Adriana Lecouvreur - L’Anima Ho Stanca (1:59) 14

DE 34720 0 13491 34722 6

MARCELO ALVAREZ • 20 YEARS

1. Umberto Giordano: Andrea Chénier - Un di all’azzuro spazio (5:33) 2. Ruggero Leoncavallo: Chatterton - Che più mi resta (2:30) 3. Leoncavallo: La Bohème - Testa adorata (3:00) 4. Giordano: Fedora - Amor ti vieta (1:39) 5. Leoncavallo: Pagliacci - Vesti la giubba (3:32) 6. Leoncavallo: Zaza - O mio piccolo tavolo (5:05) 7. Pietro Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana - Mamma, quell vino è generoso (3:44) 8. Giacomo Puccini: Turandot - Non piangere, Liù (2:27) 9. Puccini: Turandot - Nessun dorma (3:11) 10. Puccini: La Fanciulla del West – Ch’ella mi creda (2:09) 11. Antônio Carlos Gomes: Lo Schiavo - Quando nascesti tu (4:01) 12. Fromental Halévy: La Juive - Rachel quand du seigneur (5:51) 13. Francesco Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur - L’anima ho stanca (1:59) 14. Riccardo Zandonai: Giulietta e Romeo – Giulietta, son io (4:40) 15. Jules Massenet: Le Cid - O Souverain (5:17)

Total Time: 54:38

CONSTANTINE ORBELIAN St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra

2 Una serata di grazia do marked one of the greatest successes of his career. But on this particular eve- !is CD is released in celebration of the ning, something very special happened: 20th anniversary of world-renowned something that I felt – as I watched the tenor Marcelo Alvarez’s operatic debut performance – could only be described in June of 1994, as Almaviva in a pro- as “magical.” I said to myself, “I won- duction of Il Barbiere di Siviglia in his der if I’m the only one who is thinking native city of Cordoba in Argentina. this?” Yet, a$er the performance, I was happy to learn that friends and col- !e inspiration for this recording was leagues in attendance were similarly af- born of a sincere and deeply rooted ap- fected; they felt that they had been priv- preciation of this great singer’s artistry. ileged to experience something so In every singer’s career, there are some extraordinary that it could indeed only performances that leave especially power- be called “una serata di grazia.” ful impressions on the audience. In Italy, such an evening is called “una serata di Among my colleagues present was con- grazia,” meaning that the artist #nds him- ductor Constantine Orbelian, who has self “graced” with the ability to ful#ll all made many important recordings for his artistic intentions to the highest degree Delos. Constantine approached me, – which in turn leaves the audience with obviously deeply moved by the perfor- the memory of something very special, mance he had just witnessed, and said perhaps even unforgettable. Such an event to me, “We must make several record- took place on December 4, 2012 at the ings with Alvarez; this was one of the Metropolitan Opera, where Alvarez was greatest performances I have seen in my starring in performances of a new pro- many years of going to the opera.” !en duction of Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera. and there, the idea for this recording, and for Alvarez’s association with De- Even at the production’s premiere, Alva- los, was born. rez’s interpretation of the role of Riccar-

3 !e story of Alvarez’s journey from Cor- Within seven days of his arrival in Milan doba to the world’s great stages is truly an in 1995, Alvarez had won a vocal com- inspiration to any singer or performer. petition in Pavia, prompting an o%er to Originally, he had no ambition at all to debut with the Teatro La Fenice in Ven- become a professional singer. It was his ice as Elvino in La Sonnambula. From wife Patricia who "rst realized the extent there, his career developed with almost and potential of his talent, and insisted unparalleled speed. He was soon invit- that he study classical singing. A#er a ed to make his debut appearances at the period of lessons, he began to look for a greatest theatres in the world, winning chance to make his professional start. As acclaim in Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, Vi- is so o#en is the case, the young tenor’s enna, Florence, Verona, Chicago, Ham- talent was not recognized in his own burg, and Munich. In 1998, only three country. However, he did get the chance years a#er his European start, Alvarez to sing for legendary tenor Giuseppe made his debut at the Metropolitan Op- Di Stefano, who was in Buenos Aires to era in a new production of La Traviata. hear young singers. Di Stefano was so !is was followed by debuts at the Royal impressed with the young tenor that he Opera Covent Garden in the title role of said, in front of the audience, “You have Les Contes d’Ho!mann, and at La Scala, good instincts; you remind me of myself as Carlo in Linda di Chamounix. when I was a young man.” Turning to the other people present, Di Stefano went on I "rst heard Marcelo Alvarez at a perfor- to say, “!is young man sings with his mance of La Traviata at Teatro La Fenice heart; he will have a great career,” and in Venice in 1996. I was, of course, im- urged Alvarez to move to Italy immedi- mediately taken with the beauty of the ately. Another legendary tenor, Luciano voice as well as the nobility of his sing- Pavarotti, also heard the young Alvarez ing and phrasing. In the last act, in the at an audition in Argentina, and invit- "nal duet with the dying Violetta, I ed him to attend his international voice heard colors and a volume that hinted competition in Philadelphia. at the direction this voice could very

4 possibly grow into someday. A!er the letto, Alfredo in La Traviata and Edgar- performance, I called my business part- do in Lucia di Lammermoor. But when ner, Alan Green, from my hotel in Me- – a!er his debut at the Berlin State Opera stre and said, “"is is not a light voice.” as Fenton in Falsta! – Maestro Claudio "ose few pages of music in the last Abbado o$ered him the role of Adorno Act made me think of what Alan calls in Simon Boccanegra the following sea- “the coming attractions” that his future son, Alvarez declined; instead, he slowly might bring. Indeed – even at the out- added roles such as Faust, Des Grieux in set of his career – many people foresaw Manon, Romeo in Romeo et Juliette, and that Alvarez would become a dramatic Gennaro in Lucrezia Borgia to his rep- tenor, and encouraged him to sing more ertoire. It was only a!er ten years of an dramatic repertoire. Famed laryngol- international career that Alvarez felt he ogist Dr. Maria Elena Berioli told him, could allow himself to begin to expand “You have the vocal cords of a dramatic into the heavier repertoire that many had tenor, and you will sing all the spinto/ urged him to sing earlier. One could say dramatic roles one day.” Dr. Berioli went that the “secret” of Alvarez’s career, aside on to counsel Alvarez to build his reper- from his obvious vocal gi!s and musical- toire slowly as he developed from lyric ity, has been his ability to plan his career roles into the more dramatic assign- carefully and sensibly, allowing for the ments she felt lay in his future. "is was natural development of his voice over advice that Alvarez took very seriously, time. It is such patience that now allows as the greatest danger for a young singer today’s audiences to hear him in roles is to advance into more dramatic reper- like Radames in Aida, Andrea Chenier, toire too quickly. "e careers of many Manrico in Il Trovatore, Don Alvaro in artists who have been unable to resist La Forza del Destino – and enables him this temptation have been cut short. to look forward to his debut as Turri- du and Canio in the current season, as Alvarez built his reputation by concen- well as his planned appearance as Dick trating on roles such as the Duke in Rigo- Johnson in La Fanciulla del West, Calàf

5 in Turandot, and Des Grieux in Manon covery by modern opera audiences, Lescaut in the future. hence their inclusion here. And who better to reintroduce them to the musi- What better way to celebrate Marcelo cal public than Marcelo Alvarez? Alvarez’s twenty years onstage than with this recording under the superb guid- Verismo, loosely translatable as “reality,” ance of Constantine Orbelian, featuring is the term applied to the late Romantic arias almost entirely new to the tenor’s (some say post-Romantic) artistic move- repertoire – thus allowing us to salute ment that encompassed painting, litera- the !rst two decade’s of Alvarez’s career ture and particularly opera towards the while also giving us an exciting glimpse end of the nineteenth century. While it of what is yet to come. !rst emerged in Italy, it quickly spread across Europe – though the term is still — Bruce Zemsky (with Alan Green) mostly associated nowadays with Italian Artistic Managers of Marcelo Alvarez opera. Discarding the o#en lo#y and elusive ideals of Romanticism, Verismo opera tended to concentrate on charac- "is recording, while it treats the listen- ters of lower class or of rustic origin, and er mostly to music of Italy’s so-called treated more common, but potentially “Verismo” movement, also includes scandalous themes like sexual jealousy two French arias that fall more into the and violence. Said themes were o#en “grand opera” tradition. Also heard is portrayed in sensational and melodra- a touching aria in Italian by a now-ob- matic ways that were designed to titil- scure Brazilian composer (Gomes) late jaded audiences. While the Verismo from an opera that doesn’t fall entirely movement is perhaps best exempli!ed into the Verismo category. But all three by operas like Ruggero Leoncavallo’s of these choice rarities were sung and Pagliacci and Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalle- recorded by the great tenors of the past ria Rusticana, its most revered practi- – like Caruso – and are ripe for redis- tioner remains Giacomo Puccini.

6 In this sterling collection, Marcelo Al- tenors. $e libretto was adapted from the varez – one of the supreme tenors of actual life story of the noted French poet, our time – explores both well-known André Chénier, who was executed during arias by the above masters as well as the French Revolution. $e convoluted a choice array of lesser-known pieces plot ends as the title hero and his beloved from their more obscure works. You’ll Maddalena, a deposed woman of the ar- also hear – possibly for the !rst time – istocracy, face the guillotine together. $e thrilling pieces from several other nine- aria “Un dì all’azzuro spazio” (also known teenth-century opera composers who as “L’improvviso”) comes in Act I, when were prominent in their day, but whose Maddalena – during a lavish ball – pesters music has since fallen into comparative a reluctant Andrea to improvise a poem. neglect. While this album hardly rep- Finally, angered, he improvises an im- resents the entire range of Alvarez’s op- passioned poem about the misery of the eratic repertoire, we at Delos o"er this poor, before lashing out at the aristocratic album as a richly-deserved tribute to a “establishment.” legendary artist, now in his twentieth year of distinguished operatic achieve- Colpito qui m’avete ment. ov’io geloso celo il più puro palpitar dell’anima. Or vedrete, fanciulla, qual poema 1. Giordano: Andrea Chénier - Un dì è la parola “Amor,” all’azzuro spazio (L’improvviso) qui causa di scherno!

A#er several unsuccessful earlier operatic Un di all’azzurro spazio e"orts, Umberto Giordano (1867-1948) guardai profondo, !nally produced his !rst smash hit, An- e ai prati col mi di viole, drea Chénier, in 1896. One reason the piove va l’oro il sole, opera has remained in the repertoire is e folgorava d’oro il mondo; that it is a vocal showcase for the !nest parea la Terra un immane tesor,

7 e a lei serviva di scrigno, come a un angelo. il !rmamento. E dissi: Su dalla terra a la mia fronte Ecco la bellezza della vita! veniva una ca’rezza viva, un bacio. Ma, poi, alle vostre parole, Gridai, vinto d’amor: un novello dolor, T’amo, tù che mi baci, m’ha còlto in pieno petto. divinamente bella, O giovinetta bella, o patria mia! d’un poeta non disprezzate il detto: E volli pien d’amore pregar! Udite! Varcai d’una chiesa la soglia; Non conoscete amor, là un prete nelle nicchie dei santi amor, divino dono, no lo schernir, e de la Vergine, accumulava doni... del mondo anima e vita è l’Amor! e al sordo orecchio un tremulo vegliardo invano You have struck me here, chiedeva pane, where I, jealous, e invan stenddea la mano! hide my soul’s purest pulse. Varcai degli abituri l’uscio; Now, young Lady, you will see un uom vi calunniava bestemmiando what a poem the word “Love” is: il suolo Here, a cause for ridicule che l’erario a pena sazia e contro a Dio scagliava, One day, deep in thought, e contro a li uomini I looked to the blue spaces, le lagrime dei !gli, And to the violet-strewn !elds, in cotanta miseria. La patrizia prole, the sun’s gold rained down – che fa? illuminating the gold of the earth; Sol l’occhio vostro the Earth seemed a vast treasure, esprime umanamente qui, and the skies served as a co"n to her. un guardo di pietà, To my face there came from the earth, ond’ io guardato ho a voi sì a vibrant caress, a kiss.

8 Overwhelmed by love, I shouted, has seized my heart. I love you who kisses me: Oh beautiful young lady, My divinely beautiful homeland! don’t demean a poet’s words. And I wanted to pray with great love! Listen! I passed through a church’s door, You don’t know love. where a priest, in the alcove of the Love’s a divine gi!; don’t ridicule it; saints the life and soul of the world is love! and of the Virgin, was gathering gi!s. And to his deaf ear, a trembling old man begged 2. Leoncavallo: Chatterton - Che più in vain for bread, mi resta and in vain reached out his hand. I entered a workman’s hovel, Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857-1919), one where a man was blaspheming: of the leading lights of the Verismo swearing at the earth movement, composed Chatterton – that barely "lls the treasury, his "rst attempt at an opera – in 1876, swearing against God soon a!er he graduated from the Naples and against men; Conservatory; its "rst production didn’t at the tears of his children happen until 1896. In keeping with the in such misery; the patrician o#spring; archetypal Romantic-era ideal of the what can they do? doomed poet, the plot is drawn from a Here, only your eye play that was in turn based on the true expresses humanely. story of the brilliant English youth, A look of pity, as I looked at you; %omas Chatterton, who committed you, like an angel. suicide at the age of eighteen. %e opera, And I said: despite later revisions, was never suc- Here’s life’s beauty! cessful in its day, and – save perhaps for But then, at your words, this aria – remains practically unknown A new sadness today. “Che più mi resta” is the despair-

9 ing poet’s outcry in Act II that all that 3. Leoncavallo: La Bohème - Testa ado- remains to him in life is his art. rata

Che più mi resta! Leoncavallo composed the “other” La Tu sola a me rimani o Poesia. Bohème (premiered in 1897) at about Veste di Nesso ch’io non so strappar. the same time Giacomo Puccini wrote Quel po’ che resta de la vita mia his like-titled opera; both works were sino il rantolo estremo ti vo’ dar! based on a “novel,” Scènes de la vie de L’ultimo canto de la mente stanca bohème (actually a loosely-connect- o dea severa a te senvolerà. ed series of stories) by Henri Murger. E canterò codesta neve bianca While the original stories – about Par- come il sudario che m’avvolgerà, is’s “Bohemian” scene – are somewhat che m’avvolgerà!! romanticized and lighthearted, both composers chose to emphasize the What else is there for me! more tragic aspects of the work. Despite Oh Poetry, only you remain mine. Leoncavallo’s most excellent music, his !at vest of Nessus that I cannot version was soon eclipsed by Pucci- tear o". ni’s treatment, and has since been only What little remains of my life rarely performed. Marcello’s aria, “Testa I give to you, until death’s #nal gasp! adorata,” comes towards the end of Act !e last lyric from a weary mind, III, as he bitterly bewails his loss a%er Oh, stern goddess, will $y to you. his lover, Musetta – weary of the impov- And I’ll sing of this white snow erished Bohemian life – has le% him for as the shroud a wealthy man. which will envelop me! Musetta! O gioia della mia dimora! È dunque ver che lungi ora sei tu? È dunque ver che t›ho scacciata or ora,

10 e che sul cor non ti terrò In the tedium of our silent room mai più? my bereaved heart weeps for those lost days! Testa adorata, più non tornerai lieta sul mio guanciale a riposar! Bianche manine ch’io sul cor scaldai, 4. Giordano: Fedora - Amor ti vieta più il labbro mio non vi potrà baciar! Gaie canzoni dei giorni d’amore Although Giordano is best known for la vostra eco lontana già fuggì. Andrea Chénier, his next e#ort, Fedora La stanza è muta e il vedovo mio cor (1898), was also a great success in its piange nel tedio quei perduti dì! time. But, despite the respect of musi- Quei perduti dì! cologists and some very attractive music, it remains far less frequently per- Musetta! O joy of my abode! formed today. In this complex tale of Can it be true that now you are far jealousy-inspired murder, a mistaken away? motive, fateful accusation, helpless ro- Can it be true that I drove you away mance and $nal suicide by poison, Prin- just now, cess Fedora ends up falling in love with and I will never again hold you Count Ipanov, her $ancé’s killer – a%er to my heart? learning that the alleged murder was in fact an act of self-defense. !e short aria Will you never return, happy again, “Amor ti vieta” comes in Act II, where to rest that adored head on my pillow? the two meet, and Ipanov declares his My lips will nevermore kiss the love for her. little white hands that I warmed on my heart. Amor ti vieta di non amar: !e distant echo of your voice has la mana tua lieve che mi respinge, already "ed cerca la stretta della mia man; the merry songs of those days of love. la tua pupilla esprime:

11 T’amo! se il labbro dice: Finally, the actual betrayal plays itself Non t’amerò! out before an unsuspecting audience, ending when Canio murders both Ned- Love itself forbids the denial of your da and her lover onstage. love: your gentle hand pushes me away, Recitar! yet also seeks my hand’s pressure; Mentre preso dal delirio, your eyes say: “I love you!” non so più quel che dico, But your lips form the words: e quel che faccio! “I shall not love you.” Eppur è d’uopo, sforzati! Bah! Sei tu forse un uom? 5. Leoncavallo: Pagliacci - Vesti La Giub- Tu se’ Pagliaccio! ba Vesti la giubba e la faccia infarina. Leoncavallo’s Bohème may have fallen La gente paga, e rider vuole qua. into neglect, but Pagliacci, his dramat- E se Arlecchin t’invola Colombina, ically gripping “play within a play,” has ridi, Pagliaccio, kept his name alive. Cast in two brief e ognun applaudirà! acts, the work is usually paired with an- Tramuta in lazzi lo spasmo ed il pianto other short opera, most o!en Mascagni’s in una smor#a il singhiozzo il dolor, Cavalleria Rusticana. Canio, directing Ah! an itinerant troupe of actors, suspects Ridi, Pagliaccio, that his wife, Nedda, is having an a"air. sul tuo amore infranto! “Vesti la giubba,” one of the most iconic Ridi del duol, che t’avvelena il cor! of spinto tenor arias, is Canio’s heart- rending outpouring as he sings that he Act! must don his clown’s costume and make While in such delirium, his audience laugh – even though he is I no longer know what I’m saying, weeping within at his wife’s in#delity. or what I’m doing! 12 And yet I must make an e!ort! protagonist Milio’s a!air with French mu- Bah! sic hall singer Zaza, who investigates a Aren’t you a man? report that he was seeing another wom- You’re a clown! an (actually, his wife). In Milio’s Act III aria, “O mio piccolo tavolo,” He sings to So don your costume and powder your his cluttered desk, encumbered (like his face. heart) with despair and confusion as he People pay to come here, resolves to break o! the a!air. and they want to laugh. And if Harlequin steals your Colum- Oh mio piccolo tavolo ingombrato bina, sì come è ingombro di sgomento il laugh, clown, so the crowd will cheer! cuore! Turn your anguish and tears into jest, Domani a Saint-Etienne sarò tornato your agony and sobs into a funny face l’ultima volta ... a salutar l’amore! – Ah! Come dirle ch’io parto? oh come fare Laugh, clown, a lasciarla? A mentire? Il labbro mio at your broken love! come le giurerà di ritornare Laugh at the misery that poisons your mentre che il cuore le darà l’addio? heart! Mai più, Zazà, raggiar vedrò da gli occhi tuoi la #amma de l’amor! 6. Leoncavallo: Zaza - Oh mio piccolo E mormorar piu non t’udrò tavolo calde parole, stretta sul mio cor. Oh baci, oh nostre tenere ebbrezze, Leoncavallo’s comic opera Zaza, while notti incantate, lunghe carezze heard only rarely nowadays, enjoyed sereni dì! greater success during the composer’s life- Il nostro amore è naufragato, time than any of his other operas save for e ci ha travolti l’onda del fato! Pagliacci. "e plot revolves mostly around Tutto #nì!

13 Oh, my little table, cluttered – of the Verismo repertoire, and remains just like my heart – with despair! his most popular work – well known Tomorrow I’ll return to Saint-Etienne by virtue of its frequent double-bill to greet love for the last time. pairing with Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci in How can I tell her I’m leaving? Oh, how performance. "e hero Turridu, having can I leave her? And lie to her? returned home a#er military service to How can my lips swear to return $nd his beloved has married another, even as my heart says goodbye? quickly becomes embroiled in a jealousy-ridden “love-quadrangle,” including Nevermore, Zazà, will I see the vengeful seduction of young San- your eyes glow with love’s !ame, tuzza, whom he has promised to marry. or hear you murmur ardent words “Mamma, quel vino è generoso,” coming close to my heart. a#er Turridu has been challenged to a Oh kisses, oh our tender bliss, duel to the death, is his anxiety-ridden enchanted nights, constant caresses, plea to his mother to bless him and also serene days! be a good mother to Santuzza, should he Our love has foundered not return. He then goes out to die at the under the waves of fate! hand of his rival. It is no more! Mamma, quel vino è generoso, e certo 7. Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana - oggi troppi bicchieri Mamma, quell vino è generoso ne ho tracannati. Vado fuori all’aperto. Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945) scored a Ma prima voglio public sensation in 1890 with his sin- che mi benedite gle-act Cavalleria Rusticana, credited by come quel giorno many as signaling the birth of the Ver- che partii soldato. ismo movement in opera. It‘s a paragon E poi ... mamma ... sentite...

14 S’io ... non tornassi ... It must be the wine! Voi dovrete fare Pray to God for me! da madre a Santa, A kiss, mother! ch’io le avea giurato Another kiss… farewell! di condurla all’altare.

Oh! nulla! 8. Puccini: Turandot – Non piangere, È il vino che mi ha suggerito! Liù Per me pregate Iddio! Un bacio, mamma... Giacomo Puccini’s (1858 -1924) Turan- Un altro bacio ... addio! dot – his dramatic tale of a cold and ruthless Chinese princess – remained Mother, un!nished at the time of the composer’s that wine is strong, and I know death in 1924. Despite Puccini’s wishes that I have drunk that the opera be completed by Riccar- too many glasses today. do Zandonai, it was eventually !nished I’m going out for some fresh air. by Franco Alfano, based on the com- But !rst I ask poser’s sketches. In this, the !rst of the you to bless me, album’s pair of arias from Turandot, the as you did on that day servant girl Liù has been secretly in love when I went away to be a soldier. with the “Unknown Prince” (Calàf, the And ... mother … listen … male lead) ever since he had smiled at If I ... don’t come back … her years before in happier times. In Act You must be I, she weeps as she begs him not to risk a mother to Santa, death by attempting to answer Turan- whom I have promised dot’s test of answering three riddles, to take to the altar. for which any wrong answer will cost her suitor his head. In “Non piangere, Oh, no reason! Liù,” Calàf tenderly tells her not to cry,

15 and bids her to remain loyal to Timur, I smiled at you, his elderly father, should he not pass for that smile’s sake, Turandot’s riddle test. Liù later commits my sweet girl, suicide rather than reveal the true name hear me: of her beloved “Unknown Prince” un- Your lord will be, der torture. perhaps tomorrow, alone in the world. Non piangere, Liù Don’t leave him behind; se in un lontano giorno Take him with you. io t’ho sorriso In his exile, per quel sorriso, you ease his journey. dolce mia fanciulla !is... this... m’ascolta: oh my poor Liù, Il tuo signore of your humble, sarà, domani, yet faithful heart… forse, solo al mondo. asks he who no longer smiles! Non lo lasciar... portalo via con te. Dell’esilio, 9. Puccini: Turandot – Nessun dorma addolciscia lui le strade. Questo ... questo, One of the most popular tenor arias in all o mia piccola povera of opera, “Nessun dorma” comes in Act al tuo piccolo cuore III of Turandot, a"er Calàf has correctly che non cade answered all three of Princess Turandot’s chiede colui riddles, thereby winning her hand in mar- che non sorride più. riage. Turandot, however, reneges on her promise to marry the successful suitor Don’t weep, Liù, and resolves to execute him anyway, un- If, on a day long past, less she fails to discover his true name by

16 dawn the next day. Calàf – con!dent that and no one shall know my name. nobody will reveal his identity to her – No, no, sings ecstatically of his imminent victory. I will tell it upon your mouth when the light shines. Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma! And my kiss will melt Tu pure, O Principessa, the silence that makes you mine! nella tua fredda stanza, Vanish, o night! guardi le stelle Fade, stars! Fade, stars! che tremano d’amore At sunrise, I will win! e di speranza. I will win! I will win! Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me, il nome mio nessun saprà! No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò 10. Puccini: La Fanciulla del West - quando la luce splenderà! Ch’ella mi creda Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio che ti fa mia! Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West ("e Dilegua, o notte! Girl of the Golden West) is arguably the Tramontate, stelle! !rst-ever “spaghetti western” – or at least Tramontate, stelle! the !rst serious operatic treatment of All’alba vincerò! life in the American “wild west,” tales of Vincerò, vincerò! which were all the rage in Europe when it was composed in 1910. Musically, the Nobody will sleep! opera is a beautifully cra#ed master- Nobody will sleep! piece – though its insipid plot and lack of Even you, o Princess, show-stopping dramatic moments have in your frigid chamber, relegated it to subordinate status among gaze at the stars, Puccini’s mature works. Still, it contains that shiver with love and with hope. many attractive moments for the lead But I hide my secret within me, tenor, Dick Johnson (AKA Ramirez, the

17 notorious bandit), who – a!er his decla- 11. Gomes: Lo Schiavo - Quando ration of love to heroine Minnie once she nascesti tu has learned his true identity – resolves to change his ways and live an honest life %e Brazilian Antônio Carlos Gomes for her sake. “Ch’ella mi creda” comes in (1836-1896) enjoyed the distinction of Act III, as Johnson – about to be hanged being the #rst composer from the New by enraged miners – begs them to tell World to achieve success in Europe. He Minnie that he is free and far away… burst upon the scene between the lead- before Minnie arrives with a six-gun and ing Italian masters Verdi (who called him rescues him; they then ride o" to make a a “true musical genius”) and Puccini, and new life together. was pegged as a composer to watch following the acclaimed premiere of his Il Ch’ella mi creda libero e lontano, Guarany. But Lo Schiavo (the slave) fell sopra una nuova via di redenzione! afoul of Italian censors, who were still Aspetterà ch’io torni wary of operas with themes of liberation e passeranno i giorni, and class con$ict, forcing him to return ed io non tornerò. to Brazil to stage its premiere in Rio de Minnie, della mia vita mio solo #ore, Janeiro. “Quando nascesti tu” comes in Minnie, che m’hai voluto tanto bene! Act II, as the hero Americo, the son of a Ah! Tu della mia vita mio solo #or! Brazilian aristocrat, sings of his love for the enslaved Indian girl Ilara. Let her believe I’m free and far away, headed for a new life of redemption! All’istante partir di qui vorrei, She’ll wait for my return, ma non poss’io. and the days will pass, L’ importuna insistenza e insiem lo and I won’t come back. scherno Minnie, the only $ower of my life, sopportar perchè? Minnie, you who have loved me so much! Ah! No! Si parta. A questa dura prova Ah! You, the only $ower of my life! regger non so!

18 Che tento ? Al padre mio Quando nascesti tu nasceva il sole! di rimaner promisi. Nasceva il sole! l’ attenderò! I would leave right now, Ei qui verrà... Delle mie pene il premio but I cannot. sarà la man d’Ilàra, Why should I endure chè un’ altra amar non so! both persistent demands and scorn? Ah! No! We shall part. I cannot bear Quando nascesti tu nasceano i "or this bitter ordeal. che il ciel baciò: E in me sorgeva insieme quel amor What am I saying? I promised che mi beò! my father that I would stay. E "n d’ allora I’ll wait for him! ardente il cor sull’ali d’or He shall come here; for my tribulations, a te volò! the hand of Ilàra will be the reward, Quando nascesti tu nasceva il sole - for none other can I love. che ti irradiò: Ed il soave olir delle viole When you were born, t’ addormentò! so were the #owers that heaven kissed: Così nell’estasi And suddenly an enthralling love fra’ baci miei, arose within me! la ti vorrei And at that moment, addormentar: my ardent heart #ew out to you Sogni di gloria, on golden wings! Oro e trofei, When you were born, Tutto disprezzerei the sun was born Sol di poterti amar! that bathed you in its rays:

19 And the sweet scent of violets her imprisoned and condemned to death lulled you to sleep! for her a"air with a Christian nobleman. Just so, with ecstatic kisses, In his Act IV aria, “Rachel, quand du sei- would I bring you to slumber: gneur,” Eleazar laments that he has only Dreams of glory, wanted Rachel’s happiness, but has in- gold and trophies: stead caused her condemnation – before I would scorn them all, giving voice to his determination to save if only I could love you! her by revealing her true identity.

When you were born, the sun was Rachel, quand du Seigneur born! la grâce tutélaire !e sun was born! a mes tremblantes mains con#a ton berceau, j’avais à ton bonheur 12. Halévy: La Juive – Rachel, quand du voué ma vie entière. seigneur Et c’est moi qui te livre au bourreau! J’avais à ton bonheur Fromental Halévy’s (1799-1862) La Juive voué ma vie entière, (!e Jewess) was one of the nineteenth et c’est moi qui te livre au bourreau, century’s most admired operas, seen by some as an early plea for religious toler- Mais j’entends une voix qui me crie: ation. Loosely based on actual Medie- Sauvez-moi de la mort qui m’attend! val history, it tells the tale of Eleazar, an Je suis jeune et je tiens à la vie, Italian Jewish goldsmith who had been ô mon père épargnez votre enfant, banished by his nemesis, Count Brogni. je suis jeune et je tiens à la vie; By an ironic twist of fate, Eleazar had ô mon père, ô mon père, found and raised the Count’s lost infant épargnez votre enfant! daughter as Rachel, his own child. Brog- ni – now a Cardinal – unknowingly has Ah! Rachel, quand du Seigneur (etc.)

20 Rachel, when the Lord’s saving grace libretto and the heroine’s preposterous, entrusted your cradle into my hands, “death-by-poisoned-violets” demise – I made your happiness leading some to call it the least realistic the avowed aim of my whole life opera of the Verismo genre. Still, tenors and it is I who am sending you can’t resist (among others) the Act II to your execution! aria “L’anima ho stanca,” in which hero Maurizio acknowledges his indebted- But I can hear a voice calling to me: ness to the Princess de Bouillon (who save me from the death which awaits loves him), but tells her that his faded me! love for her will become “a tender mem- I am young and I cling to life! ory” in his heart. O my father, spare your child! L’anima ho stanca, e la meta è lontana: Non aggiungete la rampogna vana 13. Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur - L’anima all’ansia che m’accora. ho stanca Assai vi debbo; ah! Ma se amor cadrà memore a$etto in Francesco Cilea (1866-1950) composed core, quite a few operas, but only two of in cor mi #orirà! them – L’a r l e s i a n a and Adriana Lecou- vreur – remain on the fringes of today’s My heart is tired, and distant is my goal: active repertoire. "e latter is loose- Do not add pointless rebukes ly based on an actual historical #gure, to the anguish that plagues me. the eighteenth-century French actress I owe you much, ah! Adrienne Lecouvreur, though much But if love dies, then a tender memory of the complex plot’s action is entirely will grow in my heart. #ctional. While chock-full of wonderful music, the work has long been dispar- aged by critics for both its confusing

21 14. Zandonai: Giulietta e Romeo – Giuliet- anima mia. ta, son io Così, Giulietta. Ma le fredde mani or sui capelli tuoi Riccardo Zandonai (1883-1944) was voglio posare, hailed by Ricordi, the publisher of his voglio posare un cor sopra il tuo core operas, as “Puccini’s heir”– yet today, e la bocca che il pianto ha lacerato, most of his music is forgotten. While vuol la tua bocca, la tua bocca, amore. his dramatic style was, indeed, similar Ah! Come, dimmi, ti potrò invocare, to that of his illustrious predecessor, his con quale nome più soave santo? musical language incorporated some of Ah! Come, dimmi, ti saprò destare, the more accessible aspects of 20th-Cen- con qual grido, tury music (i.e., whi!s of Debussy and con qual dolce pianto, R. Strauss) and his juicy orchestrations con quale ardente bacio, anima mia? o"en projected greater dramatic and Giulietta mia, Giulietta mia, Giulietta! emotional weight than his vocal parts. Oh! morta! morta! Dannato me! His Giulietta e Romeo is, of course, an- Son io, son io, Romeo... ohimè! other operatic treatment of the famous Shakespeare play. “Giulietta, son io” Giulietta, it is I, I – can’t you see me? is Romeo’s heartbroken lament as he I who weep no more, I who beg you, stands at the tomb of the Capulets, be- I who come to die at your feet, fore Giulietta revives to join her lover in because without you, my love, their #nal duet of impassioned doom. I die blessed and in despair. Like this, Giulietta. Giulietta, son io, io, non mi vedi? But I want to touch your hair with my Io che non piango più, chilled hands, io che t’imploro, I want to place my heart against yours io che vengo a cader morto ai tuoi piedi – and my lips, that have been torn by perchè beato e disperato moro senza tears, di te, want your lips, your lips, my love.

22 Ah! Tell me, how else can I call you, an overwhelming Moorish army, before with what more sweet and blessed leading his forces to victory. name? Ah! tell me, how can I wake you, Ah! tout est bien #ni. with what cry, with what so! lament, Mon beau rève de gloire, with what ardent kiss, my beloved? mes rèves de bonheur My Giulietta, my Giulietta, Giulietta! s’envolent à jamais! Oh! dead! dead! I am wretched! Tu m’as pris mon amour, It is I, it is I, Romeo… Alas! tu me prends la victoire, Seigneur, je me soumets!

15. Massenet: Le Cid - O Souverain O Souverain, O Juge, O Pere, toujour viole, present toujours "e remarkably proli#c Jules Massen- et (1842-1912) was a prominent and Je t’adorais au temps prospere, highly in$uential #gure on the French et te benis aux sombres jours. late-Romantic scene. Quite a few of his Je vais ou ta loi me reclame nearly three dozen operas enjoyed wide- libre de tous regrets humains. spread success, though only Werther and Manon have retained a consistent O Souverain, O Juge, O Pere, toe-hold in the modern repertory. Some ta seul image est dans mon ame interest in Le Cid, #rst staged in 1885, que je remet entre tes mains. has recently been revived, with several notable productions in recent seasons O #rmament, azur, lumiere, a!er nearly a century of neglect. Set in esprits d’en haut penche sur moi 11th-century Spain, during the height of c’est le soldat qui desespere the Moorish wars, “O Souverain, o Juge, mais la chretien garde sa foi. o Père” is hero Rodrigues’ fervent Act III prayer on the eve of battle against Tu peux venir, tu peux paraitre

23 aurore du jour eternal. Oh heaven above, so blue, so bright. Oh bright spirits soaring above me, O Souverain, O Juge, O Pere, this soldier may be in anguish, le serviteur d’un juste maitre but this Christian’s faith will endure. répond sans crainte a ton appel. You may come, you may appear to me O Souverain, O Juge, O pere! on that eternal day.

Ah, so it is now !nally done, Oh Sovereign Lord, My Judge, My my sweet dream of glory Father; and my dream of happiness as a servant of a just master, have gone away forever. Fearless, I will obey your call. You take away my love, you take away my victory. Oh Sovereign Lord, My Judge, My Lord, I submit myself to you Father!

Oh Sovereign Lord, My Judge, My - Notes by Lindsay Koob Father; ever veiled, but always present

I loved you in good times, MARCELO ALVAREZ is internation- and I bless you on somber days. ally recognized as one of the most im- I will follow your law, portant tenors of this era and has been free of human remorse. acclaimed at virtually all the great opera houses of the world including the Oh Sovereign Lord, My Judge, My Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Father; Royal Opera Covent Garden, Opera none but your image National de Paris Bastille, Bavarian will I place in your hands State Opera, Munich, Vienna State Op-

24 era, and the Teatro Colon, Buenos Ai- at the Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Trieste, res. A"er establishing his internation- made his French stage debut in Toulouse al reputation in lyric roles such as the in June of 1997, and his Arena di Ve- Duke in Rigoletto, Edgardo in Lucia rona Debut in August 1997 in the same di Lammermoor, and the title roles in role. Alvarez was also heard as Alfredo Werther, Romeo et Juliette and Faust, in La Traviata at the Hamburg State in recent seasons he has received the Opera, the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, highest praise for his performances of the Teatro La Fenice in Venice and made the lirico spinto repertoire in roles in- his Spanish debut as Tonio in La Fille cluding Manrico in Il Trovatore, Ro- du Regiment in Bilbao. In the spring of dolfo in Luisa Miller, Riccardo in Un 1997 at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Ballo in Maschera, Cavaradossi in To- Alvarez sang his #rst performances of sca, Don Jose in Carmen, Radames in the title role of Massenet’s Werther at the Aida, Maurizio in Adriana Lecouvreur Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, and made and the title role in Andrea Chenier. his debut as Arturo in I Puritani at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna to tumul- Born in Cordoba, Argentina, Alvarez tuous acclaim. #rst began to study classical music when already in his twenties and established as $e 1997/98 season was especially im- a successful businessman. A"er making portant, as it marked several signi#- the decision to pursue a career in opera, cant debuts; Rigoletto in Buenos Aires, Alvarez sold his business, le" Argentina Werther in Brussels, Linda di Chamou- and arrived in Italy in 1995. He made his nix at the Teatro Alla Scala, as well as Italian debut in 1995 at Teatro la Fenice with the Orchestra of the Age of En- in Venice as Elvino in La Sonnambula, lightenment in London, and Falsta! at and – within the short span of the next the Berlin State Opera, in a new pro- two and a half years – rose to interna- duction conducted by Claudio Abba- tional prominence. He sang his #rst do. Alvarez made his #rst appearances performances of the Duke in Rigoletto with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden

25 (in Baden-Baden and at the Royal Al- He sang Faust in 2000, and Romeo in bert Hall), the Vienna State Opera, and Romeo et Juliette in 2004, both in new the Paris Opera in La Traviata. He productions at the Bavarian State Op- subsequently made his North Ameri- era in Munich. Alvarez made his actual can debut in November of 1998 in the Covent Garden debut in the title role of Metropolitan Opera’s new production O$enbach’s Les Contes d’Ho!mann in of Traviata, conducted by James Levine 2000. and directed by Franco Ze!relli; he also starred in two other new stagings of In 2003, Alvarez sang his "rst Rodolfo Traviata: at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in Luisa Miller: a production that can and at the Teatro Comunale in Florence. be seen as his entrance into the lirico-spinto repertoire. %e same year he In the "rst decade of his international sang his "rst Rodolfo in La Boheme career, Alvarez was heard predomi- at the Teatro alla Scala, followed by nantly in the lyric tenor repertoire, and his debut as Riccardo in Un Ballo in became especially identi"ed with roles Maschera at the Royal Opera, Covent such as the Duke, Alfredo, and Edgar- Garden in 2005. %e following year he do in Lucia di Lammermoor. Special sang his "rst Manrico in Il Trovatore at mention must also be made of the ti- the Teatro Regio in Parma, and imme- tle role in Massenet’s Werther, which diately therea#er his "rst Cavaradossi he sang in new productions in Vienna, in the Royal Opera’s new production of London and Munich as well as in many Tosca (also starring Angela Gheorghiu other theaters. His special a!nity for and Bryn Terfel) under the baton of the French repertoire led to many other Antonio Pappano. Don Jose in Carmen debuts. Des Grieux in Manon entered entered his repertoire in Toulouse in his repertoire at the San Carlo in Na- 2007. He went on to sing these roles all ples, a#er which he partnered Renee over the world; Rodolfo in La Boheme Fleming in the opera at both the Paris in Paris, London, New York, Zurich, Opera and at the Metropolitan Opera. Verona; Rodolfo in Luisa Miller for

26 his debuts in Madrid and Valencia as the Metropolitan Opera, Andrea Che- well as at La Scala in Milan; Manrico nier (also at the Met), Aida in a new in London, Zurich, New York, Verona, production in Paris, and La Gioconda and Milan; Cavaradossi in Berlin, Vero- at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He has na, Rome, New York, Munich and Mi- appeared at La Scala in a new produc- lan; Riccardo in Ballo in Paris, Madrid, tion in each of the past seasons. #ese Berlin, Milan and Zurich; Carmen in have included Luisa Miller, Un Ballo in Florence, London, New York and at the Maschera, Tosca and Il Trovatore. In Choregies D’Orange as well as the Are- July of 2014 he made his debut at the na di Verona. Mariinsky #eatre in St. Petersburg, in two performances of Tosca. He also ap- His exploration of the spinto repertoire peared in St. Petersburg in a solo oper- continued in 2009 with his assumptions atic concert, as well as in Moscow in a of the roles of Maurizio in Adriana Le- concert dedicated to the Tango. couvreur in Turin and the title role in Andrea Chenier in Paris. In 2010, Al- In the current season, Alvarez will sing varez sang his "rst Radames in Aida his "rst Canio in Pagliacci in Monte in a new production at the Royal Op- Carlo, followed by new productions of era, Covent Garden under Nicola Lui- Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci at sotti and staged by Sir David McVicar. the Metropolitan Opera, in which he He made two further debuts with the will sing both Turridu and Canio. Alva- Opera de Paris at the Opera Bastille, rez returns to Paris for new productions appearing as Don Alvaro in La Forza of Tosca and Adriana Lecouvreur, and del Destino in 2011 and as Enzo in La will also perform Tosca in Berlin and Gioconda in 2013. Sao Paulo.

Highlights of recent seasons have in- Marcelo Alvarez has been heard cluded new productions of Tosca, Un throughout Europe in solo concert in Ballo in Maschera and Il Trovatore at cities including Berlin, Rome, Moscow,

27 Athens, Frankfurt, and at the Chore- best of each.” (Fanfare) For over 20 years gies D’Orange. Marcelo Alvarez’s "rst the brilliant American pianist/conductor solo CD, “Bel Canto” on Sony Classics, has been a central "gure in Russia’s mu- was issued in the autumn of 1998, and sical life — as Music Director of the Mos- since then he has recorded three other cow Chamber Orchestra and the Philhar- solo discs for Sony: a disc devoted to monia of Russia, and as frequent guest the Argentine Tango by Carlos Gardel, conductor with other illustrious Russian “French Opera Arias” and “#e Tenor’s orchestras. In 2013 he also became Chief Passion,” a collection of some of the Conductor of the Kaunas City Symphony most popular operatic arias, as well as Orchestra. He tours with American stars a disc of Verdi arias for Decca. Alva- in Russian and European music centers, rez can also be heard in the complete and with Russian stars in North American recording (and DVD) of Manon with music centers, and extends these splendid Renée Fleming, recorded live at the collaborations to tours in Europe, UK, Opera de la Bastille in Paris. He can be Japan, Korea, and other music capitals seen in several other DVDs, such as La throughout the world. Boheme from the Teatro alla Scala, Tos- ca from L’Arena Di Verona and the Met- Orbelian’s appointment in 1991 as Music ropolitan Opera, Rigoletto from Covent Director of the Moscow Chamber Or- Garden and from the Liceo in Barcelo- chestra was a breakthrough event: he is na, Lucia di Lammemoor from Naples, the "rst American ever to become music Werther from the Vienna State Opera, director of an ensemble in Russia. #is Adriana Lecouvreur from Genoa, and “American in Moscow” is well known as Un Ballo in Maschera from Madrid. a tireless champion of Russian-Ameri- can cultural exchange and international ambassadorship through his worldwide “CONSTANTINE ORBELIAN stands tours. In January 2004, President Pu- astride two great societies, and "nds and tin awarded Orbelian the coveted title promotes synergistic harmony from the “Honored Artist of Russia,” a title never

28 before bestowed on a non-Russian citi- “Where Are You, My Brothers?” and zen. In May 2010, Orbelian led the open- “Moscow Nights,” featured on many ing Ceremonial Concert for the Cultural tours and telecasts. On several occasions Olympics in Sochi, Russia — the !rst he has conducted historic live telecasts event setting the stage for Russia’s host- from Moscow’s Red Square, the latest of ing of the Olympic Games in 2014. In which took place on June 19, 2013, with 2012, Orbelian was awarded the Rus- Hvorostovsky and Anna Netrebko. sian Order of Friendship (ROF) Medal, the highest Russian award bestowed on Recently Orbelian has turned to !lm to non-Russians whose work contributes to create more of his unique American/Rus- the betterment of relations with the Rus- sian collaborations. His !rst !lm produc- sian Federation and its people. tion, “Renée Fleming and Dmitri Hvoros- tovsky: An Odyssey in St. Petersburg,” was “Orbelian has star quality, and his orches- !lmed in St. Petersburg’s most glorious tra plays with passion and precision,” !e palaces, and features the two superstars in Audio Critic wrote of his acclaimed series opera scenes and arias. "e !lm is in some of over 30 recordings on Delos. Among ways a culmination of Orbelian’s e#orts in his recent concert and televised appear- St. Petersburg, since he is founder and ances are collaborations with stars Renée Music Director of the annual Palaces of St. Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Petersburg International Music Festival. with Van Cliburn in Cliburn’s sentimen- tal return to Moscow, the great pianist’s Born in San Francisco to Russian and Ar- last performance. Opera News calls Or- menian emigré parents, Constantine Or- belian “the singer’s dream collaborator,” belian made his debut as a piano prodigy and commented that he conducts vocal with the San Francisco Symphony at the repertoire “with the sensitivity of a lie- age of 11. A$er graduating from Juilliard der pianist.” Orbelian’s frequent col- in New York, he embarked on a career as laborations with Hvorostovsky include a piano virtuoso that included appear- repertoire from their Delos recordings ances with major symphony orchestras

29 throughout the U.S., U.K., Europe, and !e ST PETERSBURG STATE SYM- Russia. His recording of the Khachaturi- PHONY ORCHESTRA (SPSSO) has an piano concerto with conductor Neeme long been a prominent "xture of St. Järvi won “Best Concerto Recording of Petersburg’s musical scene. Founded in the Year” award in the United Kingdom. 1967, the ensemble assumed its current status in 1985, and has since performed From his 1995 performance at the 50th under many of the world’s leading con- Anniversary Celebrations of the United ductors. !e SPSSO has toured abroad Nations in San Francisco, to his 2004 extensively, boosting its reputation performance at the U.S. State Depart- as one of the world’s great orchestras. ment commemorating 70 years of dip- Among its many recordings are two for lomatic relations between Washington Delos: the Shostakovich cello concertos and Moscow, and a repeat State Depart- (DE 3444) and concertos for cello and ment appearance in 2007, all with the clarinet by Sean Hickey (DE 3448). Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Orbelian www.spb-orchestra.ru/en/about/ continues to use his artistic eminence in the cause of international goodwill. Recorded April 2014, Studio No. 5, St. He and his orchestras also participate Petersburg Radio in cultural enrichment programs for Executive Producer: Carol Rosenberger young people, both in Russia and the Producer/Engineer: Alexei Barashkin U.S. In 2001 Orbelian was awarded the Mastering Engineer: David v.R. Bowles Ellis Island Medal of Honor, an award (Swineshead Productions, LLC) given to immigrants, or children of im- Booklet editor/program notes: Lindsay migrants, who have made outstanding Koob contributions to the United States. Art design/layout: Lonnie Kunkel Translation assistance: Dennis Adams © 2014 Delos Productions, Inc., P.O. Box 343, Sonoma, CA 95476-9998 (707) 996-3844 • Fax (707) 320-0600 • (800) 364-0645 [email protected] • www.delosmusic.com Made in USA 30 CONSTANTINE ORBELIAN

31 MARCELO ALVAREZ 32