Operatic Insights with Maestro Walker

Episode One APPENDICES

1) Leonore (1805), later Fidelio (1814) by Ludwig van Beethoven (17 Dec, 1770 to 26 Mar 1827)

Excerpts #1: “O Gott, O welch ein Augenblick” from Act III Finale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IoKDZpZzzM

Excerpts #2: “Preist mit hoher Freude Glut” from Act III Finale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n4z41JvdT8

This is the WHOLE opera, and the excerpt begins at 2:10:10

- The German libretto for Leonore can be found at https://www.cs.hs-rm.de/~weber/opera/LIBLIB/leonore.htm

- The German libretto and English translation for Fidelio (which is almost exactly the same for these excerpts) can be found at https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/beethoven-beethovens-opera-fidelio-german-text-with-an-english- translation

- The whole opera Leonore can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n4z41JvdT8

- If you wish to see short snippets from the WNO Leonore, to travel a bit down memory lane, have a look at our WCO: 2017 In Review video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr1f2ie6a5Q

2) Guillaume Tell (1829), by Gioachino Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868)

Excerpt: “Hymn to Libery” in the Act IV Finale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqMUXHS6F9U This is the WHOLE opera and the excerpt begins around 3:56:20

- Another version of the WHOLE opera, without video can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8UJmCaw5D4

- The French libretto and English translation can be found here http://www.murashev.com/opera/Guillaume_Tell_libretto_French_English

3) Nabucco (1836) by Giuseppe Verdi (9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901)

Excerpt: “Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate” in the Act IV Finale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiSSz0snWzA

- The WHOLE opera can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iX4HPVW-wI - The Italian libretto and English translation can be found here http://www.impresario.ch/libretto/libvernab_i.htm

4) Příhody lišky Bystroušky; (1924) by (3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928)

Excerpt:Leoš Janáček“Ale není tu Bystroušky!” (“But the little vixen is not here!”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm3ODPez-vs

- The WHOLE opera can be found here on a play list, conducted by my former mentor and specialist, Sir Charles Mackerras https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c_ocob38qo&list=OLAK5uy_mbHdi8Wjvi2jSnBvo7pf7RgxTxoqNkJanáček Lws&index=2 - The Czech libretto and English translation can be found here https://www.supraphon.com/catalogue/libretto/4

5) Jenůfa; (1904) originally titled Její pastorkyňa (Her stepdaughter) by (3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928)

Excerpt:Leoš Janáček“Odešli. Jdi také ” (“They have left now. You leave, too”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ne1QDiOYaI

- The WHOLE opera can also be found here, in a terrific production the Liceu in Barcelona with the incredible Nina Stemme.

I would urge you to at least watch from 1:48:37 to the end, to see the extraordinary scenes of

Kostelnička’shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFbRCiChA1g&list=PLwKrUkCF8qJ7HgCFAJ6n11e6Rw6AORHjq confession followed by the final duet. Incredible.

- The Czech libretto and English translation can be found here. It’s a bit tricky to go from Czech to English (and get rid of the Spanish), but it’s possible! http://kareol.es/obras/jenufa/acto3.htm

6) Der Rosenkavalier; (1911) by Richard Strauss (11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) Excerpt: “Ist ein Traum, kann nicht wirklich sein” (“Is this a dream, can this be really true”)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmvQAtZSzXA from 5:02

The excerpt starts at 5:02, but I would suggest you watch from the beginning to hear the stunning trio also. The tender embrace (in the original sense of the word) at 5:30 between the lovers is so beautifully staged.

- The WHOLE opera can also be found here, with von Karajan conducted an incredible cast (where the excerpt comes from). Each act is a different video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTNCCt_5DEs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycVHU4AJpNo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e5POsoowow&t=3428s - The German libretto can be found here http://www.operatoday.com/documents/Rosenkavalier_libretto.pdf - An acceptable English translation can be found here https://www.opera-arias.com/strauss-r/der-rosenkavalier/libretto/english/