig says, ‘Griffey, griffey’,......
2. I bought me a duck, my duck pleased me. 6. I bought me a cow, my cow pleased me. I fed my duck under yonder tree. I fed my cow under yonder tree. My duck says, ‘Quaa, quaa’, My cow says, ‘Moo, moo’,...... My cat says fiddle eye fee.
3. I bought me a goose, my goose pleased me. 7. I bought me a horse, my horse pleased me. I fed my goose under yonder tree. I fed my horse under yonder tree. My goose says, ‘Quaw, quaw’,...... My horse says, ‘Neigh, neigh’,
4. I bought me a hen, my hen pleased me. 8. I bought me a wife, my wife pleased me. I fed my hen under yonder tree. I fed my wife under yonder tree. My hen says, Shimmy shack, shimmy shack’,...... My wife says, ‘Honey, honey’,......