SCHOOL OF MUSIC SENIOR RECITAL LAUREN NIEUWLAND, MEZZO SOPRANO Niki Tilton, Piano Studio of Ms. Jane Christeson February 9, 2008 4:30 P.M. Elizabeth Hall Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Giunse al fin il momento...Al desio, K. 577 (Le nozze di Figaro) Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Two Songs, Opus 91 Gestillte Sehnsucht Geistliches Wiegenlied Jesse Christeson, cello Ernest Chausson (1855-1899) Poeme de l'amour et de la mer, Opus 19 La fleur des eaux Interlude La mort de l'amour This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Music with an Outside Field. Out of courtesy to the performers, it is requested that cameras and recording equipment not be operated during the performance. Please turn off all cellular phones, beepers, and other electronic devices. STETSON UNIVERSITY Giunse alfin il momento...Al desio Mozart (1756-1791) Le Nozze di Figaro was revived in 1789 after not having been performed for a couple of years in Vienna. For this occasion Mozart replaced both arias of Susanna with new ( compositions, better suited to the voice of Adriana Ferrarese del Bene who took the role, one of which is Al desio K. 577. In this part of the opera, Susanna deliberately sings a love song to her beloved knowing that he can hear her. Figaro is hiding behind a bush and, thinking the song is for the Count, becomes increasingly jealous (which is Susanna's intention). Giunse alfin il momento As the night responds to my tricks. Che godro senza affanno The moment finally arrives In braccio all'idol mio. Timide cure, When I'll enjoy without haste Uscite dal mio petto, The arms of my beloved. A turbar non venite il mio diletto! Fearful anxieties, Oh, come par che all'amoroso foco get out of my heart! L'amenita del loco, Do not disturb my delight. La terra e il ciel risponda, Oh, it seems that earth, heaven and this Come la notte i furti miei seconda! place answer my heart's amorous fire Al desio di chi t'adora, Let my longing and supplication Vieni, vola, o mia speranza! Bring you, fly you to me, Moriro, se indarno ancora I shall die if our separation leaves me here Tu mi lasci sospirar. to sigh in vain. Le promesse, i giuramenti, Remember pledges spoken, Deh! rammenta, o mio tesoro! Let out plighted faith remain < E i momenti di ristoro I am hopeful of your devotion. Che mi fece Amor sperar! I was hopeful it would remain. Ah! ch'io mai piu non resisto No more my heart would show resistance All'ardor che in sen m'accende! For a flame within is burning Chi d'amor gli affetti intende, Hoping you will soon return Compatisca il mio penar. Sympathize with my sweet pain. Opus 91 Two Songs Brahms (1833-1897) Brahms' Op. 91 Two Songs for Alto, Viola and Piano is very unique. It falls into no category being neither lieder nor choral and is the only one of its kind. What is most interesting about these song settings is the soloistic nature of each instrumental part. Gestillte Sehnsucht is a Ruckert poem depicting "a golden evening" and counters the speaker's restless feelings, "desires that stir in my heart without rest." In Geistliches Wiegenlied, Brahms takes a very well-known German lullaby and matches it with a German translation of a Spanish poem describing Mary singing her son to sleep. Gestillte Sehnsucht In gold'nen Abendschein getauchet, Steeped in a golden evening glow, Wie feierlich die Walder stehn! how solemnly the forests stand! In leise Stimmen der Voglein hauchet In gentle voices the little birds breathe Des Abendwindes leises Weh'n. into the soft fluttering of evening breezes. Was lispeln die Winde, die Vogelein? What does the wind whisper, and the little Sie lispeln die Welt in Schlummer ein. birds? They whisper the world into slumber. Ihr Wtinsche, die ihr stets euch reget Im Herzen sonder Rast und Ruh! You, my desires, that stir Du Sehnen, das die Brust beweget, in my heart without rest or peace! Warm ruhest du, warm schlummerst du? You longings that move my heart, Beim Lispeln der Winde, der Vogelein, When will you rest, when will you sleep? Ihr sehnenden Wtinsche, wann schlaft ihr By the whispering of the wind, and of the ein? little birds? You yearning desires, when will you fall Ach, wenn nicht mehr in gold'ne Fernen asleep? Mein Geist auf Traumgefieder eilt, Nicht mehr an ewig fernen Sternen Alas, when no longer into the golden Mit sehnendem Blick mein Auge weilt; distance does my spirit hurry on dreamings, Dann lispeln die Winde, die Vogelein when no more on the eternally distant stars Mit meinem Sehnen mein Leben ein. does my longing gaze rest; Then the wind and the little birds will whisper away my longing, along with my life. Geistliches Wiegenlied Die ihr schwebet You who hover Um diese Palmen Around these palms In Nacht und Wind, In night and wind, Ihr heilgen Engel, You holy angels, StilletdieWipfel! Silence the treetops, Es schlummert mein Kind. My child is sleeping. Ihr Palmen von Bethlehem You palms of Bethlehem Im Windesbrausen, In the roaring wind, Wie mogt ihr heute How can you today So zornig sausen! Bluster so angrily! O rauscht nicht also! O roar not so! Schweiget, neiget Be still, bow Euch leis und lind; Softly and gently; StilletdieWipfel! Silence the treetops! Es schlummert mein Kind. My child is sleeping Der Himmelsknabe The child of heaven Duldet Beschwerde, Endures the discomfort, Ach, wie so mtid er ward Oh, how tired he has become Vom Leid der Erde. Of earthly sorrow. Ach nun im Schlaf ihm Oh, now in sleep, Leise gesanftigt Gently softened, Die Qual zerrinnt, His pain fades, ( StilletdieWipfel! Silence the treetops! Es schlummert mein Kind. My child is sleeping. Grimmige Kalte Fierce cold Sauset hernieder, Comes rushing, Womit nur deck ich How shall I cover Des Kindleins Glieder! The little child's limbs? O all ihr Engel, O all you angels, Die ihr gefltigelt You winged ones Wandelt im Wind, Wandering in the wind. StilletdieWipfel! Silence the treetops! Es schlummert mein kind. My child is sleeping. Poeme de l'amour et de la raer Chausson (1855-1899) Ernest Chausson's Poeme de l'amour et de la Mer (poem of love and the sea), highlights influences from Debussy and Wagner (two of his contemporaries) and is filled with tones of melancholy and nostalgia. The composer has adapted six poems by Maurice Bouchor and uses an orchestral interlude to separate them into two movements of three poems. The first set Lafleur des eaux (the flower of the waters) is peppered with undertones of repetition, marked by ascending and descending arpeggios, not unlike the movement of waves on the sea. The second set La mort de l'amour (the death of love) takes on a tone of deep sadness and the underlying theme clearly shifts from reflection and melancholy to sheer despair during the orchestral interlude. The depths of the sadness are further developed in the vocal section that follows, culminating in the very emotional and tragic final poem Le temps des Idas (the time of the lilacs). , Poeme de I 'amour et de la mer is dedicated to fellow Parisian composer Henri Duparc and was first performed in Brussels by Belgian tenor Desire Desmet with Chausson himself on the piano (although nowadays the piece is more commonly heard fully orchestrated). Chausson thought highly of this tenor and wrote that he was "happy to have come upon him," adding, "I guess it is for Belgium that my music is written." L'air est plein d'une odeur exquise de Idas The air is filled with an exquisite scent of Qui, fleurissant du haut des murs jusques lilac which, flowering from the top of the bas, embaument les cheveux des femmes. walls to the bottom, perfumes the women's La mer au grand soleil va toute s'embraser, hair. The whole sea goes to the great sun to Et sur le sable fin qu'elles viennent baiser be set aglow, and, over the fine sand which Roulent d'eblouissantes lames. O ciel qui they come to kiss, dazzling waves roll. Oh de ses yeux dois porter la couleur, brise qui sky which has to wear the colour of her vas chanter dans les lilas en fleur pour en eyes, breeze which goes to sing in the lilacs sortir toute embaumee, ruisseaux qui in bloom so as to come out of them all mouillerez sa robe, o verts senders, vous scented, streams which will moisten her qui tressaillerez sous ses chers petits pieds, dress, o green paths, you who tremble Faites-moi voir ma bien-aimee! beneath her dear little feet, let me see my beloved! And my heart arose on this summer's Et mon cceur s'est leve par ce matin d'ete; morning; for a beautiful girl was on the Car une belle enfant etait sur le rivage, beach, letting eyes full of brightness Laissant errer sur moi des yeux pleins de wander over me, and which smiled to me clarte, et qui me souriait un air tendre et with a tender and wild expression. You sauvage. Toi que transfiguraient la jeunesse whom youth and love transfigured, you et l'amour, tu m'apparus alors comme l'ame appeared to me like the soul of all things; des choses; mon cceur vola vers toi, tu le my heart flew towards you, you took it pris sans retour, et du ciel entr'ouvert forever, and roses rained upon us from the pleuvaient sur nous roses.