Designing Dichterliebe
Chamber and Vocal Music
of Robert Schumann
of Robert Schumann
Wednesday, June 16 and
Thursday, June 17, 2010
at 7:30 PM
Thursday, June 17, 2010
at 7:30 PM
Aaron Copland School of Music
Queens College,
City University of New York
City University of New York
65-30 Kissena Boulevard
Flushing, NY
Flushing, NY
Emiko Sato, music director
Chad Smyser, stage director
Justin Tricarico, technical director
Tasha Roth, original photography
produced by
the Queens College Classical Singers
Career Development Club
Career Development Club
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Robert Schumann's birth, the Queens College Classical Singers Career Development Club is hosting an evening of the composer's most romantic miniatures. The program's first half explores Schumann's chamber music for flute, clarinet and cello, along with some of his celebrated piano pieces. The second half presents a staged version of Schumann's song cycle Dichterliebe, re-imagined for thirteen singers and projections. Dichterliebe tells the story of a young poet enveloped in a sensual world of romance, shattered by betrayal and regret, yet ultimately leading to transcendence.
PROGRAM
Three Romances, Opus 94 (1849)
Bonnie McAlvin, flute
William McNally, piano
1. Nicht schnell
2. Einfach innig
3. Nicht schnell
Adagio and Allegro, Opus 70 (1849)
Sokol Nikaj, cello
Emiko Sato, piano
Selections from Fantasiestücke, Opus 12 (1837)
William McNally, piano
*Performed on Wednesday evening
Selections from Carnaval, Opus 9 (1834-35)
Alina Kiryayeva, piano
*Performed on Thursday evening
Three Fantasy Pieces, Opus 73 (1849)
Maksim Shtrykov, clarinet
Alina Kiryayeva, piano
1. Zart und mit Ausdruck
2. Lebhaft, leicht
3. Rasch und mit Feuer
INTERMISSION
Dichterliebe, Opus 48 (1840)
text by Heinrich Heine
Emiko Sato, piano
1. “Im wunderschönen Monat Mai”
Sachie Ueshima, soprano
2. “Aus meinen Tränen spriessen”
Leah McClure, soprano
3. “Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube”
Kyle Weekes, baritone
4. "Wenn ich in deine Augen seh’”
Nora Mooney, soprano
5. “Ich will meine Seele tauchen”
David Schnell, tenor
6. “Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome”
Sean Moonsammy, baritone
7. “Ich grolle nicht”
Gilad Paz, tenor
8. “Und wüssten’s die Blumen”
Sachie Ueshima, soprano
9. “Das ist ein Flöten und Geigen”
David Schnell, tenor
10. “Hör ich das Liedchen klingen”
Robert Ariza, tenor
11. “Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen”
David Burkard, tenor
12. “Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen”
Nicholle Bittlingmeyer, mezzo-soprano
13. “Ich hab’ im Traum geweinet”
Melisa Bonetti, mezzo-soprano
14. “Allnächtlich im Traume”
Rachael Gomes, soprano
15. “Aus alten Märchen”
Jessica Stolte Bender, soprano
16. “Die alten, bösen Lieder”
Gilad Paz, tenor
Bonnie McAlvin, flute
William McNally, piano
1. Nicht schnell
2. Einfach innig
3. Nicht schnell
Adagio and Allegro, Opus 70 (1849)
Sokol Nikaj, cello
Emiko Sato, piano
Selections from Fantasiestücke, Opus 12 (1837)
William McNally, piano
*Performed on Wednesday evening
Selections from Carnaval, Opus 9 (1834-35)
Alina Kiryayeva, piano
*Performed on Thursday evening
Three Fantasy Pieces, Opus 73 (1849)
Maksim Shtrykov, clarinet
Alina Kiryayeva, piano
1. Zart und mit Ausdruck
2. Lebhaft, leicht
3. Rasch und mit Feuer
INTERMISSION
Dichterliebe, Opus 48 (1840)
text by Heinrich Heine
Emiko Sato, piano
1. “Im wunderschönen Monat Mai”
Sachie Ueshima, soprano
2. “Aus meinen Tränen spriessen”
Leah McClure, soprano
3. “Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube”
Kyle Weekes, baritone
4. "Wenn ich in deine Augen seh’”
Nora Mooney, soprano
5. “Ich will meine Seele tauchen”
David Schnell, tenor
6. “Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome”
Sean Moonsammy, baritone
7. “Ich grolle nicht”
Gilad Paz, tenor
8. “Und wüssten’s die Blumen”
Sachie Ueshima, soprano
9. “Das ist ein Flöten und Geigen”
David Schnell, tenor
10. “Hör ich das Liedchen klingen”
Robert Ariza, tenor
11. “Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen”
David Burkard, tenor
12. “Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen”
Nicholle Bittlingmeyer, mezzo-soprano
13. “Ich hab’ im Traum geweinet”
Melisa Bonetti, mezzo-soprano
14. “Allnächtlich im Traume”
Rachael Gomes, soprano
15. “Aus alten Märchen”
Jessica Stolte Bender, soprano
16. “Die alten, bösen Lieder”
Gilad Paz, tenor
About the Program...
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Robert Schumann (1810-1856). Schumann was a master of many forms, but one of his greatest achievements was his ability to strike a singularly evocative tone with such a small amount of musical material. Schumann's musical miniatures are masterpieces of economy. Sometimes in under sixty seconds he can reveal all the exuberance of new found love, while in the same time Schumann finds a way to articulate unimaginable sadness. Almost all of the songs in Dichterliebe relay this remarkable talent of Schumann's, and his chamber music is equally as expressive. Listening to the first few bars of the Adagio and Allegro for cello and piano allows the listener to make a connection with a deep and pervasive longing. Tonight's program aims to explore this sub-genre of Schumann's genius with equal attention to his works for instruments and voices.
The second half of tonight's program requires a leap of faith from anyone familiar with the song cycle Dichterliebe. It is normally performed by one singer, often a man, in a traditional recital setting. The work is about a poet (Dichterliebe is translated as "poet's love") who begins the cycle in a sensual world of beauty and romance then suddenly inhabits one of deception and regret. The poet eventually finds peace at the conclusion of the cycle, but not until after a bitter journey through a bleak landscape of betrayal. To be honest, it all seems a touch self involved to me, but that was undoubtedly the Romantic aesthetic. Sometimes I find myself wanting to tell this poet, "Hey, we've all loved, and we've all lost. What's so special about you?" Well, tonight is my opportunity to do that. Instead of one voice, tonight we have thirteen, all of whom experience love in a different way. Some will sing about the betrayals of love, others about its transcendent qualities, and others about escapism from a world capable of causing such sadness. What I hope to relay by this re-imagining of one of the world's greatest song cycles is that we are all victims of our own joy and suffering. And while individual pain can be all consuming, it is most definitely not unique. As much as great beauty allows us to be part of something bigger than ourselves, so does great suffering.
Finally, I must acknowledge the exceptional contribution provided by Tasha Roth's original photographs for this cycle. Tasha's photos conjure up a mythical place where the Black Forest meets Randall's Island. They add an evocative dimension to the cycle, hopefully allowing the audience to find a visual destination to reference during each of the musical miniatures.
Program notes by Chad Smyser
The second half of tonight's program requires a leap of faith from anyone familiar with the song cycle Dichterliebe. It is normally performed by one singer, often a man, in a traditional recital setting. The work is about a poet (Dichterliebe is translated as "poet's love") who begins the cycle in a sensual world of beauty and romance then suddenly inhabits one of deception and regret. The poet eventually finds peace at the conclusion of the cycle, but not until after a bitter journey through a bleak landscape of betrayal. To be honest, it all seems a touch self involved to me, but that was undoubtedly the Romantic aesthetic. Sometimes I find myself wanting to tell this poet, "Hey, we've all loved, and we've all lost. What's so special about you?" Well, tonight is my opportunity to do that. Instead of one voice, tonight we have thirteen, all of whom experience love in a different way. Some will sing about the betrayals of love, others about its transcendent qualities, and others about escapism from a world capable of causing such sadness. What I hope to relay by this re-imagining of one of the world's greatest song cycles is that we are all victims of our own joy and suffering. And while individual pain can be all consuming, it is most definitely not unique. As much as great beauty allows us to be part of something bigger than ourselves, so does great suffering.
Finally, I must acknowledge the exceptional contribution provided by Tasha Roth's original photographs for this cycle. Tasha's photos conjure up a mythical place where the Black Forest meets Randall's Island. They add an evocative dimension to the cycle, hopefully allowing the audience to find a visual destination to reference during each of the musical miniatures.
Program notes by Chad Smyser
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