Eastman Chorale
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~ PROGRAM ~ Eastman Chorale I A.M.D.G. (1939) Benjamin Britten O Deus, eg amo te (1913-1976) Prayer I 6’ Rosa mystica William Weinert, conductor II Heu me, Domine Vicente Lusitano (1520 - 1561) 4’ Herbstlied, op. 48, no. 6 Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847) 3’ Eastman Chorale Revecy Venir du Printans Claude Le Jeune (1530 - 1600) Gilbert Donohue, Anna Lenti, 3’ James Wolter, conductor Eric Meincke, James Wolter, and William Weinert, conductors III Da Jakob vollendet hatte Johann Hermann Schein (1586 - 1630) 5’ Alexander Little, continuo organ Eric Meincke, conductor Nigra Sum Sed Formosa: A Fantasia on Microagressions Jonathan Woody (b. 1983) 6’ Sunday, November 1, 2020 Remember not, Lord, our offences Henry Purcell (1659 - 1695) Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre 3’ Cor mio, mentre mi viro Claudio Monteverdi 3pm (1567 - 1643) 2’ James Wolter, conductor ~ INTERMISSION ~ ~ PROGRAM (continued) ~ ~ PROGRAM NOTES, TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS ~ IV Trois Chansons de Charles d’Orleans Claude Debussy 1. Dieu! qu’il la fait bon regarder! (1862 - 1918) 2. Quant j’ai ouy le tambourin 7’ Lauren Case, mezzo-soprano 3. Yver, vous n’estes qu’un villain Meg Brilleslyper, soprano Lauren Case, mezzo-soprano A.M.D.G. Alexander Nick, tenor Britten’s A.M.D.G. cycle (1939) takes its name from the motto of the Sam Yuh, baritone Jesuit order: Ad majorem Dei gloriam (“To the greater glory of God”). William Weinert, conductor It’s texts are all by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-89), a Jesuit priest, and an important voice in 19th-century British poetry. The work was written during Britten’s sojourn in the United States after the outbreak of World War II, and was intended for a small ensemble that included Britten’s partner V Peter Pears. It is unlikely that the cycle was ever performed during Britten’s lifetime, and he withdrew the work. It was not published until thirteen years Songs of Farewell Charles Hubert H. Parry after Britten’s death. The entire cycle contains seven settings; proper order 1. My Soul, There is a Country (1848 - 1918) was never established by Britten. This afternoon we will hear three of the 2. I Know My Soul Hath Power to Know All Things 9’ seven movements. 3. Never Weather-Beaten Sail - William Weinert Gilbert Donohue, conductor O Deus, Ego Amo Te O God, I love thee, I love thee — Not out of hope of heaven for me VI Nor fearing not to love and be In the everlasting burning. Thou, thou, my Jesus, after me Musikalische Exequien, Op. 7 Heinrich Schütz Didst reach thine arms out dying, Concert in Form einer teutschen Begräbnis-Messe: (1585 - 1672) For my sake sufferedst nails and lance, “Nacket bin ich vom Mutterleibe kommen” 25’ Mocked and marred countenance, McKenzie Garey & Ella Torres, soprano solos Sorrows passing number, Veronica Siebert, mezzo-soprano solo Sweat and care and cumber, Joshua Carlisle & Jacob Hunter, tenor solos Yea and death, and this for me, Noah Sesling & Peter Schoellkopff, bass solos And thou couldst see me sinning: Then I, why should not I love thee, Andrew Van Varick, continuo organ Jesu so much in love with me? Anna Lenti, conductor Not for heaven’s sake; not to be Out of hell by loving thee; Not for any gains I see; But just the way that thou didst me I do love and I will love thee: What must I love thee, Lord, for then? — For being my king and God. Amen. Heu me, Domine Oratio Patris Condren: O Jesu Vivens in Maria Unfortunately, not much is known about African-Portuguese composer and Jesu that dost in Mary dwell, Be in thy servants’ hearts as well, theorist Vicente Lusitano. As the fi rst known published composer of color, In the spirit of thy holiness, his treatises on composition were published in three editions in the 1550s. In In the fulness of thy force and stress, 1551, he had a widely publicized debate with the theorist Nicola Vicentino. In the very ways that thy life goes Despite the judges declaring Lusitano as the winner, history books tend to And virtues that thy pattern shows, ignore Lusitano all together yet often give a brief mention of Vicentino. Heu In the sharing of thy mysteries; me, Domine comes from Lusitano’s unpublished manuscript on improvised And every power in us that is contrapuntal singing. In it we fi nd this motet of breathtaking harmonic Against thy power put under feet exploration using chromatic canons. In the Holy Ghost the Paraclete To the glory of the Father. Amen. Heu me, Domine, quia peccavi nimis Alas, my Lord, I have sinned greatly in vita mea: in the course of my life: quid faciam miser, What should I, poor wretch, do? Rosa Mystica ubi fugiam, In whom should I fi nd refuge nisi ad te, Deus meus? if not in you, my God? The rose in a mystery, where is it found? Is it anything true? Does it grow upon ground? — Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death, It was made of earth’s mould but it went from men’s eyes in die illa tremenda on that fearful day And its place is a secret and shut in the skies. quando coeli movendi sunt et terra. when the heavens are moved and the earth. Refrain — from the Matins of the Dead In the gardens of God, in the daylight divine Find me a place by thee, mother of mine. But where was it formerly? which is the spot That was blest in it once, though now it is not? — Mendelssohn’s Herbstlied departs from Nikolaus Lenau’s original poetry. It is Galilee’s growth: it grew at God’s will Instead of each new year bringing “Welkes Laub und welkes Hoffen” And broke into bloom upon Nazareth hill. (dying leaves and dying hopes) Mendelssohn’s new year now brings “Neues In the gardens of God, in the daylight divine Laub und neues Hoffen” (new leaves and new hopes). Here Mendelssohn I shall look on thy loveliness, mother of mine. changes the tempo and shifts to the parallel major creating a more Tell me the name now, tell me its name. optimistic ending than the original poem. The heart guesses easily: is it the same? — Mary the Virgin, well the heart knows, Holder Lenz, du bist dahin! Lovely spring you are gone! She is the mystery, she is that rose. Nirgends, nirgends darfst du bleiben! Nowhere nowhere may you stay! In the gardens of God, in the daylight divine Wo ich sah dein frohes Blüh’n Where I saw your happy blossoms, I shall come home to thee, mother of mine. Braust des Herbstes banges Treiben. Blusters Autumn’s uneasy struggles, Is Mary the rose then? Mary the tree? But the blossom, the blossom there, who can it be? — Wie der Wind so traurig fuhr How the wind goes so sadly Who can her rose be? It could be but one: Durch den Strauch, als ob er weine; Through the bush as if it cries; Christ Jesus our Lord, her God and her son. Sterbeseufzer der Natur Dying sighs of nature In the gardens of God, in the daylight divine Schauern durch die welken Haine. shudder through the decaying groves. Shew me thy son, mother, mother of mine. Wieder ist, wie bald, wie bald! Again, how soon, how soon! Does it smell sweet too in that holy place? — Mir dahin ein Jahr geschwunden. A year has faded to me. Sweet unto God, and the sweetness is grace: Fragend rauscht es durch den Wald: Asking as it rustles through the woods: O Breath of it bathes great heaven above Hat dein Herz sein Glück gefunden? Has your heart found its happiness? In grace that is charity, grace that is love. To thy breast, to thy rest, to thy glory divine Waldesrauschen, wunderbar Wood-breezes, wonderfully Draw me by charity, mother of mine. Hast du mir das Herz getroffen! you have stung my heart Treulich bringt ein jedes Jahr Every year faithfully brings Gerard Manley Hopkins Neues Laub wie neues Hoffen. new leaves like new hopes. Nikolaus Lenau Da Jakob vollendet hatte Continuing with the theme of new growth, Revecy venir du Printans Johann Herman Schein (1586-1630) lived a short life full of loss. In addition to celebrates life and the return of spring. This lively Renaissance chanson was the deaths of his wife and many of his children, Schein experienced the Thirty published after the composer’s death by his sister Cecile. In the preface she Years War which ravaged German speaking lands. Beyond deaths tied directly writes extensively about the importance of rhythm and how it can animate to fi ghting, the war caused further suffering due to the spread of disease and harmonies. The refrain alternates with verses which increase in forces from a famine. Under such conditions, the resources available greatly diminished for duet to quintet resulting in a sustained increase of energy throughout the work. his job at the famous Thomasschule in Leipzig, where Bach was to work a - James Wolter century later. First published in his Fontana d’Israel (1623), Da Jakob vollendet hatte contains striking, unprepared dissonances in the seconda practica, the style pioneered by Monteverdi. Attention to the mournful text is the primary Refrain: Refrain: Revecy venir du Printans. Here again comes the Spring, concern. Voices are subdued and low in the register when Jacob passes, and L’amoureuz’ et belle saizon. the amorous and fair season. falling gestures occur in imitation when Joseph falls on his father’s face. Syncopations during weeping create a momentary sense of metric uncertainty.