Tenore di forza Kristian Benedikt sings favorite tenor arias DE 3571 Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra Modestas Pitrėnas, conductor 1 DELOS DE 3571 TENORE DI FORZA • KRISTIAN BENEDIKT SINGS FAVORITE TENOR ARIAS BENEDIKTDELOS DE 3571 TENORE DI FORZA • KRISTIAN FAVORITE SINGS DELOS DE 3571 TENORE DI FORZA • KRISTIAN BENEDIKT SINGS FAVORITE TENOR ARIAS DELOS DE 3571 TENORE DI FORZA • KRISTIAN BENEDIKT FAVORITE SINGS TENORE DI FORZA Kristian Benedikt Sings Favorite Tenor Arias Arias from: Giuseppe Verdi: Otello • Camille Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila • Umberto Giordano: Andrea Chénier • Fromental Halévy: La Juive • Giacomo Puccini: La Fanciulla del West; Turandot • Richard Wagner: Die Walküre • Ruggero Leoncavallo: Pagliacci • P. I. Tchaikovsky: Queen of Spades • Jules Massenet: Le Cid • Amilcare Ponchielli: I Lituani • Vytautas Klova: Pilėnai Kristian Benedikt, tenor Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra Modestas Pitrenas, conductor Lithuanian National Opera Chorus Česlovas Radžiūnas, chorus master Total playing time: 68:10 DE 3571 © 2019 Delos Productions, Inc., P.O. Box 343, Sonoma, CA 95476-9998 (800) 364-0645 • (707) 996-3844 [email protected] • www.delosmusic.com Tenore di forza Kristian Benedikt sings favorite tenor arias 1. GIUSEPPE VERDI: Otello … Datemi 10. GIACOMO PUCCINI: Turandot … ancor l’eburnea mano — Dio mi potevi Nessun dorma (3:34) scagliar (5:36) 11. CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS: Samson et 2. CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS: Samson et Dalila … Vois ma misère, hélas! (9:05) Dalila … Arrêtez, ô mes frères! (6:45) 12. AMILCARE PONCHIELLI: I Lituani … 3. UMBERTO GIORDANO: Andrea Esultiamo nel nome del Signor (3:39) Chénier … Colpito qui m’avvete — Un di 13. VYTAUTAS KLOVA: Pilėnai … all’azzurro spazio (5:01) Aš papuošiu žirgo galvą pinavijom 4. FROMENTAL HALÉVY: La Juive … Va, (3:50) prononcer ma mort — Rachel, quand du Seigneur (8:54) 5. GIACOMO PUCCINI: La Fanciulla del Total Playing Time: 68:10 West … Una parola sola — Or son sei mesi (3:31) 6. RICHARD WAGNER: Die Walküre … Kristian Benedikt, tenor Ein Schwert verhiess mir der Vater (6:22) 7. RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO: Pagliacci Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra … Recitar! — Vesti la giubba (3:44) Modestas Pitrenas, conductor 8. PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY: Queen of Spades … Chto nasha zhizn? Igra! Lithuanian National Opera Chorus (3:03) 9. JULES MASSENET: Le Cid … Ah! Tout Česlovas Radžiūnas, chorus master est bien fini — Ô Souverain, ô Juge, ô Père (5:04) 2 1. Datemi ancor l’eburnea mano — d’angoscie e d’onte Dio mi potevi scagliar con calma fronte e rassegnato al volere del ciel. Otello — Giuseppe Verdi’s next-to-last Ma, o pianto, o duol! m’han rapito opera — is a tragic tale of jealousy and il mirraggio treachery, and stands as his greatest dra- dov’io, giulivo, l’anima acqueto. matic masterpiece. The title character, Spento è quel sol, quel sorriso, a brilliant Moorish general, has falsely quel raggio been led to believe by Iago — his trai- che mi fa vivo, che mi fa lieto! torous standard-bearer — that his wife, Tu alfin, Clemenza, pio genio immortal Desdemona, has been having an affair dal roseo riso, with Cassio, his captain. In Act III, Otello copri il tuo viso confronts Desdemona about her rela- santo coll’orrida larva infernal! tionship to Cassio, and — not believing her answer — commands her to leave. • Otello then — in “Datemi ancor l’eburnea Give me your ivory hand again, mano — Dio mi potevi scagliar” — asks I would make amends. God why he has afflicted him in such a I took you (forgive me way. The tragedy comes full circle in the if my thought displeases you) end, when Otello murders Desdemona in for that common courtesan a fit of jealous rage. that married with Othello. Datemi ancor l’eburnea mano, God! You could have rained upon my head vo’ fare ammenda. every affliction of poverty and shame, Vi credea (perdonate made of my heroic honors in battle se il mio pensiero è fello) a heap of ruination and a lie . quella vil cortigian and I would have borne the cross che è la sposa d’Otello. of torment and disgrace gladly and resigned to the will of heaven. Dio! mi potevi scagliar tutti i mali But — O tears and pain! – della miseria, della vergogna, to rob me of that vision far de’ miei baldi trofei trionfali in which my soul was joyfully wedded! una maceria, una menzogna… That sun has been snuffed out, E avrei portàto la croce crudel that smile, that ray 3 which gives me life and happiness! SAMSON That sun has been snuffed out, etc. Arrêtez, ô mes frères! Mercy, thou immortal Et bénissez le nom rose-lipped angel, du Dieu saint de nos pères! cover your holy face Car l’heure du pardon with the terrible mask of hell! est peut-être arrivée! Ou, j’entends dans mon coeur une voix elevée! 2. Arrêtez, ô mes frères! C’est la voix du Seigneur qui parle par ma bouche. Based on the biblical tale of Samson and Ce Dieu plein de bonté, Delilah from the Book of Judges, Camille que la prière touche, Saint-Saëns originally sought to retell the promet la liberté! story as an oratorio — but was persua- Frères, brison nos chaînes, ded to cast it in operatic form (Samson et relevons l’autel et Dalila) instead. It has remained one du seul Dieu d’Israël! of the handful of most beloved French operas ever since. The Philistines have LE CHOEUR enslaved and brutally oppressed the He- Hélas ! Paroles vaines ! brews. As Act I begins, Samson addresses Pour marcher aux combats, his dispirited fellow Hebrews, and — seek- où donc trouver des armes? ing to revive their faith and spirit of resis- Comment armer nos bras? tance — he exhorts them to rise up against Nous n’avous que nos larmes! their oppressors in his aria “Arrêtez, ô mes frères!” Attacked by the Philistine Satrap SAMSON Abimélech, the preternaturally strong L’as-tu donc oublié, Samson wrests the sword from him and celui dont la puissance kills him. The high priest of the Philistine Se fil ton allié? god Dagon then resolves to enlist the aid Lui qui, plein de clémence, of the beautiful Delilah to learn the secret a si souvent pour toi of his strength. fait parler ses oracles, et rallumé ta foi au feu de ses miracles? Lui qui, dans l’Océan, 4 Sut frayer un passage SAMSON a non pères fuyant O my brothers, cease! un honteux esclavage? and bless the name LE CHOEUR Of the holy God of our fathers! Ils ne sont plus, ces temps For perhaps the hour où le Dieu de nos pères of our pardon has come! protégeait ses enfants, Yes, I hear a most high entendait leurs prières. voice in my heart! It is the voice of the Lord SAMSON speaking though me. Malheureux, taisez-vous! This God, full of goodness, Le doute est un blasphème! moved by prayer, Implorons à genoux, promises our freedom! le Seigneur qui nous aime! Brothers, break our chains, Remettons dans ses mains and restore the altar le soin notre gloire, of the One God of Israel! et puis ceignons nos reins certains de la victoire! CHORUS C’est le Dieu des combats! Alas, empty words! C’est le Dieu des armées! To march to combat, In armera vos bras d’invincibles épées! where are we to find any weapons? How do we take up arms? LE CHOEUR All we have is our tears! Le souffle du Seigneur a passé dans son âme! SAMSON Chassons de notre coeur Can you have forgotten une terreur infame, him who joined et marchons avec lui his force to yours? pour notre délivrance. He, quick to forbear, Jéhovah le conduit Who has so often blessed et nous rend l’espérance! you in his oracles, and rekindled your faith • in the fire of his miracles? He who in the Ocean 5 did open a passage 3. Colpito qui m’avete — Un di to our fathers as they fled all’azzurro spazio a shameful bondage? After several unsuccessful earlier op- CHORUS eratic efforts, Umberto Giordano final- Those days are no more, ly produced his first smash hit, Andrea when the God of our fathers Chénier, in 1896. One reason the opera protected his children has remained in the repertoire is that it and listened to their prayers. is a vocal showcase for the finest tenors. The libretto was adapted from the actual SAMSON life story of the noted French poet André Silence, you wretches! Chénier, who was executed during the Doubt is blasphemy! French Revolution. The convoluted plot Let us kneel and implore ends as the title hero and his beloved the Lord who loves us! Maddalena, a deposed woman of the ar- once more let us entrust istocracy, face the guillotine together. The our glory to his hands, aria “Un dì all’azzuro spazio” (also known and then shall we gird our loins, as “L’improvviso”) comes in Act I, when sure of victory! Maddalena — during a lavish ball — pes- He is the God of battles! ters a reluctant Andrea to recite a poem. He is the God of armies! Finally, angered, he improvises an impas- He will put invincible weapons sioned poem about the true nature of love into your hands! and the misery of the poor, before lashing out at the aristocratic establishment. CHORUS The breath of the Lord Colpito qui m’avete has passed into his soul! ov’io geloso Let us chase from our hearts celo il più puro palpitar dell’anima. a coward’s fear, Or vedrete, fanciulla, qual poema and march with him è la parola “Amor,” for our deliverance. qui causa di scherno! Jehovah leads him and restores our hope.