Bambi Eggleton

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Publication Date

4-1-2008

Year of Release

2008

Note(s)

Bambi Eggleton, soprano

Pam Johnson, piano

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Performance. Ms. Eggleton is a student in the voice studio of Dr. Larry Stickler.

Program Notes

George Frideric Handel, Guilio Cesare

The opera Giulio Cesare, written in 1724, was premiered on February 20th of the same year. This was Handel's fifth full-length opera for the Royal "Academy of Music. It received 13 performances on its first run. The libretto is by Nicola Francesco Haym. The libretto is based on Julius Caesar's visit to Egypt in 48-47 BC. Most of the characters are historical, although some details of tl1e plot are fictional and Caesar seems much younger than the historical Caesar, who was 54 when he met Cleopatra. Egypt was under the joint rule of Cleopatra and her younger brother Ptolemy. Non disperar and V'adoro pupille are both da capo arias. Listen for the contrasting section in each. The first section is then repeated with ornamentation.

Non disperar is from Act One, scene 5, and takes place outside Cleopatra's palace. Caesar defeated the Egyptian army, and Cleopatra finds out that Ptolemy sent Caesar the head of Pompey, his rival in a basket. She tells Ptolemy to concentrate on his harem, instead of negotiating with Caesar. The recitative is to be sung "in a rage." The aria is gay and playful, as Cleopatra tells her brother to go flirt with his 'pretty ones.'

V'adoro, pupille, from Act Two, and is set in Cleopatra's palace. Cleopatra arranges a tableau representing Mount Panassus and appears as Virtue surrounded by the muses as part of her plan to captivate Caesar.

Robert Schumann, Frauenliebe und leben

Robert Schumann and Friedrich Wieck were battling in court to grant Schumann permission to marry Wieck's daughter, Clara, during the time this song cycle was written. He met Wieck in 1828 and began studying piano with him. That year Clara was only nine, and was on her way to becoming a concert pianist. Schumann and Clara began a love affair in 1835, when Clara was merely fifteen. Clara's father caught on to their romance and put a halt to it, although Schumann still met her secretly. After a few years, Wieck continued to refuse to consent to their marriage. This began a court battle that lasted over a year, with Wieck accusing Schumann of being an alcoholic. Schumann charged Wieck with defamation of character and Wieck could not prove his accusations. Schumann and Clara were certain of victory, and began looking for an apartment the next day. Within a week he began composing lieder and by the end of the month had finished Frauenliebe und Leben. On August first the court granted them permission to marry; and they were married on September 12th.

The texts of Frauenliebe und Leben are by Adelbert Chamisso. In the poems the heroine appears humble and submissive, as women were in her day, although she emerges as more independent and spirited than even she knows. Schumann's music offers an insight into the poems and expresses his own anxieties about being worthy of marrying Clara Wieck. Judging from the outcome of the story, devotion to a man seems more of a danger than a virtue. The song cycle tells the story of a woman's life and love. The first few songs are about the woman seeing the man for the first time and she falls in love at first sight. She then describes his attributes and can not believe that the man likes her. She is then engaged and is amazed by her new engagement ring. In the fifth song she is preparing to get married and enlists the help of her sisters to prepare for the wedding. In the postlude a wedding march can be heard. Although I will not be doing the last of the song cycle, the last 3 songs are interesting and dramatic. In the sixth song she tells her husband she is pregnant. In the next song she is rocking her child and the final song she is angry that her husband has caused her the first pain by dying.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro

Le Nozze di Figaro was begun in October or November of 1785 and finished in 1786. The libretto is by Lorenzo Da Ponte after Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais' play La folle journee, ou Le mariage de Figaro. The opera was first performed on the first of May in 1786, on the stage of the Burgtheater. The setting is Aguasfrescas near Seville, the Almavivas' country house.

In Le Nozze di Figaro, after his marriage, the Count abolished the droit de Seigneure, giving him the right to deflower every bride among his dependants. However, the Countess has noticed her husband's roving eye and wonders if there is any way to save her marriage. The count has been flirting with Susanna and the Countess enlist~ the help of Susanna and Figaro to expose her husband's infidelity. In the recitative, Cowitess Almaviva muses about the enlistment of her chambermaid to attempt to stop the Count's flirting. In the aria Dove sono I bei momenti, she wonders about her future and yearns for her husband's affection.

Happiness can be heard in her voice and in the music as she thinks of happier times. She then is sad again as she returns to her original thoughts, but more determination is heard. This is especially true in the postlude, where the music sounds like she is marching off on her crusade to stop her cheating husband.

Charles Gounod, 0 Divine Redeemer, Ave Maria, Soir, Faites lui mes aveux

0 Divine Redeemer and Ave Maria are both beautiful religious texts. The accompaniment for Ave Maria is a descant to the first prelude of J.S. Bach's Das wohltemperierte Clavier. Soir was written in 1840-42. Gounod set this song to a poem by Lamartine. At this time he was at the French Academy in Rome.

Faust is one of his best known operas. It was written 1856-59. The premiere was on March 19th, 1859. The opera contains five acts, with libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carre. In this story, Dr. Faust worries that he has not found the knowledge he has sought his entire life. He tries to poison himself twice but stops when he hears commotion outside. He invokes Satan, who appears and offers to give him youth and pleasure in exchange for his soul. Faust does not want to do this until Satan shows him an image of Marguerite, a very pretty young maiden. He is transformed into a young man and goes in search of Marguerite.

Siebel is Faust's rival and he represents innocence. Siebel sings the aria Faites lui mes aveux as he is bringing the flowers to Marguerite. He is followed by Faust and the devil. The devil makes Siebel's flowers wilt, but Siebel uses holy water to bless the flowers and bring them back to life. He is then off again to see Marguerite. You can hear both the devil and Siebel's prayer in the music.

Virgil Thomson, Praises and Prayers, My Shepherd Will Supply My Need

The song cycle, Praises and Prayers, was written in 1963. The second song in this cycle is called My Master Hath a Garden. The text is set to anonymous verses. The fourth song in this cycle is called Before Sleeping, and its text also consists of anonymous verses. It is based on a child's prayer and resembles a lullaby. This song allows the listener to imagine a child praying quietly beside his bed at night. Virgil Thomson's songs sound and look simple but are actually somewhat difficult to play or sing. The melody looks simple on the page but the rhythm is complex, as if Thomson wants to surprise botl1 the listener and the singer. His use of parallel motion gives the appearance of simplicity, although the harmony used is what adds the gorgeous color and makes his music more complex.

My Shepherd Will Supply My Need, originally written in 1937 for SATB choir, was arranged for solo singer at a later time. The melody is a hymn tune with a beautiful accompaniment underneath.

Note

Smith Recital Hall

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Fine Arts | Music | Music Performance

Marshall University Music Department presents a Senior Recital, Bambi Eggleton, soprano, accompanied by, Pam Johnson, piano

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