Bath Festival Orchestra Programme 2021
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Bath Festival Orchestra photo credit: Nick Spratling Peter Manning Conductor Rowan Pierce Soprano Monday 17 May 7:30pm Bath Abbey Programme Carl Maria von Weber Overture: Der Freischütz Weber Der Freischütz (Op.77, The Marksman) is a German Overture to Der Freischütz opera in three acts which premiered in 1821 at the Schauspielhaus, Berlin. Many have suggested that it was the first important German Romantic opera, Strauss with the plot based around August Apel’s tale of the same name. Upon its premiere, the opera quickly 5 Orchestral Songs became an international success, with the work translated and rearranged by Hector Berlioz for a French audience. In creating Der Freischütz Weber Brentano Lieder Op.68 embodied the ideal of the Romantic artist, inspired Ich wollt ein Sträuẞlein binden by poetry, history, folklore and myths to create a national opera that would reflect the uniqueness of Säusle, liebe Myrthe German culture. Amor Weber is considered, alongside Beethoven, one of the true founders of the Romantic Movement in Morgen! Op.27 music. He lived a creative life and worked as both a pianist and music critic before making significant contributions to the operatic genre from his appointment at the Dresden Staatskapelle in 1817, Das Rosenband Op.36 where he realised that the opera-goers were hearing almost nothing other than Italian works. His three German operas acted as a remedy to this situation, Brahms with Weber hoping to embody the youthful Serenade No.1 in D, Op.11 Romantic movement of Germany on the operatic stage. These works not only established Weber as a long-lasting Romantic composer, but served to define German Romanticism and make its name as an important musical force in Europe throughout the 19th century. The opera itself is a convoluted tale of magic bullets, invisible spirits and pacts with the devil, the overture of which employs folk mysticism and, in Weber’s own words, ‘the life of the hunger and the rule of demonic powers’ through an introductory tone poem and a consideration of important melodies in a symphonic foreshadowing of music to come. Though the opera is now rarely staged anywhere, it remains one of Weber’s most popular orchestral works, and is one larger in scope and scored in broader, more Romantic terms than the Classical overtures of Mozart and Beethoven that had come previously. Richard Strauss received its premiere in 1919, becoming Strauss’ most significant song collection before his Four Last 5 Orchestral Songs Songs (1948). Richard Strauss was a master of vocal composition, Morgen!, Op.27 No.4 possessing a particular reverence for the soprano voice, likely inspired by his happy marriage to the Morgen! is the last in a set of four songs composed in operatic soprano Pauline de Ahna. On one occasion, 1894, setting a rapturous love poem by John Henry Strauss is known to have commented: ‘I thank my Mackay, a contemporary of Strauss’ born in Scotland Almighty Creator for the gift and inspiration of the but raised in Germany. In Strauss’ poignant setting, female voice’. Strauss began composing lieder in his the singer remains mute until well into the piece, as early years as a composer and continued to do so if lost in reverie. She joins mid-thought: ‘and right up until his death in 1949. While some of tomorrow the sun will shine again’. The true melody Strauss’ songs have entered the standard vocal of this song is never presented in its entirety by the repertoire, many of his songs are often overlooked singer, but appears in elegant and subtly despite his superb vocal writing and particular conversational fragments in a neat dialogue with the compositional ability to masterfully handle the orchestra. In orchestrating the song, Strauss dramatic as well as the sentimental. emphasised its nostalgic atmosphere by drawing on the sweet tones of a solo violin to enunciate the Brentano Lieder, Op.68 theme. The song is one of Strauss’ best known, and three stunning recordings of the composer himself Originally composed as songs in 1918, Richard playing or conducting the work survive. The Strauss’ settings of six poems by Clemens Brentano collection from which Morgen! is taken from was (1778-1842) was fully orchestrated by 1940. The published as a wedding present to Pauline de Ahna, composition of the Brentano Lieder followed a 12 and the two would often perform them in recital year period in which Strauss did not compose a together. single song, instead focusing on his opera Die Frau ohne Schatten. However, he returned to the genre of Das Rosenband, Op.36 No.1 lied with the voice of Elisabeth Schumann in mind, though she only performed the entire cycle on one Composed in 1897, Das Rosenband is based on a text occasion in 1922. Though the four central songs seem tailor-made for her clear, light soprano, the by 18th century poet Friedrich Gottleib Klopstock. first and final of the set have a much more dramatic The charming poem paints an image of youthful love tone, requiring a lower tessitura to effectively colour in the springtime, with Strauss opting for a sensual lyricism and lush harmonies to colour the words in a the music. typically late-Romantic fashion. The song begins Brentano was a notable figure in the German with a delicate and affectionate melody which is Romantic movement. Like a medieval minstrel, he then taken up and expanded by the voice for the first spent a number of years wandering the countryside verse. The second adopts a new melody with a more with his guitar on his back collecting folk poetry. anxious accompaniment, before the third is different Along with his lifelong friend Achim von Arnim, the again, returning to the tonic key with an altered two released a collection of German folk poetry version of the established melody. The final verse known as Des Knaben Wunderhorn, later set by recalls the music of the second, building to a heart- Gustav Mahler as well as Strauss. The six poems warming climax and a beautiful melisma; the included in the Brentano Lieder are all original euphoria of the two lovers suggested musically. works by Brentano alone, with Strauss’ settings of these texts inspired by the lyrical gestures of love and nature laced between the lines. The collection Ich wollt ein Sträußlein binden I meant to make you a posy Ich wollt ein Sträußlein binden, I meant to make you a posy, Da kam die dunkle Nacht, But dark night then came, Kein Blümlein war zu finden, There were no flowers to be found, Sonst hätt’ ich dir’s gebracht. Or I’d have brought you some. Da flossen von den Wangen Tears then flowed down my cheeks Mir Tränen in den Klee Into the clover Ein Blümlein aufgegangen And now I saw a flower Ich nun im Garten seh. That had sprung up in the garden. Das wollte ich dir brechen I meant to pick it for you Wohl in dem dunklen Klee, There in the dark clover, Da fing es an zu sprechen: When it started to speak: “Ach, tue mir nicht weh! “Ah, do not hurt me! Sei freundlich im Herzen, Be kind in your heart, Betracht dein eigen Leid Consider your own suffering, Und lasse mich in Schmerzen And do not make me die Nicht sterben vor der Zeit!” In torment before my time!” Und hätt’s nicht so gesprochen, And had it not spoken these words, Im Garten ganz allein, All alone in the garden, So hätt’ ich dir’s gebrochen, I’d have picked it for you, Nun aber darf’s nicht sein. But now that cannot be. Mein Schatz ist ausgeblieben My sweetheart stayed away, Ich bin so ganz allein. I am utterly alone. Im Lieben wohnt Betrüben, Sadness dwells in loving, Und kann nicht anders sein. And cannot be otherwise. Säusle, liebe Myrthe! Rustle, dear Myrtle! Säusle, liebe Myrthe! Rustle, dear Myrtle! Wie still ist’s in der Welt, How silent the world is, Der Mond, der Sternenhirte The moon, that shepherd of the stars, Auf klarem Himmelsfeld, In the bright Elysian fields, Treibt schon die Wolkenschafe Already drives the herd of clouds Zum Born des Lichtes hin, To the spring of light, Schlaf, mein Freund, o schlafe, Sleep, my friend, ah sleep, Bis ich wieder bei dir bin! Till I am with you again! Säusle lieber Myrthe! Rustle, dear myrtle! Und träum im Sternenschein, And dream in the starlight, Die Turteltaube girrte The turtledove has already cooed Auch ihre Brut schon ein. Her brood to sleep. Still ziehn die Wolkenschafe Quietly the herd of clouds travel Zum Born des Lichtes hin, To the spring of light, Schlaf, mein Freund, o schlafe, Sleep, my friend, ah sleep, Bis ich wieder bei dir bin! Till I am with you again! Hörst du, wie die Brunnen rauschen? Do you hear the fountains murmur? Hörst du, wie die Grille zirpt? Do you hear the cricket chirping? Stille, stille, lass uns lauschen, Hush, hush, let us listen, Selig, wer in Träumen stirbt; Happy is he who dies while dreaming. Selig, wen die Wolken wiegen, Happy he who is cradled by clouds, Wenn der Mond ein Schlaflied singt; While the moon sings a lullaby. O! wie selig kann der fliegen, Ah, how happily he can fly, Den der Traum den Flügel schwingt, Who takes flight in dreams, Dass an blauer Himmelsdecke So that from heaven’s blue vault Sterne er wie Blumen pflückt; He gathers stars as though they were flowers; Schlaf, träume, flieg’, ich wecke Sleep, dream, fly, I shall wake Bald dich auf und bin beglückt! You soon and be made happy! Amor Cupid An dem Feuer saß das Kind By the fire sat the child Amor, Amor Cupid, Cupid Und war blind; And was blind; Mit dem kleinen Flügel fächelt With his little wings he fans In die Flammen er und lächelt, Into the flames and smiles; [fächle, lächle], schlaues Kind.