Vittoria, mio core
Spirate, pur spirate
PROGRAM
Michael Reyes, Tenor Billie Whittaker, Piano
Panis Angelicus
“Der Neugierige” from Die Schone Mullerin
Giacomo Carrisimi (1604 - 1674)
Stefano Donaudy (1879 - 1925)
César Franck (1822 - 1890)
Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)
Take, o Take Those Lips Away
The Call.
Canto Gitano
Canción al árbol del olvido
Mi sueño
Roger Quilter (1877 - 1953)
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958)
Enrique Granados (1867 - 1916)
Alberto E. Ginastera (1910 - 2000)
Edward Kilenyi (1884 - 1968)
*Please hold your applause until the conclusion of each set.*
Michael Reyes is a student of Prof. Crystal Jarrell Johnson. This recital is given in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance.
PROGRAM NOTES
Vittoria, mio core by
Giacomo Carissimi
Giacomo Carrissimi is a well-known Italian composer of the 17th century; many of his pieces and works are heavily influenced by operas, with a balance of emotional and dramatic text. His profound appreciation for such theatrics in his work made his sound stand apart from other composers. In later parts of the 1620s, Carrisimi settled himself in Rome, Italy, where he was hired as Director at the German College alongside his participation at the Church of Sant’ Apollinare, a position he kept until he passed away on January 12, 1674 His Italian aria “Vittoria, mio core” portrays the liberation of one from the constraints of a toxic relationship, caused by a lover whom the composer calls their partner or beloved individual, illuminating the deceitful and unfaithful nature of that affection.
Vittoria, mio core!
Non lagrimar più, È sciolta d’Amore
La vil servitù
Già l’empia a’ tuoi danni
Fra stuolo di sguardi,
Con vezzi bugiardi
Dispose gl’inganni;
Le frode, gli affanni
Non hanno più loco, Del crudo suo foco
È spento l’ardore!
Da luci ridenti
Non esce più strale, Che piaga mortale
Nel petto m’avventi:
Nel duol, ne’ tormenti
Io più non mi sfaccio
È rotto ogni laccio, Sparito il timore!
Victory, my heart!
Weep no longer,
You are free of love and Its abject slavery
Formerly the inhuman one who caused your sufferings, Through many glances, and With false charms, Arranged past deceits;
Frauds, pains, they
Have no more place, The fire of her cruelty
Has been spent in ardor!
From smiling lights
No more arrows will dart, Like a mortal wound that Hurls into my chest:
In sadness, in torments
I will not undo myself
Every snare is broken, Fear has departed!
Spirate, pur spirate by
Stefano Donaudy
Stefano Danuady, son of a French father and Italian mother, was a minor Italian composer mostly popular in the 1890s and the early 20th century. In Palermo, his native city, he studied at the Palermo Conservatoire with his director, Guglielmo Zuelli
After his studies, his career was mainly as a vocal coach and accompanist for wealthy families, on top of being a composer writing mainly vocal music The majority of Donaudy's music had an older stylistic approach with elements from the eighteenth century, which benefited him in opening recitals at the time by making his song very effective, as they would replace sections of the program reserved for earlier music, allowing a broader audience and enjoyment for others. In “Spirate, pur spirate” the singer and their beloved are separated for an unknown reason, and the song follows an emotional journey that he is in as a result of that separation. Asking the breeze to blow around the singer’s lover, and find out if they are thinking of him while they are away
Spirate pur, spirate attorno a lo mio bene, aurette, e v'accertate s'ella nel cor mi tiene. Spirate, spirate pur, aurette!
Se nel suo cor mi tiene, v'accertate, aure beate, aure lievi e beate!
Breathe, still breathe around my beloved, Little breezes, and find out If she holds me in her heart, If she holds me in her heart
Find out, blessed breezes, Breezes light and blessed
Panis Angelicus by César Franck
The very talented César Franck was known to be a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life Boosting his career across Paris, he was able to gain a position as an organist at the Sainte Clotilde in 1859, a professor at the Paris Conservatoire in 1872, and after all these experiences and opportunities, he wrote several pieces that have entered the standard classical repertoire, like symphonic, chamber, and keyboard works. Much of his music uses a lot of complex music theory, like key modulation, pivot chords, and a complex harmonic language. Many will say that Franck was a man of his art, and his personality shines through his music and works The original writer of the text was Saint Thomas Aquinas, who was an Italian philosopher and theologian known as the Angelic Doctor. Panis Angelicus, which translates to “Bread of Angels”, is the second-to-last hymn in “Sacris Solemniis”, originally written for the feast of Corpus Christi, a celebration of the body and blood of Jesus Christ This holiday provided a time of feast and prayers for the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours, which included various psalms, hymns, readings, and prayers.
Panis Angelicus fit panis hominum
Dat panis coelicus figuris terminum
O res mirabilis! Manducat Dominum
Pauper, pauper, servus et humilis
Pauper, pauper, servus et humilis
The angel’s bread becomes the bread of men
The heavenly bread ends all symbols
Oh, miraculous thing! The body of the Lord with nourish
The poor, poor, and humble servant
The poor, poor, and humble servant
Der Neugierige by Franz
Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was a composer straddling the late classical and early romantic eras. He produced over 600 vocal compositions, symphonies, operas, and extensive piano works in his brief lifetime After death, his work gained recognition among 19thcentury composers such as Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, and Liszt. Johann Ludwig Willhelm Müller was a German lyricist born to a tailor in Dessau on October 7, 1794 He studied at his local gymnasium and the University of Berlin, focusing on philology and history. He served as a volunteer in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars in 1813-1814 In 1814, he resumed his academic pursuits at the University of Berlin. From 1817 to 1819, he traveled through southern Germany and Italy, publishing his observations in 1820 in Rome, Römer und Römerinnen In 1819, he became a classics teacher at the Gelehrtenschule in Dessau and was appointed librarian at the ducal library in 1820 He spent his remaining years there, passing away from a heart attack at the age of 32. Der Neugierige is included in the song cycle Die Schöne Müllerin, which explores themes of hope, love, and tragedy, portraying a miller's demise in pursuit of a young woman's affection. Words are attributed to Wilhelm Müller.‘If you want to sit down for an hour or more of beautiful singing and playing, this one is for you ’
Ich frage keine Blume,
Ich frage keinen Stern, Sie können mir alle nicht sagen, Was ich erführ’ so gern.
Ich bin ja auch kein Gärtner, Die Sterne stehn zu hoch;
Mein Bächlein will ich fragen, Ob mich mein Herz belog.
O Bächlein meiner Liebe, Wie bist du heut’ so stumm!
Will ja nur Eines wissen, Ein Wörtchen um und um
Ja, heisst das eine Wörtchen, Das andre heisset Nein, Die beiden Wörtchen schliessen
Die ganze Welt mir ein
O Bächlein meiner Liebe, Was bist du wunderlich!
Will’s ja nicht weiter sagen, Sag’, Bächlein, liebt sie mich?
I ask no flower, I ask no star; none of them can tell me what I would so dearly like to hear.
For I am no gardener, and the stars are too high; I will ask my little brook if my heart has lied to me.
O brook of my love, how silent you are today! I wish to know just one thing, one small word, over and over again
One word is ‘yes’, the other is ‘no’; these two words contain for me the whole world
O brook of my love, how strange you are. I will tell no one else: say, brook, does she love me?
Take, o take those lips away by
Roger Quilter
Roger Quilter was an English composer recognized for his refined and notable art songs, having created more than 100 of them during his career, along with his choral, instrumental, and theatrical works. He was born on November 1st, 1877, in Sussex, United Kingdom, as the third of five sons in his family At the start of his musical education, he entered Eton College in 1892 and subsequently registered at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt am Main, where he studied composition under Ivan Knorr's guidance. Quilter's career began in 1900, and in 1901 his Songs of the Sea were presented by Denham Price at Crystal Palace, gaining recognition for his skill Additionally, highlighting his talent and achievements as a composer. Numerous other artists had utilized his compositions, and for several years, his tracks were often heard on the radio and aired. Following a highly fruitful life, Quilter went through a phase of mental deterioration and ultimately died at the age of 75 in London on September 21, 1953 ‘Take, O Take Those Lips Away’ is a piece from Shakespeare’s ‘Problem Play’, Measure for Measure. This passage discusses the singer requesting a fake lover to depart and stop attempting to kiss them, as the lips intended for kissing are the same ones that led to their self-deception. When the text refers to the lover's eyes, the singer suggests that those eyes appeared to signal the beginning of a new relationship, but this was an illusory perception. To conclude, this text suggests that it is possible to love sincerely, even without the intention of marriage
Take, O take those lips away, That so sweetly were forsworn; And those eyes, the break of day, Lights that do mislead the morn:
But my kisses bring again, Seals of love, but sealed, But sealed in vain!
The Call.
by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Williams was born on October 12, 1872, in the village of Down Ampney, located in the Cotswolds. Following the death of his father in 1875, he was raised at Leith Hill Place in Surrey and attended Charterhouse School, the Royal College of Music, and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied under Charles Stanford and Hubert Parry. In his era, he was the first to venture into rural areas, gathering folk songs and carols from performers, documenting them for future generations to appreciate. He wrote numerous hymn melodies that are still well-liked today He passed away on August 26, 1958, having lived a fruitful life with music ingrained in him, encompassing numerous genres throughout his career His works include nine symphonies, concertos for piano, violin, oboe, and tuba, five operas, chamber music, ballet, and film scores, an extensive collection of songs and song cycles, along with several significant unaccompanied and orchestral choral pieces Greatly inspired by poets and authors such as Bunyan, Blake, Walt Whitman, and Shakespeare
Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life: Such a Way, as gives us breath: Such a Truth, as ends all strife: Such a Life, as killeth death
Come, My Light, my Feast, my Strength: Such a Light, as shows a feast: Such a Feast, as mends in length: Such a Strength, as makes his guest
Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart: Such a Joy, as none can move: Such a Love, as none can part: Such a Heart, as joys in love
Granados was born in Lleida, Spain, in 1867 and was a pianist and composer of classical music from Spain, the son of Spanish captain Calixto Granados and Enriqueta Campiña. In 1887, he studied in Paris; although he couldn't enroll at the Paris Conservatory, he managed to take private lessons from a professor there, CharlesWilfrid de Bèriot. Upon his return to England from New York, he caught a ship and boarded the passenger ferry SS Sussex heading to Dieppe, France While crossing the English Channel, a German U-boat torpedoed the boat, in line with Germany's World War I strategy In a bid to rescue his wife, he leaped into the water from his lifeboat and drowned, leaving six children behind. His work Canto Gitano, translating to Gypsy Song, was originally penned by Fedorico García Lorca and explores the emotional turmoil of losing a loved one, whether through their departure or being taken from you; the specifics remain ambiguous and open to interpretation. The poem conveys the perspective of the poet's feelings of rage, sorrow, and bewilderment
¡Ay madrecita de mis entrañas, me han robao a mi gitana! Me pongo triste, madre del alma porque pierdo mi serrana.
Serranica de mi vida, a ti no te duele el alma
¡Ay madrecita de mis entrañas, me han robao a mi gitana!
¡Ay!
Ah! My most beloved child!
They have stolen away my gypsy!
I am so sad, mother of my soul, For I have lost my girl of the mountain.
Mountain maiden of my life
You do not feel such sorrow in your soul
Ah! My most beloved child! They have stolen away my gypsy!
Ah!
Canto Gitano by Enrique Granados
Canción al árbol del olvido by Alberto E. Ginastera
Ginastera, an Argentine composer, was born in Buenos Aires in 1916 From a young age, he demonstrated talent as both a performer and a composer. In his teenage years, he engaged in formal education at the Williams Conservatory, and shortly after his acceptance to the national conservatory as an undergraduate, his music gained national recognition in major performance spaces. His early reputation was mainly based on his inventive takes on and references to Argentine folk elements, expressed through short pieces and suites; however, by the late '40s and early '50s, he had finished several more significant compositions, including his Piano Sonata No 1 and his first two string quartets. He managed to travel internationally and broaden his network and career. Because of his achievements, he managed to bring other Argentine composers and artists into the spotlight. Ginastera was actively engaged as a composer and advocate for new music despite facing significant external challenges; his political beliefs clashed with the Perón administration on two occasions, leading to his resignation from roles at the National Military Academy and the National University of La Plata. In his work ‘Canción al árbol del olvido’, initially penned by Fernán Silva Valdés, the focus is on a tree that can erase one's sorrow, akin to a love that has shattered the poet's heart to the point where he prefers to forget
En mis pagos hay un árbol
Que del olvido se llama, Al que van a despeñarse, Vidalitay, Los moribundos del alma.
Para no pensar en vos Bajo el árbol del olvido
Me acosté una nochecita, Vidalitay, Y me quedé bien dormido
Al despertar de aquel sueño
Pensaba en vos otra vez, Pues me olvidé de olvidarte, Vidalitay, Encuantito me acosté
In my land there is a tree, And it's called the tree of forgetfulness, To him they go to free themselves from pain, my little life, Those whose souls are dying.
So I wouldn’t think of you, Underneath the forgetfulness tree I lay down one little night, my little life, And I fell into a deep sleep
When I woke from that sleep I thought of you again, Because I forgot to forget you, my little life, As soon as I lay down
Mi sueño by
Edward Kilenyi
Edward Kilenyi, a composer and violinist, originally from Hungary, moved to the United States in 1908. During his time in the U.S., Kilenyi obtained an M.A. in composition from Columbia University. The tune Mi sueño is among the numerous folk songs from Mexico and South America that Kilenyi arranged in 1914, soon after his trip to the United States. In this specific setup, the text's drama is effectively enhanced by the depth of the vocal melody Kilenyi relocated to Hollywood in 1930, where he featured in multiple uncredited films and instructed composition. His son, Edward Kilenyi Jr., grew into a highly skilled and renowned concert pianist
¡Ay! ¡sin tu amor, moriré, sí mujer!
Porque tú eres illusión. Tú le das al corazón, La ventura que soñé.
No me mires así, porque voy a morir,
Pues no puedo vivir, con desprecio de ti
¡Ay! vuelve tú a mirar, que es mi adoración, Tener tú con passion, ¡Angel de amor!
Que aquí vengo a pedir, E implorar el perdón, Por si fuese a morir, ¡Adiós, Adiós!
Oh! Without your love I'll die, indeed my dear!
Because you are a delusion. You give my heart
The chance of which I dream.
Don't look at me so, because I will die.
Well, I can't live with your scorn
Oh! Look again, which is my adoration
To have you with passion, Angel of Love!
That here I come to beg
And plead forgiveness, And if I should die, Farewell, Farewell!
