Singer of the Day: Janet Baker

From Dido and Aeneas- When I am Laid


Berlioz, Nuits d'été Le spectre de la rose
Look at the links on the side under Janet Baker to view the complete Nuits d'été.

Singer of the Day: Alfred Deller, 1912-1979

Black is the Color


Flow my tears

Singer of the Day: Tito Schipa

Singer of the Day: Sena Jurinac, b. 1921

Sena Jurinac was born in Travnik, Bosnia at that time- Yugoslavia. She sang roles in the mezzo and soprano fachs. Her portrayal of Octavian in Strauss' Rosenkavalier is legendary. Her operatic debut was in 1942 in Zagreb, with the role of Mimi.


In this radiant performance of Dove Sono, her voice is like glistening silver, both bright and round and a perfect vibrato constantly spinning even in the most delicate sounds.

Singer of the Day: Franco Corelli, 1921- 2003

Corelli, in a class of his own! The voice, the technique, the ease, the brilliant timbre, the full sound, the phrasing, the emotion. A force of nature. It's useless to enter the proverbial "who's the all time greatest tenor" discussions. But this performance can easily be considered one of those uniquely great moments in the history of singing.

From Cavelleria Rusticana by Mascagni

Singer of the Day: Giulietta Simionato, b. 1910

Listen to this exquisite performance! Simionato is unsurpassed in this thrilling and moving performance of "Voi lo Sapete" from Cavalleria Rusticana (Pietro Mascagni)


O don fatale- Don Carlo Verdi

Singer of the Day: Lauritz Melchior

Lauritz Melchior was born in Copenhagen and became an American citizen in 1947. He started off his career singing baritone and bass. He later switched to tenor and became one of the centuries greatest singers, well known for the heroic tenor roles in Wagner's operas.


Here he is singing "In fernem Land" from Wagner's Lohengrin.

Go here for more!

Singer of the Day: Jussi Bjoerling,1911-1960

Marvelous singing and artistry!

Singer of the Day: Leyla Gencer. 1928- 2008

Leyla Gencer (La Diva Turka) was born in Istanbul. She had an illustrious career and was considered the last diva of the twentieth century having performed 72 roles primarily in Europe. She never sang at the Met.


Deh, non volerli vittime", from Bellini's Norma, in a performance from 1965.

Singer of the Day: Gundela Janowitz, 1937-

Strauss' Frühling, In dämmrigen Grüften träumte ich lang von deine...


Ach ich fühl's from Mozart, Die Zauberflöte


Ich will dir mein Herze schenken Bach's St Matthew Passion

Singer of the Day: Shirley Verret

At 59, Shirley Verret sings Voi lo sapete from Cavelleria Rusticana HERE

Singer of the Day: Rolando Panerai

Singer of the Day: Marian Anderson, 1897- 1993

"A voice like hers is heard only once in a hundred years." Arturo Toscanini


Handel, He shall feed his flock


Brahms Alto Rhapsody Part 1


Brahms Alto Rhapsody Part 2

Singer of the Day: Richard Tauber, 1891-1948

Austrian tenor, Richard Tauber was one of the most beloved singers of his time. He made his operatic debut as Tamino in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. He became best known for his performances of operetta and song.

This performance of Schubert's Ständchen- Leise Flehen is delightful, surprising and rendered in a most personal manner that certainly challenges 20th century performance practices. I was thrilled to come across it.

Singer of the Day: Eula Beal, 1919-2008

I have to admit that I was completely unfamiliar with this remarkable singer until several weeks ago. The natural beauty of her instrument combined with her natural delivery is spellbinding. Eula Beal had a relatively short lived career, opting to spend her energies raising her family. One can only imagine what her contributions would have been had she continued. Luckily, there are recordings and the footage from the television program Concert Magic. Listen for yourselves!


Schubert's Erlkönig



Singing Erbarme dich/ Have Mercy, Lord from Bach's St. Matthew Passion with Yehudi Menuhin playing the violin solos.

Singer of the Day: Mark Reizen-1895-1992

The great Ukrainian bass Mark Reizen sings Tchaikovsky's "Sred' shumnovo bala" ("Amidst the din of the ball"), Op.38, No.3 (text by Aleksei Tolstoi)at 79!

In the midst of the noisy ball,
amid the anxious bustle of life,
I caught sight of you,
your face, an enigma.

Only your eyes gazed sadly.
Your divine voice
Sounded like pipes from afar,
Like the dancing waves of the sea.

Your delicate form entranced me,
and your pensiveness,
your sad yet merry laughter,
has permeated my heart since then.

And in the lonely hours of the night,
when I do lie down to rest,
I see your pensive eyes,
hear your merry laugh...

And wistfully drifting
into mysterious reveries,
I wonder if I love you,
but it seems that I do!

Singer of the Day:Imgard Seefried, 1919-1988

Irmgard Seefried is one of the all time greats! This remarkable performance of Mahler's Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen speaks for itself.

Poem:Friedrich Rückert (1788-1866)

I am lost to the world
with which I used to waste so much time,
It has heard nothing from me for so long
that it may very well believe that I am dead!

It is of no consequence to me
Whether it thinks me dead;
I cannot deny it,
for I really am dead to the world.

I am dead to the world's tumult,
And I rest in a quiet realm!
I live alone in my heaven,
In my love and in my song!

Singer of the Day: George Thill, 1897-1984

It seems only natural to follow Ninon Vallin with George Thill, who is considered by many to be the greatest French tenor of the twentieth century. He was singing at the same time as Vallin in France. Thill began his studies in Paris and later went to Naples for further training. He returned to Paris and made his Paris Opéra debut in 1924. He would dominate the scene for the next two decades singing over fifty leading roles.

Singer of the Day: Ninon Vallin-1886-1961

A rare artist! An extremely versatile singer--she sang opera, mélodie and Lieder (in French.) Her secure technique and superb musicianship made her one of the most sought after singers of her generation. Debussy said her voice shimmered like silver. He chose her for the première of his "Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé." In addition to Debussy, Ninon Vallin collaborated with a number of important composers, including Albert Roussel, Reynaldo Hahn, Xavier Leroux, Louis Beyot, Marguerite Béclard D’Harcourt and Joaquín Nin.

Here she sings L'Heure Exquise by Reynaldo Hahn

The white moon
shines in the woods.
From each branch
springs a voice
beneath the arbor.
Oh my beloved…

Like a deep mirror
the pond reflects
the silhouette
of the black willow
where the wind weeps.
Let us dream! It is the hour…

A vast and tender
calm
seems to descend
from a sky
made iridescent by the moon.
It is the exquisite hour!

Singer of the Day: Paul Robeson 1898- 1976

Since Febrauary is Black History month, I thought it fitting to start with the great American bass-baritone, actor, lawyer, social activist and athelete, Paul Robeson.

Robeson was a twentieth century Renaissance man. His talent, intellect and political activism made him one of the most powerful figures of his time and American history.


"All men all brothers because of their music."

"No pretty songs, no pretty songs, gentlemen. Time for some full citizenship."




Mephistopheles' Song in Auerbach's Cellar (Song of the Flea) Pesnya Mefistofelya o blokhe by Mussorgsky 1879 1879 It is based on Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy (1808) by Goethe, translated by Strugovshchikov

English translation:

There once was a king
who had a large flea
whom he loved not a bit less
than his very own son.
He called his tailor
and the tailor came directly;
"Here - make clothing for this knight,
and cut him trousers too!"

In silk and satin
was the flea now made up;
he had ribbons on his clothing,
and he had also a cross there,
and had soon become a minister
and had a large star.
Then his siblings became
great lords and ladies of the court as well.

And the lords and ladies of the court
were greatly plagued;
the queen and her ladies-in-waiting
were pricked and bitten,
and they dared not flick
or scratch them away.
But we flick and crush them
as soon as one bites!



Here is another example of the rare and beautiful instrument of this remarkable man.

February 2010 is "Singer of the Day" month

I've decided to begin a new tradition. For the month of February, I'm going to start a series of posts called "Singer of the Day." Each day will feature a great singer from the past. So stay tuned. It may be someone completely familiar to you music mavens, but it may also be someone who has fallen off your radar for some reason. Or these may be artists who you are not at all familiar with. I hope the choices will interest you.

Sills Sillsiana--Opera Mashup!

Mashups seem to be everywhere these days! This is Beverly Sills doing her famous Sillsillana piece: a pastiche of every famous coloratura piece mashed together to make this hysterically fun piece. I have it as an MP3, and never thought I'd find it at Youtube, but there it was.

It was arranged by her coach and for those of you who know some of these pieces, you will hear the following excerpts:

Piano intro -Una voce poco fa – Barber of Seville

Grossmächtige prinzessin – Ariadne auf Naxos

Je suis Titania – Mignon

Shemahka’s aria - Coq d’or

Holle Rache -  Magic Flute

Richard Strauss: Amor

Je suis encore tout étourdie –Manon (with Una voce “ma” at end)

Vien delitto – Puritani  (with Una voce poco fa "ma" at end)

Schubert: Shepherd on the Rock

Vocalize on Chopin’s Etude in A-flat, Op. 25, no. 1

Spargi d’amaro (Mad Scene) - Lucia

Vocalise on Chopin Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9, no.2 

 Les oiseaux (Olympia)– Tales of Hoffmann

Sempre libera - Traviata –with Gagnon as tenor

Sills’ cadenza used for O luce di quest’anima – Linda di Chamounix

Sempre libera – the final “pensier”

ENJOY!

Mercedes Sosa, 1935- 2009

The great Argentinian Folk Singer, Mercedes Sosa who gave voice to South American political protest, died yesterday. She was 74. You can read more about her here.

She formed part of the New Song movement in Latin America, which combined folk song traditions with contemporary music that often featured political messages in its lyrics. She was known throughout Latin America and Europe, with one of her most popular songs titled "Gracias a la Vida," heard in the performance above.
Rest in peace.

TEXT

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto

Me dio dos luceros que cuando los abro

Perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco

Y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado

Y en las multitudes el hombre que yo amo

Translated into English:

Thanks to life, which has given me so much

It gave me two bright stars that when I open them,

I perfectly distinguish the black from white

And in the sky above, her starry backdrop

And within the multitudes the man I love

Jan DeGaetani Remembered

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the death of my teacher Jan DeGaetani. I find it difficult to believe that these twenty years have passed, perhaps because it’s difficult still to imagine a world without Jan in it.

Jan taught many students who would later go on to have successful careers. All were inspired by her gift: an uncanny ability to sound spontaneous, simple, unpretentious and yet sophisticated and profound. She taught by creating an environment in which questions stimulated the imagination.

Jan DeGaetani died at age 56, a tragically young death for her family, students and the musical world. She was among the most respected musicians of her generation, and considered one of the most eloquent and extraordinary song recitalists the United States has ever produced. Jan devoted her musical life to art song and music of every genre, and her longtime collaboration with pianist Gilbert Kalish produced many unforgettable performances. Theirs was a true partnership between, not only a singer and pianist, but between two very special musicians. And in their recordings, they left an important legacy for future generations.

I miss her today and every day.

(August 1989-the last time I saw Jan)

Additional Links:
NY TImes Obituary
New Yorker Magazine, Tribute Concerts

From a 1981 New York Times Review, Donald Henahan

"With the pianist Gilbert Kalish, she went straight to the heart of every song she sang, and never more directly and affectingly than in the world premiere of George Crumb's song cycle, ''Apparition.''

France

Francis Poulenc: 1899- 1963- Two excerpts from La Courte Paille, Les Chemins de l'amour and Cé

Below you will find two exquisite performances of two pieces from Poulenc's La Courte Paille. Poulenc is at the piano with Denise Duval,the legendary French soprano who created the roles of Elle in La voix humaine and Thérèse in Les mamelles de Tirésias. She also had much success with the role of Blanche de la Force in Dialogues of the Carmelites, although she didn't sing the world premiere. The artistry between these two is absolutely stunning. Like Britten, Poulenc is considered one of the all time great accompanists. Read this NY Times article by William Crutchfield for more information.

The video begins with a short interview between Poulenc and the host. In it, you can hear Poulenc speaking about the cycle, that he wrote it for Denise Duval and he refers to her as one of his favorite singers. (They toured together quite a bit towards the end of his life, forming in addition to his great partnership with Bernac, one of the great duos in Art Song performance.) Listen to the interview and see how good your French comprehension is!

From
La Courte Paille/The Short Straw
Text: Maurice Carème (1899- 1978)

# 2
Quelle aventure/What an adventure

A flea was pulling
a little elephant in its carriage.
They looked
in all the jewelry store windows.

My God, my God! What an adventure!
Who's going to believe me?

The baby elephant was absent-mindedly
sucking on a pot of jam.
The flea didn't mind,
and pulled him with a smile on her face.

My God, my God! And it keeps right on!
I'll start to think I'm crazy!

Suddenly, by a fence,
the flea blew away in the wind
and I saw the little elephant
break down walls as he ran away.

My God, my God! It surely happened,
but how will I tell Mother?

# 5
Les anges musiciens/ The musical angels

Upon the threads of the rain
the Thursday angels
play on the harp for a long time.
And beneath their fingers, Mozart
tinkles, deliciously,
in drops of blue joy
since it is always Mozart
which is played endlessly
by the musician angels
who, all day Thursday,
make their harps sing
the sweetness of the rain.

Complete translations for La Courte Paille found here.



Denise Duval, soprano and Francis Poulenc, piano


Next, listen to this fabulous find!
Singer/actress, Yvonne Printemps sings "Le Chemin de l'amour" with orchestra in this very affecting performance. Pay close attention to the wonderful portamenti and her superb attention to the text.


Les Chemins de l'amour/ The Pathways of Love
Text: Jean Anouilh (1910-)

The pathways that go to the sea
have kept from our passage
some plucked flowers
and the echos under the trees
of our sweet, clear laughter.

Alas! Some days of happiness,
radiant times flown away,
I go on without finding traces of them in my heart.

Pathways of my love,
I search for you always,
Lost pathways, you're not there any more
and your echos are deafened.
Pathways of desperation,
Pathways of memories,
Pathways of that first day,
Divine pathways of love!

If I have to forget one day,
life erasing everything;
I want that in my heart one memory remains
stronger than any other love:
the memory of the pathway,
where radiant and delirious
one day I felt your hands burning upon me.

Pathways of my love,
I search for you always,
Lost pathways, you're not there any more
and your echos are deafened.

Pathways of desperation,
Pathways of memories,
Pathways of that first day,
Divine pathways of love!


Yvonne Printemps, soprano


One Final Performance: "C" Text: Louis Aragon (1897-1982)
This is one of Poulenc's most beautiful and moving compositions. It's not on the listening list, but you must be familiar with it!

Aragon, who was a member of the Communist Party since 1927 and was a high ranking member of the French Resistance wrote the poem. It is filled with imagery about the war, nostalgia for the past and hope for the future. Note that each line in the French ends with the rhyme Cé. Hugues Cuenod is the tenor. The pianist is unfortunately not noted.


Le Pont de Cé/ The bridge of Cé

I have crossed the bridges of Cé
It was there that it all began
A song of times past
Speaks of a wounded knight
Of a rose upon the road
And of a bodice unlaced
Of the castle of a mad duke
And of the swans in its moats
Of the meadow where will dance
An eternal fiancée
And like cold milk I drank
The long lay of false glories
The Loire carries off my thoughts
Along with the overturned cars
And the defused weapons
And the tears not rubbed away
Oh my France, oh my abandoned one
I have crossed the bridges of Cé.


Hugues Cuenod, tenor, pianist, unfortunately not noted.

Antoine Watteau: 1684-1721 /Verlaine/Debussy/Fauré

Click on the photos to enlarge!

Meeting in the open air


Pierrot Content c. 1712


Fetes Champetres


Italian Comedians














Gilles

Debussy: La Flûte de Pan, C'est l'extase langoureuse, Il pleure dans mons coeur, Mandoline

La Flûte de Pan, Maggie Teyte, Alfred Cortot


Elly Ameling, Dalton Baldwin



Claire Croiza: mezzo-soprano Francis Poulenc: piano Recorded: June 1928



Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano, pianist, not listed


More Debussy, with Debussy at the piano, Mary Garden singing:

Green HERE

Il pleure dans mon coeur HERE

L'ombre des arbres HERE

Paris Exposition 1889

"In the year 1889 there was revolution in Paris. No shots were fired, no buildings torched, no palaces looted. But on the Champ de Mars and the Esplanades des Invalides, the past and the future fought a world war of ideas. Iron battled stone, Javanese ritual music defied the siege of German orchestration, electricity triumphed over gas. It was a year to celebrate a revolution's centennial, a time to consolidate one hundred years of industry, art and social ideals that flowed from the great events of 1789."

The above paragraph is from an article written by Arthur Chandler entitled: Revolution The Paris Exposition Universelle, 1889. It captures the energy and ambience of this extraordinary time in history and this event.
Complete article found here.

Now imagine that you're Debussy living in Paris in 1889. A young, brilliant composer determined to avoid the German tradition.

Naturally, you are drawn to music of other cultures. The Paris Exposition of 1889 comes to town. You hear Rimsky-Korakov conduct his Capriccio espagnol" at the Trocadéro Palace.

You go to the Javanese Pavillion, which was a model "Kampon"-- a village, recreating all aspects of communal village life from agricultural practices to religion. You spend hours listening to the gamelan music from this island in the Malay Archipelago.

You use some of the different scales you've heard when you improvise on the piano, and also the sense of floating qualities of the form and rhythym in Javanese music. All these find a way into your formally composed music-- especially for piano. In six years, you will compose "La Mer."

Imagine the excitement of living in Paris when he did. He witnessed the building of the Paris metro system and the Eiffel Tower. (See below.) He lived alongside Monet, Renoir, Gaughin, Rodin, Baudelaire, Verlaine, Proust, Mallarmé, Emile Zola to mention only a few. In a few years, the Dreyfus Affair of 1894 would shake the foundations of the French Third Republic. You would have to choose-- Dreyfusard or anti-Dreyfusard? Not a time to sit on the fence. Fin de siècle Paris-- an important nexus of artistic and social activity. What a time to be alive! The Belle Époque has arrived.

Milagro Vargas, 2009

A FEW IMAGES FROM THE PARIS EXPOSITION 1889


Built between 1887 and 1889, the Eiffel Tower was contructed as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, the 1889 World's Fair.


Original poster from the 1889 Exposition Universelle












Panorama of the Place de la Concorde at the Exposition Universelle held in Paris in 1889.


Russian House Exhibition at the 1889 Exposition Universelle







Crowd of people along parterre beside illuminated fountains, view toward the Central Dome, Paris 1889 Exposition Universelle


Illustration of the interior of the Galerie des Machines, designed by Ferdinand Dutert,1889 Exposition Universelle


Gallery of various industries,1889 Exposition Universelle


Entrance to the Javanese Pavillion,1889 Exposition Universelle

Female Javanese dancer, seated in costume,1889 Exposition Universelle


Six people posed before Javanese house in Javanese village, 1889 Exposition Universelle

WATCH THIS FILM! It's an excellent compilation of photos with an interesting voice over at about 1:30 that gives a flavor of the times!

MANY MORE PHOTOS HERE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ARCHIVE!

Gabriel Fauré: Some comparative performances

Fauré (1845- 1924)
Ninon Vallin sings "Les Berceaux" (Piece begins around 2 minutes in, if you're in a hurry. Also, I'm not sure, but it may be Cortot at the piano!)



Elly Ameling sings "Après un rêve"; Dalton Baldwin, piano



Georges Thill sings "Après un rêve"



Nicolai Gedda sings "Nell"

Two different versions of Kiri Te Kanawa singing "Nell"

Kiri Te Kanawa sings "Nell"; Richard Amner, piano (First Version)



Kiri Te Kanawa sings "Nell"; Roger Vignoles, piano (Second Version)

Duparc

Two wonderful performances with French baritone, Gérard Souzay


Duparc "L'Invitation au voyage"
Gérard Souzay, baritone Dalton Baldwin piano

AND
Gérard Souzay sings "Chanson triste" in an orchestral version here.

Janet Baker is transcendent!

Six or so years ago, I was asked to be on a panel to discuss the topic of "Definitive Performances" or something like that. The panel discussion never took place. I don't quite recall why, but I was relieved. I really didn't want to take part in it and I didn't even know whether I believed there was such a thing. I still don't know, but if I did, this Les Nuits d'été with Janet Baker would certainly be one of my choices.

When it comes to Les Nuits d'Été, the Régine Crespin recording with Ansermet has always been the acccepted gold standard. I remember listening to it until the LP was worn down, same thing with Crespin's recording of Ravel's Shéhérazade.

Coming across these videos of a live performance of Janet Baker singing these pieces with Herbert Blomstedt conducting was such a thrill! Her performance is utterly transcendent.

Having never seen Baker or Crespin perform "live" is one of my greatest disappointments, so this is really an amazing treat. No better way to start our journey into Mélodie.

After watching these, I would encourage you to also view the Crespin performance of Spectre d'une rose, which is at YouTube HERE. Crespin's approach focuses on the ethereal quality of the "spectre." Her ability to control her sound to achieve this is astonishing.

Berlioz, Nuits d'été. Janet Baker.n°1. Villanelle.

Note: This is the only one that is out of sink. The rest are fine.
All translations are from the Lied Art Song Texts Page- Link at left of blog.

Villanelle

When verdant spring again approaches,
When winter's chills have disappeared,
Through the woods we shall stroll, my darling,
The fair primrose to cull at will.

The trembling bright pearls that are shining,
Each morning we shall brush aside;
We shall go to hear the gay thrushes
Singing.

The flowers are abloom, my darling,
Of happy lovers 'tis the month;
And the bird his soft wing englossing,
Sings [carols sweet]1 within his nest.

Come with me on the mossy bank,
Where we'll talk of nothing else but love,
And whisper with thy voice so tender:
Always!

Far, far off let our footsteps wander,
Fright'ning the hiding hare away,
While the deer at the spring is gazing,
Admiring his reflected horns.

Then back home, with our hearts rejoicing,
And fondly our fingers entwined,
Lets return, let's return bringing fresh wild berries
Wood-grown.

Berlioz, Nuits d'été. Janet Baker.n°2. Le spectre de la rose

Text: Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811-1872)

Le spectre de la rose/
The ghost of the rose

Open your closed eyelid
Which is gently brushed by a virginal dream!
I am the ghost of the rose
That you wore last night at the ball.
You took me when I was still sprinkled with pearls
Of silvery tears from the watering-can,
And, among the sparkling festivities,
You carried me the entire night.

O you, who caused my death:
Without the power to chase it away,
You will be visited every night by my ghost,
Which will dance at your bedside.
But fear nothing; I demand
Neither Mass nor De Profundis;
This mild perfume is my soul,
And I've come from Paradise.

My destiny is worthy of envy;
And to have a fate so fine,
More than one would give his life
For on your breast I have my tomb,
And on the alabaster where I rest,
A poet with a kiss
Wrote: "Here lies a rose,
Of which all kings may be jealous."

Berlioz, Nuits d'été. Janet Baker.n°3. Sur les lagunes.

Text: Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811-1872)

Sur les lagunes/
On the lagoons

My beautiful love is dead,
I shall weep always;
Into the tomb, she has taken
My soul and my love.
Without waiting for me,
She has returned to heaven.
The angel which took her there
Did not want to take me.
How bitter is my fate!
Ah! without love, to go to sea!

The white creature
Is lying in the coffin;
How all in Nature
Seems bereaved to me!
The forgotten dove
Weeps and dreams of the one who is absent;
My soul cries and feels
That it has been abandoned.
How bitter is my fate,
Ah! without love, to go to sea!

Above me the immense night
Spreads itself like a shroud;
I sing my romanza
That heaven alone hears.

Ah! how beautiful she was,
And how I loved her!
I will never love
Another woman as much as I loved her;
How bitter is my fate!
ah! without love, to go to sea!
To go to sea!

Berlioz, Nuits d'été. Janet Baker.n°4. Absence.

Text: Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811-1872)

Absence/
Absence

Come back, come back, my dearest love!
Like a flower far from the sun,
The flower of my life has drooped,
removed from the charm of your smile.

Between our hearts how long a distance!
What a wide space our kisses divide!
O bitter fate! O cruel absence!
O longing vain, unsatisfied!

To that far land where dwells my love,
Alas! if I could only go!
If wings were tied to my body,
As to my soul, then I would fly!

Far away, above the green hill tops,
The lofty mountains with peaks of blue,
The meadows gay, the babbling rivers,
With quick, sure wing I'd take my flight!

The body can't keep up with thought!
With me the spirit goes ahead,
Just like a poor dove that is wounded
And lights on the roof of his cot.

Berlioz, Nuits d'été. Janet Baker.n°5. Au cimetière.

Text: Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811-1872)

Au cimetière/
At the cemetery

Do you know the white tomb
Where floats with plaintive sound,
The shadow of a yew?
On the yew a pale dove,
Sad and alone under the setting sun,
Sings its song:

An air sickly tender,
At the same time charming and ominous,
Which makes you feel agony
Yet which you wish to hear always;
An air like a sigh from the heavens
of a love-lorn angel.

One would say that an awakened soul
Is weeping under the earth in unison
With this song,
And from the misfortune of being forgotten,
Moans its sorrow in a cooing
Quite soft.

On the wings of the music
One feels the slow return
Of a memory.
A shadow, a form angelic,
Passes in a trembling ray of light,
In a white veil.

The beautiful flowers of the night, half-closed,
Send their perfume, faint and sweet,
Around you,
And the phantom of soft form
Murmurs, reaching to you her arms:
You will return!

Oh! never again near the tomb
Shall I go, when night lets fall
Its black mantle,
To hear the pale dove
Sing on the limb of the yew
Its plaintive song!

Berlioz, Les Nuits d'été. Janet Baker.n°6. L'ile inconnue

Text: Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811-1872)

L'ile inconnue/
The unknown isle

Say, young beauty,
Where do you wish to go?
The sail swells itself,
The breeze will blow.
The oar is made of ivory,
The flag is of silk,
The helm is of fine gold;
I have for ballast an orange,
For a sail, the wing of an angel,
For a deck boy, a seraph.

Say, young beauty,
Where do you wish to go?
The sail swells itself,
The breeze will blow.

Is it to the Baltic?
To the Pacific Ocean?
To the island of Java?
Or is it well to Norway,
To gather the flower of the snow,
Or the flower of Angsoka?
Say, young beauty,
Where do you wish to go?
Lead me, says the beauty,
To the faithful shore
Where one loves always!
This shore, my darling,
We hardly know at all
In the land of Love.

Scandinavia

Norway landscape


Sweden: Riddar Island is part of the oldest area in Stockholm, Sweden. It is known for its historic sites and architecture


Finland landscape: There are over 180,000 lakes in Finland.

Norway: Grieg's "En Svane" and selections from "Haugtussa"

Edward Grieg (1843- 1907)
Swedish baritone,Håkan Hagegård, baritone, Warren Jones, piano
"En Svane" (A Swan) Poem: Henryk Ibsen
The text and translations are in the video. It is in Norwegian.



The next performance is from "Haugtussa, op 67 (The Mountain Maid), 8 songs in Norwegian.

It is a song cycle to poems by Arne Garborg (1851-1924). "Grieg himself maintained that the 'Haugtussa' songs were the best he ever composed. Grieg's Haugtussa" cycle is a richly varied poetic work which nonetheless possesses a high degree of unity. The poems are centred around Veslemoey, a visionary young herd girl from a wilderness area in southwestern Norway. Rejected by her lover, she tries to escape life's harsh realities and the indiference of those around her. In her visions she comes into contact with nature itself and the powers of the underworld." by FinnBenestad; Cd. "Grieg; Songs Lieder"

ENTIRE HAUGTUSSA SONG CYCLE
Swedish mezzo, Anne Sofie von Otter singing, Bengt Forsberg, piano.

Haugtussa (Op. 67):
1. Det syng 00:00
2. Veslemøy 03:51
3. Blåbaer-li 06:20
4. Møte 09:03
5. Elsk 12:56
6. Killingdans 15:11
7. Vond dag 16:52
8. Ved gjaetle-bekken 19:21

The  fourth song in this beautiful  cycle is  Møte,  (The Enounter)  and can be heard at 09:03

Text is Norwegian (Nynorsk)
Translation below:

Ho sit ein Sundag lengtande i Li;
det strøymer på med desse søte Tankar,
og Hjarta fullt og tungt i Barmen bankar,
og Draumen vaknar, bivrande og blid.
Då gjeng det som ei Hildring yver Nuten;
ho raudner heit; - der kjem den vene Guten.

Burt vil ho gøyma seg i Ørska brå,
men stoggar tryllt og Augo mot han vender;
dei tek einannan i dei varme Hender
og stend so der og veit seg inkje Råd.
Då bryt ho ut i dette Undringsord:
"Men snille deg då, at du er så stor!"

Og som det lid til svale Kveldings Stund,
alt meir og meir i Lengt dei saman søkjer,
og brådt um Hals den unge Arm seg krøkjer
og øre skjelv dei saman Munn mot Munn.
Alt svimrar burt. Og der i Kvelden varm
i heite Sæle søv ho i hans Arm.
*******************************************
Translation:

One Sunday she sits pensive on the hillside,
while sweet thoughts flow over her,
and her heart beats full and heavy in her breast,
and a shy dream wakens within her.
Suddenly, enchantment steals along the hilltop.
She blushes red; there he comes, the boy she loves.

She wants to hide in her confusion,
but timidly she raises her eyes to him;
their warm hands reach out for one another,
and they stand there, neither knowing what to say.
Then she bursts out in admiration:
"My, how tall you are!"

And as the day moves softly into evening,
they turn to each other full of longing,
their young arms wind around each other's necks,
and trembling mouth meets mouth.
Everything shimmers away, and in the warm evening
She falls blissfully asleep in his arms.


Here is something that I found completely by chance. This is Lynni Treekrem singing a beautiful composition by Ketil Bjørnstad, a composer I knew nothing about until today. It's actually hard to pin the style, straddling folk and a more modern idiom. I thought it would be interesting to hear what this rich poetry would sound like in the hands of a contemporary composer.

This is the prologue of the Haugtussa, Text: Arne Garborg (1851-1924) I wasn't able to find a translation.

Til deg, du Hei og bleike Myr
med Bukkeblad,
der Hegre stig og Heilo flyr,
eg gjev mitt Kvad.

Til deg, du visne Lyng um Haug,
der Draumar sviv,
eg gjev min Song um Dimd og Draug
og dulde Liv.

Eg kjenner deg, du Trollheim graa,
du Skugge-Natt!
Eg rømde rædd; men stundom maa
eg sjaa deg att.

Eg kjenner deg, du Havsens Marm,
med Galdre-Song;
du gauv meg Gru i rædde Barm
so mang ein Gong.

Eg kjenner Striden tung og sein
mot Trolldoms Vald.
Gud hjelpe oss for brotne Bein
og Mannefall!

Eg kjenner deg, - eg kjenner deg,
som ikkje vann! --
Eg saag din Strid, eg veit din Veg
i Skugge-Land.

Eg røynde sjølv den Striden stygg
i mange Aar,
med ville Mot, med bøygde Rygg,
med svære Saar.

Du um meg sviv, du hjaa meg sit,
du arme Aand!
I meg du enno riv og slit
i dine Baand.

Eg veit det væl: dei sterke Troll,
den Vilje rik;
ein Baat i Foss, eit Kvad i Moll,
sløkkt i eit Skrik. ­--

Men Lerka stig fraa gløymde Grav
med Sigers Ljod;
og Vinden stryker inn av Hav
so frisk og god.

Og um me kjenner Graat og Gru
og Saknad saar,
so maa me Lerkesongen tru,
som lovar Vaar.