669140-41bk Barber US 11/09/2003 11:14 am Page 36 AMERICAN OPERA CLASSICS Also available in this series: SAMUEL BARBER Vanessa Chickering • Matthews • Dry • Bauwens • Conrad • Lima National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine • Capella Dumka Gil Rose 8.559024 8.559088 8.559044 8.669140-41 36 669140-41bk Barber US 11/09/2003 11:14 am Page 2 Samuel (She kisses the Baroness.) (to the Baroness) Do you really think she believes what I said? ANATOL BARBER Goodbye, Erika. When I see you again (The Baroness pauses.) perhaps you will have learned to smile. (1910-1981) Grandmother? (Pause) Oh, I forgot that you will not ERIKA speak to me either now. I am truly alone! Vanessa I hope you will still be smiling (An opera in three acts) when I see you again. Goodbye, Anatol. (The Baroness sits by the fire.) DOCTOR (The Major-Domo comes in.) Vanessa, a lady of great beauty, in her late thirties . Ellen Chickering Goodbye, goodbye, my dear ones! (wiping his eyes) Will you please cover all the mirrors in this house Erika, her niece, a young girl of twenty . Andrea Matthews VANESSA (gently to Doctor) again. The Old Baroness, Vanessa’s mother and Erika’s grandmother . Marion Dry Please, please, no tears! Come in the sleigh with us, MAJOR-DOMO Anatol, a handsome young man in his early twenties . Ray Bauwens we shall drop you in the village. (astounded) What, Mademoiselle? The Old Doctor . Richard Conrad (The Major-Domo and a maid enter with coats and ERIKA Nicholas, the Major-Domo . Philip Lima wraps.) Yes, just as before. Begin with these now. ERIKA Footman, The Young Pastor, Servants, Guests, Peasants, their Children, Musicians. I shall wave goodbye from here. (The Major-Domo bows and exits.) The action takes place at Vanessa’s country house in a northern country about 1905. (Vanessa turns back and embraces Erika, then, after a (Erika fetches a veil similar to the one worn by last look, quickly leaves the room with Anatol and the Vanessa at the beginning of Act I. The Major-Domo Doctor. The Major-Domo closes the door and Erika is enters from the hall, followed by a servant with a left alone with the Baroness. She goes to the jardin stepladder and some drapes.) National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine d’hiver and looks out into the snow. One can see that she is making desperate efforts to control her inner From now on I shall receive no visitors. Ukrainian National Capella “Dumka” (Director: Yevhen Savchuk) agony. At the sound of the departing sleigh she weakly Tell the gatekeeper that the gate to the park raises her hand to wave goodbye.) must remain locked at all times. Thank you. Gil Rose (The Major-Domo leaves. (with a cry) Anatol, Anatol! Erika sits by the fire next to her grandmother.) This recording was made possible by a grant from Randolph Fuller. (She comes back into the room, leans against a chair Ah, that is good. as if she were about to collapse, but quickly Additional acknowledgments: Carole Charnow, Clive Grainger, Iona Grainger, Tania M. D’Avignon, straightens herself with a great determination and (The Major-Domo and the lackey drape the mirror.) goes to the wall to pull a bell-chord. The Baroness Now it is my turn to wait! and Christine Norman of Charles River Colpitts Travel. slowly moves toward her usual chair.) ¡ No, I must never say that name again. (Erika slowly covers her head with the veil, hiding her Lucky those people who are so anxious to believe! face.) 8.669140-41 2 35 8.669140-41 669140-41bk Barber US 11/09/2003 11:14 am Page 34 ANATOL To love is all of this CD 1 55:08 CD 2 65:51 You must hurry if we wish to reach the station before and none of it is love. dark. The light is not the sun 1 Opening 1:30 ACT II (Vanessa goes near the door where a group of nor the tide the moon. servants has assembled to bid her ACT I 1 Entr’acte - The Count and Countess d’Albany 3:34 goodbye.) ANATOL Scene 1 2 I should never have been a doctor 3:21 To leave, to break ... 3 Here you are! 1:33 VANESSA 2 Potage crème aux perles 2:13 4 At last I found you 1:29 (to a maid) Bring me down my things, Clara. THE OTHERS 3 No, I cannot understand 5:36 5 Love has a bitter core, Vanessa 4:53 (embracing her) Oh, do not cry, silly thing. Ah, Anatol, how hard it will be, 4 Must the winter come so soon? 2:19 6 Nothing to worry about 6:51 (She talks to each one of the servants who, in turn, the backward road of regret! 5 Listen...they are here! 1:48 kisses her hand.) 6 Do not utter a word, Anatol 5:07 ACT III VANESSA 7 Yes, I believe I shall love you 2:04 Scene 1 ANATOL To find, to keep ... 8 Who are you? 5:53 (who has remained downstage next to Erika) 7 Why did no one warn me? 5:06 There was a time, Erika, when I thought THE OTHERS Scene 2 8 Why must the greatest sorrows come 2:27 that it would be with you Ah, poor Vanessa, only to die 9 There, look! 3:25 that I should leave this house. empty-handed! 9 And then? 4:15 0 On the path to the lake 3:08 (Vanessa takes the Major-Domo in her arms 0 No, you are not as good a skater ! Anatol, tell me the truth! 1:14 affectionately. The Doctor comes ERIKA as your father was 3:02 @ Take me away 1:28 back into the room and stops by Vanessa’s side.) To stay, to wait ... ! Under the willow tree 2:45 # Grandmother! Yes, Erika 2:59 @ Erika, I am so happy 0:56 $ Intermezzo 4:18 ERIKA (to Anatol) THE OTHERS # I must tell you what happened 2:50 Please forget me. Erika, Erika, only to kiss the impostor! $ Did you hear her? 4:10 Scene 2 Make her happy, Anatol. % Outside this house the world has changed 5:29 Remember that she loves you the way I never could. DOCTOR AND BARONESS ^ Orchestral interlude; Hymn 5:12 % By the time we arrive in Paris 1:10 (Vanessa comes back into the middle of the room, To weep, to hope ... ^ For every love there is a last farewell 2:10 followed by the Doctor.) & And you, my friend 2:33 THE OTHERS * Erika, before I leave you 4:09 VANESSA And you old people, ( To leave, to break 3:56 Let me look around once more. may Death release you ) Goodbye, be happy, Aunt Vanessa 2:39 Who knows when I shall see this house again! before you too clearly remember ¡ No, I must never say that name again 3:31 (She looks around her. There is a long silence.) or cease to dream! (The Baroness has risen and they all stand quite VANESSA motionless.) Goodbye, Erika. (kisses her) ( ALL ) ERIKA To leave, to break, Goodbye, be happy, to find, to keep, Aunt Vanessa, please be happy. to stay, to wait, to hope, to dream, VANESSA to weep and remember. Goodbye, Mother. 8.669140-41 34 3 8.669140-41 669140-41bk Barber US 11/09/2003 11:14 am Page 4 Samuel Barber (1910-1981) ERIKA Tell me, Erika, was it because of Anatol? Vanessa You, too, were young when you came back here. ERIKA Samuel Barber was almost 48 years old when his first works; in fact, this is probably the only instance of a VANESSA Anatol? opera, Vanessa, was produced by the Metropolitan composer providing a libretto for another composer Oh, but that was different. Oh no, no! Opera Company on 23rd January, 1958. His success as since the Boito-Verdi collaborations late in the a composer had come to him as a very young man, in nineteenth century. It was agreed that the Seven Gothic ERIKA VANESSA the late 1930s, mainly through his orchestral works. Tales of Isak Dinesen would provide the inspiration for Someone must take your place now. Swear! Yet, his love of the human voice (he studied singing at the story, yet Barber would have to wait two years for (looking at the Baroness) the Curtis Institute and thought seriously of becoming a even the first scene to materialise. He composed it She cannot be left alone. ERIKA professional singer) inspired him to compose a great during the summer of 1954, and begged his collaborator I swear. number of songs, many of which are standard repertory for more, but social and professional distractions VANESSA today. As a passionate devotee of opera from the age of prevented Menotti from further work on the libretto. I shall think of you always. VANESSA (turning her around to face her) six, when he was taken to the Metropolitan to hear The frustrated Barber then delivered an ultimatum: until Do take care of my azaleas and the parakeets Then what was it? Verdi’s Aida, with Caruso and with his aunt, Louise he had the full libretto in hand, he would not compose and don’t forget. Do not torment me, Erika. Homer, as Amneris, it does seem strange that it took another note. He later wrote in Opera News: “My tactic him so long to tackle the composition of an opera succeeded brilliantly; it made him so nervous that he sat ERIKA ERIKA himself, although there was the earlier work The Rose on a rock by the Mediterranean every morning until, by Do not worry, Aunt Vanessa.