PROGRAM NOTES, TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS
“Hence, Iris Hence Away" is an aria from the opera Semele that shows a colorful, melismatic melodic line It is as dramatic as it sounds; the story is about Juno receiving news from Iris (the messenger of the gods) that her husband, Jupiter (king of the gods), has abducted a young lady named Semele. The twist is that Jupiter is already married to Juno and is taking advances on a mortal (Semele) Once Juno receives the news, she must take revenge on Jupiter to satisfy the heartbreak and betrayal her husband has caused her by cheating on her with a mortal
Hence, Iris Hence Away (William Congreve)
Hence, Iris, hence away, Far from the realms of day!
O'er Scythian hills to the Maeotian lake
A speedy flight we'll take!
There Somnus I'll compel
His downy bed to leave, and silent cell; With noise and light I will his peace molest, Nor shall he sink again to pleasing rest, Till to my vow'd revenge he grants supplies, And seals with sleep the wakeful dragons' eye Hence, Iris, hence away, Far from the realms of day!
O'er Scythian hills to the Maeotian lake
A speedy flight we'll take!
In his Canciones clásicas españolas, Fernando Obradors sets poetry in a style based on Spanish villancicos The pieces deal with religious expression and social life, celebrating Spanish beliefs and popular customs The text uses solfege syllables (la mi sol la) Lariano is someone who misses and longs for Laureola The first selection here, “La mi sola” is a slow and intentional love song The second, ”Del cabello más sutil” originates from a traditional Spanish folk song This song sounds like a daydream with flowing arpeggios of the piano that provide fluidity throughout The vocal line is sweet and legato
La mi sola…Laureola (Juan Ponce)
La mi sola, Laureola. Yo el cautivo Leriano aunque mucho estoy ufano Herido de aquella mano
Que en el mundo es una sola. La mi sola, Laureola.
My only, Laureola. I the captive Leriano
Although I am very proud Wounded from that hand
That in the world there is only one. My only, Laureola.
Del cabello mas sutil (Anonymous)
Del cabello más sutil
Que tienes en tu trenzado
He de hacer una cadena Para traerte a mi lado
Una alcarraza en tu casa, Chiquilla, quisiera ser, Para besarte en la boca, Cuando fueras a beber.
Of the most subtle hair
That you have in your braids
I have to make a chain
To bring you to my side
A carcass in your house
Little one, I would like to Kiss you on the mouth
When you went to drink. Ah!
Menotti was an Italian composer and librettist, with operas that had widespread success
Starting from the age of 10, he wrote his first opera, called The Death of Pierrot. His opera The Consul gained major success and earned the Pulitzer Prize for resonating heavily with the experiences of refugees fleeing Europe after World War II, making the opera heavily relevant, which in today’s terms still remains strongly relevant.
The Consul tells the story of bureaucracy and immigration during turbulent times During the European totalitarian occupation, a family is trying to escape to a better life and seek asylum.
The mother sings a melancholy lullaby to her grandbaby, who unfortunately fell ill and should sleep for her because sleep for the old is too close to death
“Lullaby” from The Consul (Menotti)
I shall find for you shells and stars
I shall swim for you river and sea
Sleep my love, sleep for me
My sleep is old
I shall feed for you lamb and dove
I shall buy for you sugar and bread
Sleep my love, sleep for me
My sleep is dead
Rain will fall but Baby won't know
He laughs alone in orchards of gold
Tears will fall but Baby won't know
His laughter is blind. Sleep
My love, for sleep is kind
Sleep is kind when sleep is young.
Sleep for me.
I shall build for you planes and boats
I shall catch for you cricket and bee
Let the old ones watch your sleep
Only death will watch the old
Sleep, sleep, sleep.
The selection “Do not go, my love” by Richard Hageman is set to poetry written by Rabindranath Tagore who was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer and more This piece evokes a sense of uneasiness for the sole purpose of displaying the challenges of not knowing what’s next. People in our life come and go even if we don’t want them to let go just yet.
Do not go, my love (Rabindranath Tagore)
Do not go, my love, without asking my leave. I have watched all night, and now my eyes are heavy with sleep; I fear lest I lose you when I am sleeping. Do not go, my love, without asking my leave. I start up and stretch my hands to touch you. I ask myself, "Is it a dream?" Could I but entangle your feet with my heart, And hold them fast to my breast! Do not go, my love, without asking my leave.
Sea wrack was commonly used in Ireland as a fertilizer for poor soil, which brought life and organisms to it. Even after big storms, it would be possible to be knee-deep in kelp and sea wrack This art song has an unfortunate, tragic ending where someone has lost their loved one to the rough storms after trying to obtain sea wrack Seaweed is commonly featured in Ireland’s art and poetry due to its big influence on the environment around there.
Sea Wrack (Moira O'Neill)
The wrack was dark an' shiny where it floated in the sea, There was no one in the brown boat but only him an' me; Him to cut the sea wrack, me to mind the boat, An' not a word between us the hours we were afloat.
The wet wrack, The sea wrack, The wrack was strong to cut.
We laid it on the grey rocks to wither in the sun, An' what should call my lad then, to sail from Cushendun? With a low moon, a full tide, a swell upon the deep, Him to sail the old boat, me to fall asleep
The dry wrack,
The sea wrack, The wrack was dead so soon
There' a fire low upon the rocks to burn the wrack to kelp, There' a boat gone down upon the Moyle, an' sorra one to help! Him beneath the salt sea, me upon the shore, By sunlight or moonlight we'll lift the wrack no more
The dark wrack, The sea wrack, The wrack may drift ashore.
These German art songs are filled with heavily impactful emotion and lyricism. Both songs are composed by Robert Schumann who is a well-known romantic era composer His works span from piano music to orchestral works, songs (lieder), chamber music, and even an opera Schumann’s struggle with mental health and how it impacted him in his career throughout his life, certainly influenced his composition and thematic expression Schumann was thought to deal with bipolar disorder which resulted in manic highs where he was insanely productive, and deep depressions that invoked a sense of despair in him.
“Widmung” is a love song about deep devotion for that special someone The B section of Widmung shows how love can compel you to a serene and peaceful part of the mind even through all of the overwhelming emotions that is caused by being in love with someone
The text for “Mein Herz ist schwer” comes from scripture and is found in I Samuel 16:14-23. The Book of 1 Samuel is a part of the Hebrew Bible and is believed to have been written around 960 BCE It details King Saul’s torment from an evil spirit after the spirit of the Lord departed from him. This leads King Saul’s servant to say the only way to heal his soul is by finding a skilled musician to play a stringed instrument, as it is known to soothe the soul
Widmung (Friedrich Rückert)
Du meine Seele, du mein Herz, Du meine Wonn’, o du mein Schmerz, Du meine Welt, in der ich lebe, Mein Himmel du, darein ich schwebe, O du mein Grab, in das hinab Ich ewig meinen Kummer gab!
Du bist die Ruh, du bist der Frieden, Du bist vom Himmel mir beschieden Dass du mich liebst, macht mich mir wert, Dein Blick hat mich vor mir verklärt, Du hebst mich liebend über mich, Mein guter Geist, mein bess’res Ich!
You my soul, you my heart, You my joy, you my pain, You my world, in which I live, My heaven you, in which I float, Oh you my grave, which I eternally gave my sorrow! You are rest, you are peace, You are heaven granted to me That you love me, makes me worthy; Your glance has me transfigured You raise me lovingly above myself, My good spirit, my better self!
Mein Herz ist schwer (Lord Byron)
Mein Herz ist schwer! auf! Von der Wand Die Laute, nur sie allein mag ich noch hören; Entlocke mit geschickter Hand Ihr Töne, die das Herz bethören!
Kann noch mein Herz ein Hoffen nähren, Es zaubern diese Töne her, Und birgt mein trock’nes Auge Zähren, Sie fließen, und mich brennt's nicht mehr!
Nur tief sei, wild der Töne Fluß, Und von der Freude weggekehret!
Ja, Sänger, daß ich weinen muß, Sonst wird das schwere Herz verzehret!
Denn sieh! Von Kummer ward's genähret; Mit stummem Wachen trug es lang; Und jetzt, unt jetzt,vom Aeussersten belehret -Da brech’ es oder heil’ im Sang!
My heart is heavy! Up! From the wall the lute, only it alone do I still like to hear Pluck with skillful hand Its tones, which the heart bewitch! Can my heart nourish a hope still, It charms those tones hither, And conceals my dry eye tears, They flow, and burn me no more! Only to be deep, the wild river ’s tone, and from joy turned away! Yes, singer, I must weep , otherwise my heart will be heavily consumed! For look! By the sorrow was it nourished, With silent waking bore it long, And now, and now, by the utmost learned, There it breaks or is healed in the song!
