PROGRAM NOTES & TEXT TRANSLATIONS
C. Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Printemps Qui Commence
Delilah’s Aria, Act 1
“In this Biblical story, Delilah is a priestess of the pagan god Dagon. On the square in Gaza, she emerges from the temple and is riveted by the sight of the mighty Samson. After her fellow priestesses dance seductively around him, she sings the first of the three unforgettable arias Saint-Saëns composed for this character. Printemps Qui Commence (Spring Is Coming) is certainly one of the most intoxicatingly beautiful melodies in French opera. In this aria, she sings of spring's beauties. At the same time, she expresses her longing for Samson to come to her at her home in the valley of Sorek.”
(From The Lyric Opera of Chicago)
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Spring is coming,
Bearing hope to loving hearts,
Your breath, rising over earth, erases all sadness.
Your sweet warmth dries our tears; You replenish the earth,
With a sweet mystery of fruits and flowers.
But, my beauty is in vain!
My heart, full of love,
Mourns for my unfaithful love to return.
Living on hope, my sad heart longs for the memory of the happier past!
As night falls,
I will sadly sit by the stream,
And tearfully wait for him.
If he returns one day, my grief will disappear,
My tenderness is his,
And the sweet excitement
Of my burning love for when he returns.
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W. Bolcom
From "Cabaret Songs"
"Bolcom’s cabaret songs are a witty and satirical set of pieces composed with lyrics by A. Weinstein in 1978. The songs are known for their dark humor and theatrical flair on subjects such as modern life, relationships and societal anxieities. Bolcom, born in 1938, is a prolific American composer to this day. His music spans a wide range of genres from traditional chamber music, orchestral works to ragtime pieces."
(- Arnold Weinstein)
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George
My friend George used to say
“Oh call me Georgia, hon,
get yourself a drink,”
and sang the best soprano
in our part of town.
In beads, brocade and pins,
he sang if you happened in
through the door he never locked
and said, “Get yourself a drink,”
and sang out loud
till tears fell in the cognac
and the choc’late milk and gin
and on the beads, brocade and pins.
When strangers happened through
his open door,
George said, “Stay,
but you gotta keep quiet
while I sing
and then a minute after.
And call me Georgia.”
One fine day a stranger in a suit
of navy blue
took George’s life with a knife
George had placed
beside an apple pie he’d baked
and stabbed him in the middle
of Un bel dí vedremo
as he sang
for this particular stranger
who was in the United States Navy.
The funeral was at the cocktail hour.
We knew George would like it like that.
Tears fell on the beads, brocade and pins
in the coffin which was white
because George was a virgin.
Oh call him Georgia, hon,
get yourself a drink.
“You can call me Georgia, hon,
get yourself a drink!
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Amor
It wasn’t the policeman’s fault
in all the traffic roar
Instead of shouting halt when he saw me
he shouted Amor.
Even the ice-cream man
Instead of shouting Butter Pecan one look at me
he shouted Amor.
All over town it went that way
Ev’rybody took off the day
Even philosophers understood
How good was the good ‘cuz I looked so good!
The poor stopped taking less
The rich stopped needing more.
Instead of shouting no and yes
Both looking at me shouted Amor.
My stay in town was cut short
I was dragged to court.
The judge said I disturbed the peace
And the jury gave him what for!
The judge raised his hand
And instead of Desist and Cease
Judgie came to the stand, took my hand
And whispered Amor.
Night was turning into day
I walked alone away.
Never see that town again.
But as I passed the churchhouse door
Instead of singing Amen
The choir was singing Amor.
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R. Schumann (1810-1856)
Widmung (Dedication) arranged for Piano solo by F. Liszt
Robert Schumann was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic of the Romantic era. He studied law before dedicating himself to music, marrying Clara Wieck, daughter of his piano teacher Friedrich Wieck. Schumann composed diverse music, notably lieder (German art songs) like Dichterliebe (A Poet's Love) and Frauenliebe und -leben (A Woman's Love and Life), both celebrated for their emotional depth and poetry. His critical contributions include co-founding the influential music journal Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. Schumann struggled with mental health issues throughout his life, dying at 46, yet his vocal works and contributions to Romantic music endure as vital elements of the era's legacy.
Robert Schumann's Widmung (Dedication) is a renowned lieder (German art song), originally a setting of a poem by Friedrich Rückert. It is part of his song cycle Myrthen (Myrtles), composed as a wedding gift for his wife Clara. Widmung is cherished for its heartfelt expression of love and devotion, showcasing Schumann's ability to marry poetry and music seamlessly. It remains one of his most beloved and frequently performed vocal works, emblematic of the Romantic spirit in music.
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You are my soul, my heart, my ecstasy, my pain,
You are the world in which I live, the heaven into which I soar,
You are my grave, into which I eternally bury my sorrow!
(Henry S. Drinker)
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E. Grieg (1843-1907)
Ich liebe dich (I love you)
A leading Norwegian composer and pianist in the Romantic era also characterised as Nationalistic in spirit. His use of Norwegian folk music in his own compositions helped to develop a national identity, much as Jean Sibelius did in Finland and Bedřich Smetana in Bohemia.
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You have become the single thought of my thoughts,
you are the first love of my heart.
I love you as no one else here on Earth,
I love you for time and eternity!
I think of you, I cannot stop thinking of you only,
Only to your happiness is my heart consecrated,
As God directs our life’s fates,
I love you for time and eternity!
(Hans Christian Andersen)
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R. Strauss (1864-1949)
Zueignung (Dedication)
A prolific German composer known for his orchestral tone poems and operas. He wrote over 200 songs, establishing himself in the Lied tradition after Schubert and Schumann. His songs showcase exceptional melodic gift and ability to evoke a wide range of emotions.
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Yes, dear soul, you know
That I’m in torment far from you,
Love makes hearts sick –
Be thanked.
Once, revelling in freedom,
I held the amethyst cup aloft
And you blessed that draught –
Be thanked.
And you banished the evil spirits,
Till I, as never before,
Holy, sank holy upon your heart –
Be thanked.
(Hermann von Gilm)
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Morgen (Tomorrow)
And tomorrow the sun will shine again
And on the path that I shall take,
It will unite us, happy ones, again,
Amid this same sun-breathing earth ...
And to the shore, broad, blue-waved,
We shall quietly and slowly descend,
Speechless we shall gaze into each other’s eyes,
And the speechless silence of bliss shall fall on us ...
(John Henry Mackay)
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F. Obradors (1897-1945)
Spanish composer from Barcelona. Famous for incorporating Spanish folk songs and
setting them to classical song form. The two songs are from <Canciones clásicas españolas> written in 1921-1941.
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Al Amor (To Love)
Give me, Love, kisses without number,
your hands seizing my hair,
give me eleven hundred of them,
and eleven hundred more,
and then...
many more thousands, and three more!
And so that no one may know,
let's forget the tally
and...count backwards.
(Cristobal de Castillejo)
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Del Cabello Más Sutil (From The Finest Hair)
From the finest hair
in your tresses
I wish to make a chain
to draw you to my side.
In your house, young girl,
I'd fain be a pitcher,
to kiss your lips
whenever you went to drink. Ah!
(From Traditional Spanish Text)
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X. Montsalvatge (1912-2002)
One of the most influential musical figures in Catalan music. The two songs you are about to hear were written in 1945 when the Spanish composer was influenced by the music of the West Indies. One can hear the syncopated rhythm and harmonies in the left hand of the piano playing. In the first song, the mother is trying to put her baby to nap (though by trying to do so, she talks about scary things like the evil white man…). In the second song, the text is mixed with gibberish, depicting a man dancing and tumbling on one foot while singing.
Montsalvatge’s music blends Spanish tradition with the influence of Cuban rhythms and jazz harmonies, creating a unique and captivating soundscape. Each song in the cycle portrays the richness and diversity of Afro-Cuban life.
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Canción De Cuna Para Dormir Un Negrito (Lullaby For A Little Black Boy)
from Cinco Canciones Negras (Five Black Songs)
Lullay, lullay, lullay,
tiny little child,
little black boy,
who won’t go to sleep.
Head like a coconut,
head like a coffee bean,
with pretty freckles
and wide eyes
like two windows
looking out to sea.
Close your tiny eyes,
frightened little boy,
or the white devil
will eat you up.
You’re no longer a slave!
And if you sleep soundly,
the master of the house
promises to buy
a suit with buttons
to make you a ‘groom’.
Lullay, lullay, lullay,
sleep, little black boy,
head like a coconut,
head like a coffee bean.
(Ildefonso Pereda Valdés)
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Canto negro
Yambambó, yambambé!
The congo solongo is ringing,
the black man, the real black man is ringing;
congo solongo from the Songo
is dancing the yambó on one foot.
Mamatomba, Serembe cuserembá.
The black man sings and gets drunk,
the black man gets drunk and sings,
the black man sings and goes away.
Acuemem e serembó
Aé, yambó aé. Bam, bam, bam, bam,
bam of the black man who tumbles;
drum of the black man, wow,
wow, how the black man's tumbling!
¡Yambá, yambó, yambambé!
(Nicolás Guillén)
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M. Moszkowski (1854-1925)
Étude Op. 72. No.6 (Piano Solo)
Moritz Moszkowski, a Polish-German composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era, left behind a legacy of captivating piano works, including two renowned sets of etudes: the Études de Virtuosité, Op. 72, and the 20 Petites Etudes, Op. 91. While the Op. 72 set dazzles with its technical brilliance and virtuosic demands, the Op. 91 collection offers a more approachable yet musically rich experience. Both sets showcase Moszkowski's masterful blend of technical prowess and lyrical sensibility, solidifying his position as a significant figure in the Romantic piano repertoire.
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C. Bizet (1838-1875)
Carmen sings the Habanera in Act I. As the cigarette factory bell rings and the workers amble out, the soldiers are waiting for Carmen. After a dramatic solo entrance she launches into the aria whose text capture the essence of her personality: “If you don’t love me, then I love you; but if I love you, beware ” As she sings and dances, she sidles up to Don José, the one soldier who is obviously ignoring her, throws a red cassia flower at his feet and dashes back into the factory.
(From “A Night at the Opera”)
The opera Carmen is considered “the most perfect” opera from all the popular repertoire performed around the world. It’s a pity that the prodigious composer Bizet died 3 months after its composition at the age of 36.
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Habanera (Love Is A Rebellious Bird)
Carmen, Act 1
Love is a rebellious bird
that no one can tame,
and if you call for it, it'll be quite in vain
for it's in its nature to say no.
Nothing helps, neither a threat nor a prayer
one talks well, the other rests silent
and it's the other one that i prefere
doesn't say a thing, but pleases me.
Love! Love!
Love is a gypsy's child,
it has never, never known what law is,
if you do not love me, i love you
If I love you, then beware!
if you do not love me,
If you do not love me, then I love you!
but if i love you,
If I love you, then beware!
The bird you thought you had caught by surprise
beats its wings and flies away...
love lies afar, you can wait for it
and when you don't expect it anymore, there it is!
All around you twirls faster, faster
it comes and goes, and then comes back.
you think you've caught it, it eludes you,
you think you've escaped it, it captures you.
Love! Love!
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C. Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
The opera Samson and Delilah is based on the Biblical tale of Samson and Delilah found in Chapter 16 of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament. Delilah, an enemy of Samson’s people, tries to find out the secret of Samson’s strength.
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Mon Cœur s'Ouvre à Ta Voix (My Heart Opens to Your Voice)
Act 2, Samson and Delilah
My heart opens to your voice
Like the flowers open
To the kisses of the dawn!
But, oh my beloved,
To better dry my tears,
Let your voice speak again!
Tell me that you are returning
To Delilah forever!
Repeat to my tenderness
The promises of old times,
Those promises that I loved!
Ah! respond to my tenderness!
Fill me with ecstasy!
Like one sees the blades
Of wheat that wave
In the light wind,
So trembles my heart,
Ready to be consoled,
By your voice that is so dear to me!
The arrow is less rapid
In bringing death,
Than is your lover
To fly into your arms!
Ah! respond to my tenderness!
Fill me with ecstasy!
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G. Gershwin (1898-1937)
Our Love Is Here To Stay
This song was composed in 1937 and embodies a mix of Broadway, jazz and operatic style.
It was first performed by Kenny Baker in The Goldwyn Follies but became popular when it was sung by Gene Kelly in the film An American in Paris (1951). It can also be heard in the film When Harry Met Sally (1989) sung by Harry Connick Jr.
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The more I read the papers
The less I comprehend
The world with all it's capers
And how it all will end
Nothing seems to be lasting
But that isn't our affair
We've got something permanent
I mean in the way we care
It's very clear
Our love is here to stay
Not for a year
But ever and a day
The radio and the telephone
And the movies that we know
May just be passing fancies
And in time may go
But, oh my dear,
Our love is here to stay
Together we're going a long, long way
In time the Rockies may crumble
Gibraltar may tumble
They're only made of clay
But our love is here to stay
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