Certificate Recital: Katelyn Rodrigues, Voice

La Regata Veneziana

La Regata Veneziana consists of three songs written in 1858 as part of Rossini’s album Piches de vieillesse (Sins of Old Age)—a set of 150 vocal, chamber, and solo pieces that marked the end to Rossini’s prolific compositional career in opera. Following his retirement from opera, Rossini moved to Paris with his wife and purchased a villa where he hosted lavish soirees for his fellow established friends within the artistic community. He composed songs for soloists to premier at these private parties among which was La Regata Veneziana, sung in the Venetian dialect.

The first song, “Anzoleta avanti la regata” (“Anzoleta before the race”) spotlights a young woman and heroine, Anzoleta, encouraging her boyfriend, Momolo to participate in the famous Venice Regatta (an annual gondola race tradition) and to bring back the victor’s red flag.

During “Anzoleta co passa la regata” (“Anzoleta during the race”), Anzoleta spots Momolo’s boat in second place. She very passionately encourages him to row to victory which he successfully does. Naturally, Anzoleta takes credit for Momolo’s win.

The finale, “Anzoleta dopo la regata” (“Anzoleta after the race”), begins with a victory march. Anzoleta is extremely satisfied that Momolo has been crowned the winner of this historical Venetian regatta and his glorious legacy will never die. In turn, Anzoleta is filled with pride and joy, showering Momolo with many blessings and kisses.

Fünf Lieder, Op. 105

Fünf Lieder (Five Songs), Op. 105, were composed by Brahms between 1886-88. They feature the setting of five poems by different 19th century contemporary poets. Brahms intended these songs to be performed by a woman he was entranced by, Hermine Spies, an alto. The songs were rarely performed together, at least they were not within Brahms’ life time. And because they were all derived from different poets featuring strong juxtapositions in style, Brahms himself metaphorically described this group of songs as a “song bouquet” similar to flowers “plucked” from different sources and then combined into a whole.

“Wie Melodien zieht es mir” is the first of the five songs, composed after Klaus Groth’s poem. It is one of Brahms’ most popular songs, known for its tender lyricism and soaring melody. The poem itself is quite abstract and elusive— the perfume and midst described in the poem “floats away” just as it approaches within grasp, which Brahms expresses through the erosion of the tonic in the accompaniment. These sweet ideas that are within reach, then vanish, evoking tears. This elusiveness likely references the process of Lieder-writing itself — profundity can fade away when attempting to reduce the occurrences of the imagination to words on a page.

“Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer” features Hermann Lingg’s poem from “Gedichte” depicting a dying woman begging for her lover. The opening melodic motive establishes the woman’s decline and hopelessness. The second stanza is a more broken and dissonant plea to death, “Yes I will die…when I grow pale and cold.” There is a final glimpse of hope sparked by the vivid spring imagery evident in the accompaniment line. However, this hope is fleeting as the ill woman musters up the strength to make a final plea to her lost lover—a call that is unanswered.

“Klage,” is a setting of a traditional Lower Rhenish folk-song “Fiens Liebchen, trau du nicht” (“Beloved, do not trust”). The original writer is unknown. It was added into the song set ad hoc to supplement and add diversity to the canonical three songs, “Wie Melodien,” “Immer Leiser,” and “Verrat”. This folk tune combines admonition in the first verse, lament in the second, and the bittersweetness of winter in the third. Accordingly, the harmony switches between major and minor, emphasizing the two personas of sweetheart and sorrow referenced in the song.

“Auf dem Kirchhofe” applies music to the poem “Der Tag ging regenschwer” (1879) by the eccentric German poet, Detlev von Liliencron; the poem was dedicated to the remembrance of Liliencron’s mother. The lyrics depict a walk through a church graveyard amidst thunderstorms as represented by the rolling dramaticism in the piano. The disintegrating tombstones add to this grave, ominous nature. Liliencron is making a statement about submitting to despair and how it can be reconciled through a noble view of death. The poet acknowledges his belief that the departed “Gewesen“ will have life after death and be resurrected as “Genesen,” enhanced by Brahms’ majestic, choral-like ending to the song. The austere passages in this piece create an aura of suspense that motivates the last piece.

The unfaithful woman referenced in “Verrat” stands in stark contrast to the gravely ill woman weeping for her lover in “Immer Leiser.” “Verrat” was originally written for a male voice to complement the poetic material: a dark tragedy depicting the conglomeration of betrayal, jealousy, and revenge that culminates in the woman’s original lover murdering her new one. This song is music set to a poem by Karl Lemcke, where the referenced “grünen Linde,” “Green Linden Tree” is a classic pagan symbol of truth and sacred love—one must not tell a lie under the linden tree. Thus, the linden tree foreshadows the adultery that occurs throughout the poem and its menacing repercussions.

Prenderó quel brunettino

This duet is sung by two upper-class sisters, Dorabella and Fiordiligi, in Act II of the Mozart opera, Cosí fan tutte (“All Women are like that”). Don Alfonso, a cynical and manipulative bachelor places a bet that the two sisters, who are already engaged, would prove themselves unfaithful if tempted by other men. He convinces Dorabella and Fiordiligi’s fiancees to disguise themselves as different men woo the sisters. Even though Fiordiligi is resolute while Dorabella is more eager to engage in the flirtatiousness, the sisters are successfully fooled and entertain the idea of the two “strangers.”

Connais-tu le pays

“Connais-tu le pays” is a signature aria from Act 1 of the 1866 opéra comique, Mignon, a charming twist based on Goethe’s tragic “Wilhelm Meister.” The plot is set in mid-18th century Germany at an inn where gypsies arrive to entertain the crowd. But one of them, Mignon, a young and beautiful girl, refuses to dance and is attacked by another gypsy. Wilhelm, a student traveling through Europe to “find himself” comes to Mignon’s rescue and purchases her from her captors. Then, Wilhelm asks Mignon about herself she recounts her childhood memory of being abducted by gypsies in Italy; in this aria Mignon tells Wilhelm about her native land, which she knows only in vague memories.

Songs Sacred and Profane

Songs Sacred and Profane is a six-song set composed by John Ireland in 1929-1931 that showcases the poetry of two female poets: Alice Meynell in “The Advent” and “My Fair,” and Sylvia Townsend Warner in “Hymn for a Child” and “The Scapegoat.” Both poets reflected a sense of Christian religious mystery in their poetry. For Ireland, setting these poems to music became a significant element in his emotional and musical recuperation from the shock of his disastrous marriage. Ironically, this is not a song cycle, but rather a loose assemblage of songs reflecting aspects of the human relationship with religious experiences.

“The Advent” juxtaposes the ordinary nature of humanity and the extraordinarily divine incarnation of Christ and the creation of the world.

“Hymn for a Child” is a witty rhyming of the Bible story where the young Jesus confounds the elders and authorities in the temple.

“My Fair” is a passionate love song that admits to the realities of love’s finite nature and of one’s inclinations to keep it alive in their own heart.

Lastly, “The Scapegoat” is a laugh at “righteous men” pleased with themselves for finding redemption from sin through the services of a goat. However, these men are blind to the fact that it is actually the goat who is free from sin, as manifested in the skipping, jumping piano accompaniment.

La Bonne Chanson, Op. 61

La Bonne Chanson (The Good Song), Op. 61 is a song cycle composed by Gabriel Fauré in 1898 (for voice, piano, and string quintet) based on nine poems by the renowned French poet Paul Verlaine that were published roughly 20 years prior. These poems express Verlaine’s hopes and expectations throughout his unsteady marriage to a young girl, Mathilde Mauté de Fleurville. However, his excessive debauchery and pursuit of Arthur Rimbaud, whom Verlaine was shadily in love with, resulted in his failed attempt to assassinate Rimbaud and the consequential collapse of his marriage to Mathilde. Despite Verlaine’s arguably disastrous life, his popularity as a poet stood unshaken and attracted even stronger public interest.

Fauré composed the music to accompany Verlaine’s poetry while residing in Bougival, France with a banker and his wife, Emma Bardac. Fauré was quite infatuated with Emma and she inspired his compositional decadence blossoming throughout this work. Each song in this masterpiece illustrates the seasons of love—the first glances, fantasies inspired by nature, and love’s delicacies, all culminating in profound hope as strong as a burning flame in the ninth song, “L’hiver a cessé.”