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Publication Date

10-29-2017

Year of Release

2017

Note(s)

Christa Navy, soprano

Dr. Johan Botes, piano

Captain Brian Walden, trumpet in D

Zueignung is dedicated in loving memory to Dr. Larry Stickler


Translations

Lusinghe più care

Flattery and caresses

Are Cupid's true arrows,

Charms that fly

From the lips and in glances,

And completely rob

One's freedom.

Jealous suspicions,

Pleasure with pain,

Between joy and torment,

Moments of hope;

These are the weapons

Of desirous beauty.


Allerseelen (All Soul's Day)

Place on the table the fragrant mignonettes,

the last red asters bring in,

and let us again of the love speak,

as once in May,

Give me your hand, that I may secretly press

and if someone sees, it makes no difference to me,

give me just one of your sweet glances,

as once in May.

It is blooming and is fragrant today on every grave,

for one day in the year are the dead set free,

come to my heart, that I you again may have

as once in May.


Morgen (Tomorrow)

And tomorrow the sun will shine again

and on the path, upon which I shall walk,

it will again unite us, the happy ones

upon this sun-breathing earth ...

And to the shore, broad, with waves of blue,

shall we descend, quietly and slowly;

silently shall we gaze into each other's eyes,

and the speechless silence of happiness will fall upon us.


Amor

By the fire sat the child Cupid,

and was blind with the little wings fanning

in the flames he smiles, fans, smiles, clever child!

Ah, the wing is burning, Cupid, Cupid runs quickly!

"Oh how the fire thoroughly-pains!"

Wings beating loudly he cries;

into the Shepherdess' lap he runs

crying for help the clever child.

And the Shepherdess helps the child,

Cupid, Cupid, bad and blind

Shepherdess, look, your heart is burning,

have you the rascal not recognized?

Look, the flames grow quickly,

protect yourself from the clever child!

Fanning, smiling, clever child.


Zueignuog (Dedication)

Yes, you know it, dearest soul,

how I suffer when I am away from you,

love makes the heart sick,

receive my thanks.

I, who once toasted freedom,

held high the amethyst beaker,

and you blessed the drink,

receive my thanks.

And you exorcised within-it the evils,

until I, as never before,

blest, blest upon your heart I sank,

receive my thanks.


Chi il bel sogno di Doretta

Who the beautiful dream of Doretta could guess?

The mystery how ever did it end?

Alas! One day a student kissed her on the mouth,

and this kiss was a revelation :

it was passion! Mad love! Mad intoxication!

Who the gentle touch of a kiss so ardent

could ever describe?

Ah! My dream! Ah! My life!

Of what importance are riches if at last happiness has blossomed?

Oh golden dream, to be able to love!


Je dis que rien ne m'épauvante

I say that nothing can ever frighten me,

I say, alas, that I have only myself on which to rely;

but although I have pretended to be courageous,

at the bottom of my heart I die of fear!

Alone, all alone in this savage place I am afraid,

but I am wrong to fear;

you will give me courage,

you will protect me, Lord!

I will see this woman up close,

whose evil tricks have ended

by making a criminal of him that I once loved!

She is dangerous, she is beautiful, but I do not want to ever have fear!

I will raise my voice to her ... ah!

Lord, you will protect me. Give me the courage!


Fleur jetée (Discarded flower)

Carry away my folly at the whim of the wind,

Flower, picked while singing and discarded while dreaming,

Carry away my folly at the whim of the wind!

Like a flower scythed-down, perishes love,

the hand that touched you shuns my hand forever.

Like a flower scythed-down, perishes love!

May the wind that withers you, oh poor flower,

a short time ago so fresh and tomorrow faded.

May the wind that withers you wither my heart!

All Translations by Bard Suverkrop-IP A Source, LLC


Program Notes

Sweeter Than Roses

Composed by Henry Purcell in 1695, "Sweeter Than Roses" comes from the early opera Pausanias. This song depicts Pandora, Pausanias' unfaithful mistress, awaiting her latest lover. Structured in three contrasting sections, the song demonstrates Purcell's characteristic text painting as he communicates human emotion through melismatic treatment of words such as "cool" and "trembling." "Sweeter Than Roses" begins in a slow legato that quickens on the phrase, "All is love to me."


Works by George Frideric Handel

"Eternal Source of Light Divine" is found in the Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne, and it features a duet between the voice and the D trumpet. This work, commissioned for Queen Anne's birthday on the 6th of February in the year 1713, prompted the Queen to grant Handel an annual pension, launching his career. This aria features beautiful melismatic lines, imitated between the voice and the trumpet, along with a strategic interplay between the two melodic lines. "Lusinghe piu care," or "Sweetest Flattery," comes from Handel's ninth opera, Alessandro, and is set in the time of Alexander the Great. Handel composed this work for two feuding sopranos of the time, Francesca Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni. In this da capo aria, the return of the A section affords the vocalist the chance to embellish the melodic line and display virtuosic effects and agility.


Strauss Lieder

Richard Strauss was one of the most prolific composers of lieder during the early twentieth century. Most of his songs were written with the voice of his wife, Pauline de Ahna, in mind. Allerseelen (All Souls' Day), on a poem by Hermann von Gilm, recalls that day each year, November second, when the souls of the dead are recalled. The poetry depicts the memory of a special lost love, culminating in the line, "Come to my heart, that I have you again, as once in May." In a similar legato style is Strauss' Morgen!, (Tomorrow,) a love song based on poetry by John Henry Mackay. The piece was a wedding gift to the composer's wife and features an extended prelude that sets up the sustained vocal lines. Morgen! features delicate vocal phrases, surprising harmonic turns, and speech-like declamation. Amor (1918), based on poetry by Clemens Brentano, is a rapid, melismatic song depicting "Cupid, the Sly Child." One of Strauss' most vocally demanding works, it also requires an ear for contrasting tonalities and rapid figuration. Zueignung, which closes the group, was composed during one of Strauss' most productive periods, at the young age of eighteen. Zueignung translates as "Dedication," and each phrase ends with, "Habe dank," meaning, "Give thanks." Like many of his other songs, this one ends with an ascending climactic vocal line.


Chi il bel sogno di Doretta

This aria is from Act I of Puccini's La Rondine. The scene is the salon of Magda de Civry, and she sings it as a completion of thoughts after the poet Prunier attempts to explain sentimental love. They both tell the story of a fictional character Doretta, who rejects riches and gold from a king in search of actual love, prompting Magda to sing, "Of what importance is wealth?" This famous aria features a soprano line in the higher register of the voice, and it ends with a climactic proclamation of love's golden dream.


Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante

This aria is from Act III of Bizet’s 1875 opera, Carmen. Set in Spain but sung in French, this opera depicts a gypsy girl named Carmen who seduces the young girl Micaela's childhood sweetheart, Don Jose. In this aria, Micaela is faced with the task of going on an adventure through the wilderness as a messenger to Don Jose about his dying mother. Here, we sec Micaela mustering her courage as she sings, "but I'm trying in vain to be brave... in the depth of my heart I’m dying of anxiety!" Written in ABA form, this aria is a slow yet passionate display that ends with a desperate cry for help as Micaela repeats the phrase, "Protegez-moi, Seigneur!" which translates as, "Protect me, Lord!"


FleurJetée

Fleur Jetée is a French mélodie, or French art song, composed by Gabriel Fauré on a poem by Armand Silvestre. Written in the year 1884, it is considered to be of his "Middle Style" of composition. Translated as "Castoff Flower," this art song expresses the violent emotions of lost love. Fauré depicts these emotions through energetic piano writing and dramatic minor chords. Throughout the ABA form, each phrase ascends and descends in waves of sound, rising at the end to a high A-flat on the text line, "Dry out my heart!"


Dearest Mama!

From Act I of Douglas Moore's American Opera, The. Ballad of Baby Doe, "Dearest Mama" tells the true story of Elizabeth "Baby" Doe Tabor and her move to Leadville, Colorado, after she leaves her husband, Harvey Doe. She falls in love with the silver tycoon, Horace Tabor, who has a wife named Augusta. In this aria, "Baby" Doe writes to her mother telling of the events that have transpired. Through the aria, we see her change of emotion: her loneliness after leaving Harvey; her realization that she deserves someone better; her eventual finding of the love of her life; and lastly, her realization that it can never he. The aria ends with a leap between octaves on the final phrase, "But I have to give him up and we must part forever."


Amor

William Bolcom's "Amor" comes from Volume I of his collection, Cabaret Songs. These songs were written for his wife, Mezzo-Soprano, Joan Morris, and are based on texts by Arnold Weinsiein. Amor depicts the story of a girl walking through the town, causing a scene wherever she goes. Because of her beauty, she never gets into trouble. Instead, everyone just shouts "Amor," or, "love." Sung to the rhythm of the Cuban dance style the Pachanga, this humorous song features complex interplay between the piano and the voice, and is intended to get some laughs.


Taylor, the Laue Boy

Taylor the Latte Boy is a cabaret song written by the composition duo, Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich. The pair bas been collaborating since 1993, and are known for their "Musical Theatre-esque" Cabaret Songs. With Heisler writing the lyrics and Goldrich composing the music, Taylor the Latte Boy was inspired by a chat with a barista in Starbucks. The song describes a girl smitten with the local barista named Taylor. Their regular 8:11am meetings are documented and, eventually, the girl believes that Taylor loves her too, since he has bought her a triple latte. Artists such as Kristen Chenoweth and Susan Egan have performed and recorded this song, helping gain Taylor the Latte Boy national recognition

This recital is presented in fulfilment of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Vocal Performance. Miss Navy is a music education and vocal performance dual major at Marshall University. She studies voice with Dr. David Castleberry and has also studied with Dr. Larry Stickler and Mrs. Mandy Bohm. Miss Navy wishes to thank Dr. Castleberry, Dr. Botes, and Captain Walden for their collaboration in preparation for her recital. For more information about this or other music events, please call (304) 696-3117,

Note

Jomie Jazz Forum

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Fine Arts | Music | Music Performance

Marshall University Music Department Presents a Senior Recital, Christa Navy, Soprano, in collaboration with, Dr. Johan Botes, Piano, Captain Brian Walden, Trumpet in D

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