PROGRAMME
I
The
Lake Isle of Innisfree Muriel Herbert
poem by William Butler Yeats
Rich
and rare traditional Irish, arr. Benjamin Britten
poem by Thomas Moore
At
the mid hour of night traditional Irish, arr.
Benjamin Britten
poem by Thomas Moore
Come
to me in my dreams Frank Bridge
poem by Matthew Arnold
II
Gretchen
am Spinnrade Franz Schubert
poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Faust).
The young Gretchen has been seduced and abandoned by Faust, and
is expecting their child. She sits at her spinning wheel. She
has lost her peace of mind and is obsessed with the memory of
his embraces.
Youkali:
tango hanbañera Kurt Weill
poem by Roger Fernay
The island of Youkali beckons as the land where all human desire
shall be fulfilled... But there is no Youkali: it is only a dream,
a fantasy...
III
Before
I gaze at you again (Camelot) Frederick Loewe
lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Arrigo! Ah parli a un core (I Vespri Siciliani) Giuseppe
Verdi
libretto by Eugène Scribe and Charles Duveyrier
The Duchess Elena has been taken prisoner with a band of Sicilian
patriots for plotting against the French army of occupation. Visited
by Arrigo, the son of her mortal enemy, Elena feels forgiveness
in her heart and confesses her love for him - a love she says
she will cherish until her final breath.
-
interval -
IV
The
Lark in the Clear Air trad. Irish, arr. Phyllis
Tate
poem by Samuel Ferguson
Liebst
du um Schönheit Gustav Mahler
poem by Friedrich Rückert
If you love only beauty, do not love me - love the Sun instead,
with its golden hair... But if you love for love's sake, then
love me forever, as I love you forever!
Ich
schwebe Richard Strauss
poem by Karl Henckell
I float as if upon angels' wings... as I see my love pass by in
my mind's eye.
Befreit
Richard Strauss
poem by Richard Dehmel
At the threshold of death, a loved one is freed by the partner's
expression of undying love.
V
Depuis
le jour (Louise) Gustave Charpentier
libretto by the composer
The young Louise has defied her parents and run off to Montmartre
with the painter Julien to five a life of free love. With the
sun setting over the panorama of Paris, she recalls the day when
first she gave herself to him.
My
Heart and I Richard Tauber
lyrics by Fred S Tysh
Csardas
(Die Fledermaus) Johann Strauss, Jr
libretto by Carl Haffner and Richard Genée
Rosalinde, impersonating a Hungarian Countess, has come to a ball
in order to spy on her husband. When the authenticity of her disguise
is questioned, she sings a Csardas to demonstrate her Hungarian
credentials.
-finis-
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