25th February 2023
PROGRAMME
Lauenen, Saturday, 25th February 2023
FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Scherzo from Octet in F major, Op. 166
GIOACHINO ROSSINI (1792-1868)
“Non bastan quelle lagrime” – duet (Elisabetta & Matilda) from Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra
Soloists: Pretty Yende, Nadine Sierra
GAETANO DONIZETTI (1797-1848)
“Quel guardo il cavaliere” – Norina’s aria from Don Pasquale
Soloist: Nadine Sierra
VINCENZO BELLINI (1801-1835)
“Come per me sereno” – Amina´s aria from La Sonnambula
Soloist: Pretty Yende
GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813-1901)
“È strano … Ah, fors’ è lui … Sempre libera degg´io” – Violetta´s aria from La Traviata
Soloist: Nadine Sierra
VINCENZO BELLINI (1801-1835)
“Mira, o Norma… Sì, fino all´ore estreme” – duet (Norma & Adalgisa) from Norma
Soloists: Pretty Yende, Nadine Sierra
INTERMISSION
JOHANN STRAUSS SOHN (1825-1899)
Tritsch-Tratsch Polka
FRANZ LEHÁR (1870-1948)
“Vilja-Lied” – Hanna´s aria from Die lustige Witwe
Soloist: Nadine Sierra
JACQUES OFFENBACH (1819-1880)
“Les oiseaux dans la charmille” – Olympia´s aria from Les contes d´Hoffmann
Soloist: Pretty Yende
GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898-1937)
Rhapsody in blue
Soloist: Hyung-ki Joo – piano
VICTOR HERBERT (1859-1924)
“Art is calling for me” – Stellina´s aria from The Enchantress
Soloist: Pretty Yende
LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918-1990)
“I feel pretty” – from West Side Story
Soloists: Pretty Yende, Nadine Sierra
Nadine Sierra – soprano, Pretty Yende – soprano
Joji Hattori & Ziyu He – violins, Sarah McElravy – viola,
Alexey Stadler – cello, Božo Paradžik – double-bass, Christoph Zimper – clarinet,
Benedikt Dinkhauser – bassoon, Sebastian Kolarz – Löschberger – horn,
Hyung-ki Joo – piano.
All arrangements for smaller ensemble by Stepan Sobanov.
Programme notes
FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Scherzo from Octet in F major, Op. 166
Austrian composer Schubert´s musical escape from the confines of the difficult political situation shaped his short life. He expanded the “classical” boundaries and anticipated much of the subsequent epoch of romanticism.
The octet was composed in 1824, commissioned by clarinetist F. Troyer who requested a work similar to Beethoven´s Septet, Op. 20. Over the course of time, it has achieved the same status as Beethoven´s septet and is one of two most often performed chamber music works for strings and winds performing together.
GIOACHINO ROSSINI (1792–1868)
“Non bastan quelle lagrime” – duet (Elisabetta & Matilda) from Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra
Elisabetta, Queen of England, loves the Earl of Leicester, Commander of the army. When she finds out that Matilde is secretly married to him, she forces her to renounce her marriage in order to save her life, since the Queen has sentenced her to death. When Leicester intervenes, he is also sentenced to death. Matilda protects the Queen when she is about to be stabbed by the Duke of Norfolk. In the end, everybody is pardonned and Norfolk condemned to death.
This andante duet for the two women is the major number in act II, in which Elisabetta tells Matilda that her tears are not enough to soften her heart to pity, and Matilda laments her devastated heart, agreeing to sign the renouncement of her marriage.
With this opera Rossini successfully tried to win a good reputation in the initially unwelcoming musical establishment of Naples. It is the first work for the San Carlo, in which he reused substantial sections of his earlier works, quasi a “best of ” medley, unfamiliar to the local public.
GAETANO DONIZETTI (1797–1848)
“Quel guardo il cavaliere” – Norina’s aria from Don Pasquale
In this opera elderly rich bachelor Don Pasquale wants to marry young and cunning widow Norina, who on the other hand is in love with his nephew Ernesto. Doctor Malesta mediates between them, Norina shall marry Don Pasquale in a mock marriage ceremony, after which she shall behave terribly and waste his money, making him want a divorce. The plan works and in the end Ernesto and Norina marry.
This cavatina is sung in the first act by Norina, commenting on a love novel she is reading, but also dwelling on her own skills as a charmer, which could well come in Dr. Malatesta´s plan, finding a wife for rich old bachelor Don Pasquale.
VINCENZO BELLINI (1801–1835)
“Come per me sereno” – Amina´s aria from La Sonnambula
In this opera set in Paris in 1850, an engaged woman (Amina) sleepwalks and is found in another man’s bed at night.
This cavatina is sung in the first act by Amina during the preparations for her wedding with wealthy farmer Elvino. Amina is a poor orphan who was adopted by miller Teresa.
After a little serenade by the villagers, Amina appears and, touched, thanks them for the friendship they have shown and thanks her “mother” Teresa for her love.
GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813–1901)
“È strano … Ah, fors’ è lui … Sempre libera degg´io” – Violetta´s aria from La Traviata
This opera set in Paris mid-19th century, is about a Parisian courtesan and society lady (Violetta) and her love story with rich Baron Douphol (Alfredo). She is terminally ill and dies of tuberculosis. An opera about a courtesan was an unprecedented innovation for the time.
Finale of the first act: Alfredo confesses to Violetta that he has secretly loved her for a long time. Violetta is attracted to Alfredo and for the first time in her life feels a need for love, but also knows that she is seriously ill. In this aria she expresses her torn heart between a budding love (ah fors è lui) and free life (semper libera).
VINCENZO BELLINI (1801–1835)
“Mira, o Norma… Sì, fino all´ore estreme” – duet (Norma & Adalgisa) from Norma
This melodrama is set in Gaul around 50 BC, at the time of the Rom occupation. Norma, the Druid high priestess, has two sons with Pollione, the Roman consul, who abandons her to be with Adalgisa, who in the end wants him to return to Norma. In the war, Pollione is sentenced to death, Norma offers to take his place, which makes Pollione realize he does love her after all, but it is too late, and both die. Unusually, the rivals in this opera are not two men, but two women.
In this aria the two women reconcile, they are deeply moved and swear their friendship.
INTERMISSION
JOHANN STRAUSS SOHN (1825-1899)
Tritsch-Tratsch Polka
Tritsch-Tratsch (chit-chat) is a tribute to the Viennese passion for gossip.
Polka is a very fast dance in two-quarter time, Viennese society enjoys dancing at formal balls. Johann Strauss II, the king of waltzes, wrote and performed this fun piece in 1858, after a successful tour of Russia.
FRANZ LEHÁR (1870-1948)
“Vilja-Lied” – Hanna´s aria from Die lustige Witwe
This operetta is about a rich widow (Hanna) and her countrymen´s (lead by Baron Zeta) attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband.
In the scene where Hanna sings this aria, she is trying to get the attention of her former lover count Danilo to win him back (she succeeds in the end). She sings about a young huntsman who sees Vilja, a little forest maiden, on a rock and falls for her charms. The maiden pulls him towards her and caresses him but then leaves the lovesick man behind.
The overwhelming success of The Merry Widow brought Franz Lehár great wealth.
JACQUES OFFENBACH (1819–1880)
“Les oiseaux dans la charmille” – Olympia´s aria from Les contes d´Hoffmann
This is from a scene where Hoffmann does not realize Olympia is a doll and falls in love with her. This aria (“The birds in the arcade”), with its foolish lyrics and mechanically performed sounds, is interrupted twice because the puppet has to be wound up again. Hoffmann still doesn’t notice anything: he passionately confesses his love to her and dances a waltz with her, which gets faster and faster and completely exhausts him, whereupon she leaves the room rather disturbed and is then destroyed by Coppelius.
GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898–1937)
Rhapsody in blue
in an arrangement for piano and chamber ensemble by Stepan Sobanov.
By far the most famous work by Gershwin, this piece was composed in only five weeks in 1924, originally for solo piano and jazz band. It combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. The syncopation, blue notes, ragtime and jazz rhythms are said to be a feeling of New York City in that era. With this key composition that defined the Jazz Age, Gershwin inaugurated a new era in America´s musical history.
LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918–1990)
“A boy like that – I have a love” – duet (Anita & Maria) from West Side Story
In this song from the 1957 Broadway hit, Tony wants to run away to the countryside with Maria and have children with her, though it is arranged for her to marry Chino. Maria hides her love for Tony, but Anita, who works with her in a bridal shop, finds out that Tony has been with Maria and launches an angry tirade against him (“A Boy Like That“). Maria counters by telling Anita how powerful love is (“I Have a Love”), who then realizes that Maria loves Tony as much as she had loved Maria´s brother Bernardo, who was killed by Tony.
VICTOR HERBERT (1859–1924)
“Art is calling for me” – Stellina´s aria from The Enchantress
in an arrangement for soprano and chamber ensemble by Stepan Sobanov.
Victor Herbert was an Irish-born, German-raised American composer, cellist and conductor. In the comic opera The Enchantress (1911) Prince Ivan is enchanted by a commoner, the beautiful singer Vivian. If he marries her, he must forfeit his kingdom. The prince declares his love for Vivian, but she rejects him. The song `Art is calling for me´ is sung in the second act by Princess Stellina, who aspires to Vivian´s lifestyle and dreams of being a prima donna – which was not well seen back then – caring less about a life at court.
LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918–1990)
“I feel pretty” – from West Side Story
In the bridal shop where she works with Anita, Maria giddily sings to her friends that she is in love (with Tony), unaware that her brother has been killed.
Featuring one of Bernstein‘s most memorable melodies, colored with a Latin character: its first four notes, deliciously rhythmic in their rising contour, repeat, then are reduced to three, then to two. This forms the core of the theme and the rest is brilliantly imagined as well.