As an end of term special, our U3A Opera Group is holding a concert of performances by singers chosen by our members.
Here's the program - with supplementary performances to listen to in your own time over the vacation. I've included links to information about the opera the song comes from, and when I can find it, the lyrics in English. (The green figures tell length of the clip, to inform our concert and your listening.)
Renée Fleming is doubly nominated, by Sue and also Brenda. You can't have too much of Renée .
Sue nominates her performance of “Song to the Moon”, from Dvořák’s Rusalka. (The water sprite, Rusalka, is asking the moon to tell the human prince of her love – and it doesn’t work out well – details here.) Rather than play the aria in the opera (there she is at the Met, left), I chose her amazing performance at Last Night of the Proms in 2010. (She went on to sing "Rule Brittania", with a great English accent!!)
Brenda chooses Renée Fleming singing “Marietta’s Song” from Korngold’s Die Tort Stadt. “This performance was at the 125th Gala at the Met in 2009. It’s in concert form but shows what opera is all about… a beautiful un-miked voice singing a wonderful aria. What amazing breath control and effortless phrasing.” Die Tort Stadt (The Dead City) was composed when Korngold was 23. Here’s an introduction.
Ewen nominates Luciano Pavarotti for “Nessun Dorma” (“None shall sleep’) from Turandot, by Puccini. The top notes are designed to keep them awake and the chorus makes it clear that our hero’s ambition will bring tragedy to everyone but him. Full explanation and translation here. Ewen gave me freedom to find a recording and since we’ve all heard the 3 tenors and their FIFA triumphs, I looked for a younger Pavarotti. Here he's starring in a movie (!??) "Yes, Giorgio (1982)
Jill G nominates Pavarotti as well, for his duet with Andrea Bocelli (left) performing “Notte 'e piscatore” by Maurizio Morante (1995) from the film of Pavarotti’s life. More about Bocelli here.
I can’t find a good translation – can anyone improve on this?
Dawn’s first nomination is Hiromi Omura singing and wonderfully acting “One Fine Day” from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, at the Handa Opera production on Sydney Harbour (2014). (Another deeply disturbing opera about women – more next term.) Here’s the context, and the words of this amazing piece.
Joan Sutherland is also doubly nominated:
Pat nominates Joan, for her singing Lucia di Lammermoor, the role that relaunched an opera – and the composer, Donizetti, on the opera scene.
Further reading wanted? Here’s more about the mad scene. We’ve all seen her later performances - here’s the scene in 1986 at Opera Australia. But go back 24 years – this recording is 1962. We’ll play the dream segment, "Il dolce suono" – translation here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGoBYXpYrdU 5.7 to 10.35 - 5 mins
Hilary nominates Dame Joan for the over the top lyrical praise by the embattled queen of her countryside in "O beau pays de la Touraine!" from Les Huguenots by Giacomo Meyerbeer. Lyrics here. A pastoral, escapist moment in the midst of the portrayal of religious fanaticism and sectarianism that made this the most successful opera of the 19th century.
Time for a mezzo! Sheila nominates Cecilia Bartoli. “Such dramatic singing and wonderful stage presence.” She gives me the choice – “any clip, she has no bad ones!” I choose this acrobatic performance of Riccardo Broschi’s "Son Qual Nave". Few of us have heard of Broschi – he wrote an opera on Artaserses (1734 ) that contained this amazing aria, written for his brother, who was the famous castrato, Farinelli. Bartoli, irrepressible, has released an album of her (in costume!) singing the songs written for Farinelli. Thoughts about this song here.
And while we’re on Xerxes, here’s Bartoli’s riff on his love of that tree:
Chris nominates Juan Diego Florez singing his famous 9 high C’s aria, “Ah mes amis” 2008 from Metropolitan Opera production of from Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment: lyrics in subtitles. (Check out the improbable plot here.
Chris adds this recording of Juan Diego Florez in a more relaxed mood (La Scala, 2019):
https://youtu.be/Q7yfsNFoUvk 6:16 mins
Bernard nominates Bryn Terfel with two favourite performances: from Verdi’s Falstaff - (Houston, 2005) the ‘honor’ scene: subtitles say it all:
And Bernard adds this clip from a concert performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni finale – a splendid example of how an opera can be conveyed in concert by a brilliant cast! Here’s the synopsis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtJ0Yx9uCAI
Note from Bernard: “also featuring Thomas Quasthoff, another singer I greatly admire; both in terms of performing with his profound disability, and his ability to sing blues and jazz music.”
With Kiri te Kanawa in Die Fledermaus at ROH 2010
Jill K nominates lyric baritone Hermann Prey. Her first choice: Schubert Standchen. Here are the lyrics of the serenade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRGlzMS66kM
Hermann Prey's opera roles included both Figaros (Mozart and Rossini) and also (above) the comic role of Eisenstadt in Die Fledermaus. Jill's choice is his exemplary performance of "Largo al Factotum" from the 1972 movie version of Barber of Seville (yes, more Rossini: 1775). Here’s details and lyrics. (And now you know why we named our kelpie Figaro!)
Jonas Kaufmann is another double nominee.
Kaye nominates him for his incomparable singing of the aria from Massenet’s Werther, ‘Pourquoi me reveiller?’ This is Werther at his poetic best, on his visit to the now married Charlotte. Lyrics here. Kaye chose this performance by a young Kaufmann – 2010.
Dawn's #2 was Jonas Kaufman singing “Nessun Dorma”. Here it is (for comparison with Pavarotti) at BBC Proms in 2015. Lyrics in subtitles invite reflection on the message of this opera.
Dorothy nominates Australian soprano Nicole Car, who with her husband Étienne Dupuis is singing around the world now. Here's an early local success: in 2013, she sang Micaëla in Bizet's Carmen, production by the Opera Australia Handa Opera on the Harbour. Micaëla's great aria, "Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante" (I say nothing frightens me...) was presented from atop a shipping container, high over the harbour!
Tom is nominating Serbian baritone Željko Lučić for his portrayal of Tom’s favourite villain, Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca. This is his evil aria, “Va, Tosca” (intertwined significantly with the Te Deum, in one of Puccini’s most dramatic scenes) What's going on?
He has trapped the singer into jealous suspicion of her politically dangerous artist lover, and as she leaves, celebrates that she can't go far without betraying him. Read about his career and thoughts here. Including his thoughts about Scarpia. Read about the character and the opera here. Here's Bryn Terfel's interpretation of the same scene.
And (if there's time!) I'm nominating Montserrat Caballé and choosing her “Casta Diva” from Bellini’s Norma (1831). It’s a bel canto prayer to the Druid gods of which Norma’s a (somewhat faulty) High Priestess – having fallen for a Roman oppressor and borne him two children. (Want more? Here she is with that Roman – Jon Vickers – in the extraordinary duet "In mia man".
And here, in 1972, with her famed piannismi, she is the formidable Leonora in Verdi’s Il Trovatore. Want the words? Lyrics here.)
Back to “Casta Diva” - an amazing sweet moment in an increasingly tumultuous story. Our nominated sopranos all feature in this splendid summary.
And here’s Caballé: https://youtu.be/kqxjpDyLWP4 8:47 mins
Lyn, 30/3/23
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