Opera Gala 

3-4 July 2021

Program Notes

(in alphabetical order)

Abendsegen
from Hansel and Gretel by E. Humperdinck

From the Grimm Brothers’ folk tale: Hansel and Gretel waited deep in the forest for their father. When noon came, each ate a little piece of bread. It grew late, but still the woodcutter did not return…Gretel began to cry and said: “How are we to get out of the forest now?” But Hansel comforted her and said: “Just wait a little, until the moon has risen, and then we will soon find the way.” Their duet, sometimes called “The Children’s Prayer” catches this delicate moment of courage and faith.

Amid the Din of the Ball
Romance by Tchaikovsky

“Thy tender form enthralled me, as did thy pensive glance,

And your sad but musical laughter filled my heart,

which has sung forever since.”

Au fond du temple saint
from Les Pêcheurs de perles by G.Bizet

Nadir arrives on the shores of Ceylon, where his friend Zurga has just been elected Fisher King by the local pearl fishermen. The two celebrate their reunion with this impassioned duet. They recall how they had once been enamored of a veiled priestess of Brahma, but had renounced their rivalry for a pledge of eternal friendship. In an ingenious twist of dramatic irony, this duet reappears at the end of the opera, but is sung in unison  by the priestess Leila and the tenor Nadir. These two affirm their love “which will trans-cend all trials” while Zurga,  who has transcended his jealousy, sacrifices himself so that they may flee to safety. As they are heard in the background he joins the song, repeating his pledge of eternal friendship.

Bella figlia dell’amore
from Rigoletto by G. Verdi 

The Duke’s jester Rigoletto and his daughter Gilda listen from outside as the Duke of Mantua begins yet another flirtation. Gilda laments that the deceiving Duke is unfaithful; Rigoletto assures her that he will arrange revenge.

Caro Nome
from Rigoletto by G. Verdi

The Duke of Mantua, has masqueraded as a young student in order to win the trust and affections of Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda. Dreamily musing on the name of the man with whom she is in love, Gilda is unaware that it is a false name and that he is not who he pretends to be. The heartless contrivances of the Duke are juxtaposed against Gilda’s tender simplicity This aria has long been treasured as a cameo of young love’s innocence and idealism

Casta Diva
from Norma by V. Bellini

In Roman Gaul, a crowd of irate  Druids, oppressed by the occupation of their land, beg the high priest-ess Norma to declare war. Norma, who is secretly in love with the Roman proconsul, assuages their fury and convinces them not  to fight. Instead, Norma sings a prayer to the chaste goddess of the moon, ask-ing for peace.

Che faro senza Euridice
from Orfeo ed Euridice  by C. W. Gluck

Orpheus was the legendary musician whose singing and playing were so beautiful that animals and trees and even rocks were moved to dance. After his beloved Euridice dies on the day of their wedding, he is determined to bring her back from the realm of the dead. Amor, the angel of love appears, announcing that Apollo is moved by his grief and grants him the right to descend into the underworld, but on one condition: he must not look at her, or he will lose her forever.  After calming the Furies with the music of his voice, he reaches the Island of the Blessed Spirits, retrieving Euridice without touching or looking at her. Euridice, who had been initially overjoyed, took this to be a sign that he no longer loves her, and re-fuses to continue. Distraught, Orfeo turns and looks at Euridice; again, she dies. Overcome with grief, he sings “What will I do without Euridice?”

Di Provenza il mar, il suol
from La Traviata by G.Verdi

In Alfredo’s absence from his beloved Violetta, his father, Giorgio Germont, pays her a visit. He demands that she separate from his son, as their disreputable liaison threatens his daughter’s impending marriage. As Germont comes to realize that Violetta is not seeking his son’s money, he appeals to her generosity of spirit. Her resistance dwindles and she finally agrees to leave Alfredo forever, writing a goodbye letter to her lover. Alfredo returns, and while he is reading the letter, his father appears to console him in this aria, evoking his childhood home amid the sun and sea. With an expressive use of texture and harmony, Ver-di leads us into the world of Germont. The baritone sings a nostalgic melody reminiscent of a lullaby to calm a child.

Flower Duet 
from  Lakme by L. Delibes

The action of the opera takes place in India during the late-19th century British Raj. The Brahmin high priest Nilakantha has been forbidden to practice his religion upon the arrival of British forces in the city. Secretly, he leads a group of people back to the temple to worship. His daughter Lakme (the French ver-sion of the name Lakshmi) stays behind with her servant, Malika, gathering flowers to prepare for a bath in the river. As they remove their jewels and clothing, the women sing this duet  describing the white jasmine, roses, and other flowers that adorn the riverbanks. The blending of soprano and mezzo-soprano voices in close harmony creates an ambience of refined, exotic beauty.

Je Veux Vivre
from Roméo et Juliet by C.Gounod

At the ball given by her father Lord Capulet, Juliet  is teased about her forthcoming marriage by her nurse. In this vivacious waltz melody, she expresses her desire to enjoy the freedom and the “sweet flame” of youth “far from a morose winter”. The undertones to her enthusiasm suggest that she is not merely flighty and giddy, but anxious about being thrust into a marriage not of her choosing while still so young.

Là ci darem la mano
from Don Giovanni by W.A.Mozart

Don Giovanni has just met Zerlina and her betrothed, Masetto. Never satisfied with the easy victories

he scores with women, Giovanni is intrigued by the young Zerlina. In this duet he suggests that the bride-to-be to follow him to his castle where “we will give each other our hands”. In the midst of this attempt, however, his former mistresses arrive and thwart the seduction, rescuing the shaken Zerlina.

La Fleur Que Tu M’avais Jetée  
from Carmen by G.Bizet

The infatuated Don Jose sings this poignant aria to Carmen upon his release from prison, where he has kept the rose she threw to him when they met. He has now forgotten his sweetheart and his mother, and become slave to an extreme passion which will inevitably become its opposite. Even in this aria, he is aware of the precariousness of his condition, protesting “Why did fate put you in my path?”  On the words «Et j’étais une chose à toi»,  the composer has indicated a pianissimo, diminuendo and rallentan-do, vacuuming and attenuating the sound almost into silence. The piece concludes with the imploring “O Carmen je t’aime”,a whispered plea that he be released from her spell.

L’amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera)
from Carmen by G.Bizet

TThe Habanera “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” launches the first act of the opera after Carmen and the other women workers exit the cigarette factory and gather in the town square. The Caribbean rhythms of the dance (originating in Havana) are immediately suggestive. Groups of soldiers begin flirting with the women, and ask Carmen teasingly about love. She replies in this aria “Love is like a rebellious bird that nothing can tame; if you think about avoiding it, it will grasp you, if you try to grasp it, it will avoid you.”

Libiamo, ne’ lieti calici
from La Traviata by G. Verdi

Verdi’ wrote  his choruses in a wide variety of forms. This ingenious and “spirited” number is a brindisi, a lively drinking song in which one character introduces a toast with a solo melody and the full ensemble later joins in the refrain.

Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix 
from «Samson et Dalila» by C. Saint Saëns

Dalila is a priestess of the Philistines whose rule has been overthrown by the Jews through the superhu-man strength of their leader, Samson. An ardent patriot, Dalila wants to unveil the secret of Samson’s power. Until now, although he is her former lover and has confessed his continuing love to her, he has maintained the secret of his strength. As for Dalila, though her plotting is primarily for reasons of state, one senses that with her warm erotic voice, she may actually be persuading herself – as well as Samson and the listener – of this truly fatal attraction.

Nessun Dorma
from Turandot by G.Puccini

“None shall sleep!                                                                                                                       

Not even you, oh Princess,

in your cold bedroom,

watching the stars

that tremble with love, and with hope.

At dawn, I will win!

I will win! I will win!”

Calaf, an unknown prince, has fallen in love at first sight with the beautiful but icy Princess Turandot. Like the sphinx, Turandot presents all men with three riddles; if a suitor answers them correctly, he may marry her; if he fails, he must die. In this case Calaf answers them all, but offers her an opportunity to triumph and elude her marriage obligation. He turns the situation into another riddle: What is my name? If she guesses his name, he will die, and she will retain her icy rule.

O du mein holder Abendstern
from Tannhäuser by R.Wagner

The opera Tannhauser, set in Medieval Germany, is a sort of dialogue between sensual and spiritual love. This dialogue is represented by the lives of two minnesingers (troubadours) Tannhauser and Wolfram, who are friends and both in love with Elisabeth. For writing sensual poetry and practicing profane love, Tannhauser is exiled from his Christian brothers and obliged to do a penitential pilgrimage to Rome.  In the last act of the opera Wolfram sings this Song to the Evening Star, while thinking of Elisabeth and her sad longing for Tannhauser. As if summoned, Tannhauser appears, ragged and weary from his journey; upon seeing the funeral procession for Elisabeth, he loses his last trace of hope, and collapses by her side.

O soave fanciulla
from  La Bohème by G. Puccini

“Oh lovely girl, oh sweet face bathed in the soft moonlight,

I see you in a dream I’d dream forever”

Mimi and Rudolfo have just met, and told each other about themselves. Under  the wintry moonlight

they affirm their newfound passion in this sublime duet.

O zittre nicht
from Die Zauberflöte by W.A.Mozart

In the aria, the Queen first assuages the fears of the alarmed Tamino. She then relates her tale of Pamina’s abduction by Sarastro (which is only partially true), and finally makes an impassioned plea to Tamino to rescue her daughter. She leaves, perfunctorily, with her attendants, while the bemused Tamino remains to consider this request.

Rachel, quand du seigneur
from La Juive by F. Halévy

During the pogroms of Medieval Europe Eleazar, a Jew, has seen his own sons burned by Christians. Now, beside his adopted daughter, he stands on the scaffold for refusing to convert. Should he allow her to die, or alert the vengeful Christian count that this girl is the count’s own daughter?  Such is the medita-tion of this tender aria of a man trying to put love above revenge.

Seguidilla
from Carmen by G.Bizet

Jose is ordered to take the unruly Carmen to prison, but she beguiles him with this provocative seguidilla about dancing and love. Unsurprisingly, the naive Jose is thrown off guard and agrees to free her hands; however, as they proceed to prison she pushes him aside as agreed and flees. José is arrested for derelic-tion of duty.

Soave sia il vento
from Cosi fan Tutte by W.A.Mozart

“Soave sia il vento” (“May the wind be gentle”) is a parting farewell from the sisters, Dorabella and Fiordiligi, to their lovers. The men are departing by sea, supposedly on their way to war, as part of a wa-ger they have made with their friend Alfonso that the girls will remain faithful. The undulations of wind and waves as well as of love are suggested by this exquisitely beautiful trio.

Spring Waters 
Romance by S.Rachmaninov

“The fields are still white with snow,

But already there is the sound of spring in the waters –

‘Spring is coming, spring is coming!’ ”

Sull’aria
from Le nozze di Figaro by  W.A.Mozart

“On the breeze...What a gentle little Zephyr” is a charming duet in which the tender images of nature in Da Ponte’s libretto are graciously rendered in music. Here the sad Countess dictates to her maid Susanna a seductive invitation to her husband the Count. The letter allures him into a plot that simultaneously ex-poses his infidelity and restores his love for his wife.

Una furtiva lagrima
from L’Elisir d’Amore by G.Donizetti

The twists and turns of misunderstanding in this opera buffa lead to happy endings. A bottle of red wine sold as a love potion serendipitously melts the cold heart of Adina- she now regrets having neglected Nemorino for so long. A single, furtive tear from her is all it takes to convince him that the elixir has worked. Despite the melancholy melody, this is a moving expression of reassurance in his love.

Va Pensiero
from Nabucco by G. Verdi

The chorus of Hebrew slaves sing this heartfelt prayer remembering their homeland while captive in Babylon. The opening words “Fly, thoughts, on wings of gold” come from the psalms. Verdi com-posed Nabucco at a difficult moment in his life. His wife and small children had all just died of various illnesses. Reluctantly, he agreed to look at a libretto offered by the director of La Scala. Verdi happened to open the libretto at “Va, pensiero” and seeing the phrase, he “heard the words singing”.

Voi Che Sapete
from Le Nozze Di Figaro by W.A.Mozart

The Count’s page Cherubino has written this song for the Countess but has been too bashful to sing it until Susanna offers to accompany him on her guitar. In his shy poem he asks women whether unusual feelings of desire and pleasure and suffering are symptoms of being in love.

Votre Toast ( Toreador Song )
from  Carmen  by G.Bizet

After a victorious bullfight, the toreador Escamillo has come with his friends into a tavern where he notic-es Carmen across the room. After being toasted by his friends, he launches with glorious bravado into this list of feats of a bullfighter in the ring. The Toreador Song delivers a masculine response to the co-quettish challenges posed by Carmen in her Habanera.