Certificate Recital: Amelia Kauffmann, Voice

Allerseelen, Op. 10, no. 8
Richard Strauss wrote Allerseelen as part of a collection of songs when he was just 21 years old. Strauss was one of Germany’s greatest composers, and Allerseelen is a great favorite among his art songs. It is a setting of a poem by Hermann Von Gilm, and is an ode to All Souls ’ Day—a day to remember the deceased.

Das Rosenband, Op. 36, no. 1
Das Rosenband (The Rose Garland) is a setting of a poem by the 18th century poet Friedrich Klopstock. The text is full of nature imagery about the spring, shade, roses, night, and Paradise. The poem describes the narrator finding the woman of his dreams asleep in a garden and binding her with a rose garland, which is provocative of the binding imagery (like “tying the knot”) that we use in English to describe romantic commitment. The leaping octaves in the voice throughout evoke the euphoria of these young lovers.

Nichts, Op. 10, No. 2
Nichts (Nothing), Op. 10 is from the same collection of lieders as Allerseelen. It is a much more sprightly piece, and is sung by an audacious and fiery narrator who is impatient about being asked a host of questions about “my queen, the realm of song.”

Le Bestiaire
Le Bestiaire ou Cortège d’Orphée is a collection of thirty poems by Guillaume Apollinaire, which describe Orpheus and the parade of animals who follow him. In medieval times, every animal was thought to have a special meaning. The poems seem lighthearted at first glance, but under the surface there are more profound implications, like meditations on the poet’s own life or his religious and political reflections.

“Le Dromadaire” (“The Dromedary”) describes an animal much like a camel, but smaller and faster. The real focus of the poem is actually the dromedary’s owner,Don Pedro, who dreams of exploring the ends of the earth with his four animals.According to Apollinaire’s notes, Don Pedro d’Alfaroubeira refers to a real historical figure who traveled parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia in a caravan with twelve companions. The poet admires Don Pedro’s sense of adventure and remarks that he would travel too if he had four dromedaries.

In “La Chèvre du Thibet” (“The Tibetan Goat”), the poet expresses his affection for his beloved by declaring that her locks are far more precious to him than the fine wool of the goat or Jason’s fleece. The Jason referred to in the poem is a hero of Greek mythology who had to retrieve a golden fleece from King Aeetes of Colchis to become king.

“La Sauterelle” (“The Grasshopper”) is an ode to the grasshopper, a creature which has historically been considered both a blessing and a curse to mankind, because they can serve as nourishment but can also devastate crops. This poem regards grasshoppers in high esteem—the poet wants his verses to be as nourishing to her readers as grasshoppers were to St. John, who ate locusts and wild honey in the desert. The entire piece is quiet, almost muffled, which imparts a sense of intimacy that honors the seriousness of the poet’ s aspiration.

“Le Dauphin” (“The Dolphin”) portrays the dolphin as a symbol of naiveté and joy;in antiquity, this creature was considered a servant of gods and helper of men. In Apollinaire’s narrative, the dolphin plays in the sea despite its bitterness about life’s cruelty.

“L’Ecrevisse” (“The Crayfish”) tells the listener about the crayfish, which is a noted symbol of inconstancy because of the animal’ s backwards motion. The melody itself emphasizes the elements of backwardness; Poulenc immediately introduces a motive in the accompaniment that suggests the scurrying of the crayfish, rushing forwards and retreating backwards with the tide. It seems the poet is describing the
movement of his relationship with a lover—Apollinaire says “You and I, we move just like the crayfish—backwards…backwards.”

“La Carpe” (“The Carp”) is the final song in this set, and it portrays the carp as an immortal creature patiently awaiting death to no avail. Poulenc’
s piece is simple in structure, but brilliantly conveys the poem’s sense of hopelessness in just 11 measures. The octave jump in the very last measure adds tenderness and drama to the line, even as the voice stays at a whisper.

Il Tramonto, p. 101

Il Tramonto is Ottorini Respighi’s 1914 setting of “The Sunset,” a poem written by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1816. It was written during a time of great emotional turmoil for the poet; he was then living with Mary Godwin (later Mary Shelley), who was pregnant with their son, when his estranged and pregnant wife Harriet drowned herself in a London lake. The woman portrayed in Shelley’s poem is almost certainly meant to be Mary.

The poem tells the story of two tragic lovers written in a gothic style. It describes a young man, who suddenly dies in the arms of his lover after a sweet night of love. This moment marks a major shift in the tone of the poem and the music, where soaring and reflective lines give way to dramatic and threatening ones. The music in the second half reflects his beloved’ s resignation to the cruelty of her tragic fate, as our miserable heroine prays that she will finally find peace in death.

Una voce poco fa
“Una voce poco fa” is from Gioachino Rossini’ s 1816 opera The Barber of Seville (Il Barbiere di Siviglia). The irrepressible heroine Rosina refuses to marry her pompous old guardian, and a bold young count Lindoro is eager to win Rosina for himself.

In this scene, Rosina has heard the voice of Lindoro serenading her; she anticipates that he will be hers, and declares that she knows 100 tricks to get her way if anyone dares to interfere. She expresses her overwhelming emotions upon hearing Lindoro’s voice, and while she may seem sweet and innocent, she is not to be messed with.
Voi Che Sapete
This aria is sung by the character Cherubino in Mozart’ s opera Le Nozze di Figaro. The role of Cherubino is known as a“pants” role, meaning it is sung by a female performer playing a male character. The aria is all about unfounded teenage confidence, becoming girl-crazy, and a young man dealing with feelings he cannot control. The melodies themselves are simple, but the timbre of the vocal line and
harmonies in the accompaniment change constantly to express Cherubino ’ s frustration and excitement.

Que fais-tu, blanche tourterelle?
“Que fais-tu, blanche tourterelle ” is an aria from Charles Gounod’ s 1867 opera Roméo and Juliette, which remains one of his most popular operas to date, and is based on Shakespeare ’s tragedy. This aria is sung by Stephano, Roméo ’ s page, who is looking for his missing master inside the Capulet’ s house. To amuse himself, Stephano sings a mocking serenade outside Lord Capulet’ s home, which draws members of the Capulet household into the street.

Six Poèmes de Guillaume Apollinaire
The Six Poèmes de Guillaume Apollinaire were composed by Arthur Honegger, who wrote more than 200 compositions spanning virtually every genre, but was best known for his oratorios and symphonies. Apollinaire was a French poet, writer, and critic who worked odd jobs most of his
life while writing for magazines and his own poetry on the side. He is considered one of the most important literary figures of the early twentieth century, and his brief career influenced the development of artistic movements such as Futurism, Cubism, and Surrealism.

“A la ‘Santé’” is the first of the six songs, and it sets a languorous and brooding tone for the collection. It is a meditation on the passing of time as both dreadfully slow and regretfully quick. The music proceeds slowly and calmly, which creates an image of the steady march of time that does not stop for mourning.

“Clotilde” talks about the pursuit of something beautiful but fleeting, which will disappear with the sun as soon as one obtains it. The narrator and listener desire something that may escape them, but Apollinaire urges us to keep searching for it anyway.

“Automne” (Autumn) is characterized by the eerie little movements of the vocal line, and a structure that turns back on itself to suggest the endless cycles of love and life. It tells the story of a humble and lowly peasant, humming a story of romance and deceit that reveals the peasant’ s own broken heart.

“Saltimbanques” (“Traveling Players”) describes a lively scene of a circus traipsing through a village. The melody is filled with quirky intervals and syncopated rhythms, mixed with playful glissandi in the piano, which help the listener imagine the alluring oddities of this traveling circus.

“L’Adieu” (Farewell”) is a wistful and brooding meditation on the death of autumn and a feeling of never-ending waiting. The text is the star of the show, in moments like the repeated alliteration of “brin de bruyère. ” The plodding rhythm of the accompaniment creates a feeling that time is trudging on, and the winding vocal line mourns the passing of time and the destruction that comes with it.

“Les Cloches” (“The Bells”) is the resounding finale to Honegger’ s set of six songs, and it tells the cheeky story of a young woman who makes passionate love to a gypsy in a bell tower, but is found out by the whole town. The narrator pokes fun at herself and acknowledges that she will be the talk of the town the next day. The lighthearted feeling of the narrative is echoed by the spirited ascending lines in the vocal melody.

Black Max
Black Max is the first of three William Bolcom cabaret songs in the program. Bolcom is a Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award-winning American composer from Seattle who has written cabaret songs, concertos, sonatas, symphonies, operas, ragtime, and
more.

Black Max is a delightful narrative tale about a mysterious character who can be recognized by his long black jacket and broad black hat (and sometimes a cape); it is inspired by the poets ’ travels through Amsterdam. The elusive and mischievous figure of Black Max can be spotted all over town, whether lifting the brim of his hat to women on the street or making an appearance at a funeral.

Waitin’
Waitin’ is the shortest and simplest of these three cabaret songs , and is marked by a simple yet elegant melody. The narrator is hopeful that he will find what he is seeking, although he admits that his pursuit has thus far been unsuccessful. The dotted rhythms add to the wistful, bluesy feel of the piece.

Amor
The final Bolcom song is a witty comedic tale told by a narrator who has had the curious experience of finding that everyone she meets is infatuated with her, to the point where they shout “Amor” at her in the most inappropriate situations.

Amelia Kauffmann is a senior receiving a degree in Philosophy with a certificate in Vocal Performance. She studies voice with Barbara Rearick at Princeton. Originally from Atlanta, GA, Amelia moved to New York City at a young age and began piano lessons, chorus rehearsal, and theory instruction at Mannes Prep at 7 years old. She started taking voice lessons at the Diller-Quaile School of Music in high school, during which time she was also in an all-female acapella group and an honors choir.

As a highschool student, she performed a variety of solo repertoire in English, French, Italian, and German. She also participated in the Diller-Quaile youth opera, where she participated in staged productions of various operas, including Amahl and the Night Visitors, Carmen, and Le Nozze di Figaro. She competed in many vocal competitions during this time, receiving awards and performing in winners ’ concerts at Weill Hall in Carnegie Hall.

Since coming to Princeton, she has been a member of the Glee Club, Chamber Choir, and Princeton Tigressions, and currently serves as the Decem president. She also sings for the Aquinas Institute on campus every Sunday.

When not singing, Amelia can be found on long walks around campus, reading a memoir, or watching a movie with friends that’ s so bad it’ s good. After graduating from Princeton, she will be traveling to Brazil before returning to NYC to start a job in economic consulting, with hopes of continuing her singing endeavors on the weekends.

Martin Néron is on the faculty at Westminster Choir College. He is the founder and artistic director of the Vocalis Consort, an ensemble which is designed to showcase vocal works that have been overlooked, as well as performing the core of the mélodie and Lied repertoire. He has held residencies at Tennessee TU, WSU Pullman, SUNY Potsdam, UK Lexington, and Fundación Armonía (Ecuador), and presented masterclasses at Butler University, Ohio State University, TCNJ, Hunter College, NATS, Arte Lirico, and Universidad Centraldel Ecuador. In February 2022, he was invited to hold residency at the University of Kentucky, where he curated their first Art Song Festival, featuring exclusively Latin American repertoire. He is co-founder, co-artistic director, and Vice-President of the newly incorporated Federation of the Art Songs. His scholarly work is featured in the Journal of Singing and Leyerle Publications, and he has recorded albums of French, Greek, British, and American vocal works. His book, Francis Poulenc: Selected Song Texts, was published by Leyerle in 2010. He holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music (DMA), Westminster Choir College (MM), and Université de Montréal (BM).