This page contains programs sung by some of my students at the Hochstein
School of Music & Dance.
I include them merely to give singers and their teachers some ideas for future
recitals of their own.
My philosophy of recital program planning begins with an
anchor piece: this can be an aria, an extended art song, or a song
cycle. The rest of the recital is constructed carefully around this
anchor, taking into consideration the stamina needed by the
singer and the entertainment of the audience.
After all, no matter what kind of singing you do, it still has to
have some appeal to the audience!
PROGRAM ONE: This solo vocal recital was presented
by a high school senior (a lyric soprano with advanced musicality) in April
2002. This individual was fluent in the Russian language, and made use of
a particularly beautiful Russian oratorio aria in the first half of her
recital as her anchor piece.
Per pieta, bel idol mio: Vincenzo Bellini
Au bord de l’eau: Gabriel Fauré
El Majo Discreto: Enrique Granados
La Danza: Gioacchino Rossini
Selections from SONGS SACRED AND PROFANE: John Ireland
The Salley Gardens
The Soldier’s Return
The Scapegoat
Ich folge dir gleichfalls
: J.S. Bach
from THE PASSION ACCORDING TO St. JOHN
The Life of the World Crucified: E. Sheve
(sung in the original Russian)
from THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
INTERMISSION
Kommt ein schlanker Bursch gegangen: Carl Maria von Weber
from DER FREISCHÜTZ
Vilja: Franz Lehar
from THE MERRY WIDOW
OF GODS AND CATS: Jake Heggie
In the Beginning.....
Once Upon a Universe
PROGRAM TWO: This program
was given in June 2002 by another of my students, a high school senior lyric
soprano. She used a friend from her high school orchestra in the selections
from the Vaughan Williams song cycle, which is scored for voice and oboe.
Her most ambitious undertaking was the entire Frauenliebe song cyle of Schumann,
which she made the anchor of her recital.
Domine Deus: Antonio Vivaldi
from GLORIA
Au bord de l’eau: Gabriel Fauré
Reve d’Amour: Gabriel Fauré
FRAUENLIEBE UND LEBEN: Robert Schumann
Seit ich ihn gesehen
Er, der Herrlichste von allen
Ich kann’s nicht fassen, nicht glauben
Du Ring an meinem Finger
Helft mir, ihr Schwestern
Süsser Freund
An meinem Herzen, an meiner Brust
Nun hast du mir den ersten Schmerz getan
INTERMISSION
Una donna a quindici anni: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
from COSÍ FAN TUTTE
Three Selections from TEN BLAKE SONGS:Ralph Vaughn Williams
Infant Joy
The Piper
The Lamb
How Could I Ever Know?: Lucy Simon
From THE SECRET GARDEN
My Lord and Master: Rodgers & Hammerstein
From THE KING AND I
I HATE MUSIC!: Leonard Bernstein
My mother says
Jupiter has seven moons
I hate music!
A big Indian and a little Indian
I just found out today
PROGRAM THREE: This
recital was presented by one of my adult voice students, a lyric mezzo in
her early 40's, at Hochstein in July 2002. It was designed to be a shorter-than-usual
program with no intermission. The two Zarzuela arias contrasted nicely with
the Dvorak, and the Brahms cycle was the anchor of her program. And of course,
no Gypsy-themed program would be complete without everyone's favorite aria
from Carmen! (Note: the Brahms cycle was performed in the Low Voice
keys.)
A Gypsy Life in Song
Golden Earrings: Victor Young
Zigeuner: Noel Coward
ZIGEUNERLIEDER: Johannes Brahms
He, Zigeuner
Hochgetürmte Rimaflut
Wisst ihr, wann mein Kindchen
Lieber Gott, du weisst
Brauner Bursche
Röslein dreie
Kommt dir manchmal in den Sinn
Rote Abendwolken
Songs My Mother Taught Me: Antonin Dvořák
from SEVEN GYPSY SONGS, Op. 55
Canción de la Gitana: J. Serrano
from LA ALEGRÍA DEL BATALLÓN
Fue mi mare la gitana: Ruperto Chapí
from LA CHAVALA
Habañera: Georges Bizet
from CARMEN
PROGRAM FOUR: This program
was presented by two of my adult voice students in April 2003: a mezzo in
her early 40's and a lyric soprano in her mid-30's. By preparing a
program which incorporates both arias and duets, the two singers had less
pressure on them than if they had prepared separate solo recitals. This
program was built around a central theme. As their voice teacher, I took on
the role of narrator, prefacing each opera with a brief and humorous description
of the significance of the pants role within that opera. I also joined the
two singers for the Trio from Gluck's Orfeo, singing the soprano role
of Amor. The Rosenkavalier duet was the most challenging duet, but
we agreed that the program would be incomplete without Strauss' lush Romanticism
and the opera's closing duet of happiness.
“Who Really Wears the Pants in Opera?”
DIE FLEDERMAUS – Johann Strauss
Chacun a son gout mezzo: Prince
Orlofsky
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Deh vieni non tardar soprano:
Susannah
Non so piu cosa son mezzo:
Cherubino
Aprite, presto aprite
Elizabeth Searle – Susannah mezzo:
Cherubino
LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN – Jacques Offenbach
Elle a fui, la tourterelle soprano: Antonia
Belle nuit, o nuit d’amour
soprano: Giulietta mezzo:
Nicklausse
ORFEO – C. W. von Gluck
Che faro senza Euridice? mezzo:
Orfeo
Gaudio, gaudio son al cuore
soprano: Euridice mezzo:
Orfeo
soprano (Sandra Boysen): Amor
ROMEO ET JULIETTE – Charles Gounod
Juliette’s Waltz Aria soprano:
Juliette
Que fait-tu, blanche tourterelle? mezzo: Stefano
DER ROSENKAVALIER – Richard Strauss
Ist ein Traum
soprano: Sophie mezzo: Octavian
HANSEL UND GRETEL – Engelbert Humperdinck
Evening Prayer
soprano: Gretel mezzo: Hansel
Music for a While: Henry Purcell
What Can We Poor Females Do?: Henry Purcell
Mein glaubiges Herze: J. S. Bach
from Cantata No. 68
with guest flautist and guest harpsichordist
Les Roses d’Ispahan: Gabriel Fauré
Air champetre: Francis Poulenc
from Airs chantes
Un petit pas: Darius Milhaud
from Six Chansons du Theatre
I Know That My Redeemer Liveth: George Frederick Handel
from MESSIAH
INTERMISSION
Il mio bel foco – Quella fiamma: Benedetto Marcello
Una donna a quindici anni: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
from COSÍ FAN TUTTE
Quando m’en vo: Giacomo Puccini
from LA BOHÉME
Simple Song: Leonard Bernstein
from MASS
with guest performer on flute
Summertime: George Gershwin
from PORGY AND BESS
PROGRAM SIX: This recital
was presented by one of my high school seniors at Hochstein in May 2004.
She is a lyric coloratura
soprano. She was a frequent participant and winner in area vocal competitions,
and a seasoned musical theatre performer (the "Fiddler" selection was a nod
to her performance of Hodl in that show only a month before her recital).
Her program was anchored by the Gounod aria opening the second half. "Soliloquy"
was
a perfect
closing
piece
forher program as it declares "I Love Life So!" with a high
and joyous musical phrase.
Amarilli, mia bella: Giulio Caccini
Pie Jesu from REQUIEM: Gabriel Fauré
Simple Song from MASS: Leonard Bernstein
Alleluja from EXULTATE JUBILATE: W. A. Mozart
INTERMISSION
Ah, je ris (Juliette’s Waltz) from ROMEO ET JULIETTE: Charles Gounod
Loveliest of Trees: John Duke
Far From the Home I Love from FIDDLER ON THE ROOF: Bock & Harnick
I Shall Not Live in Vain: Jake Heggie
Soliloquy: John Work
PROGRAM SEVEN: This was a unique program presented
to showcase the linguistic, as well as vocal, abilities of one of my adult
students,
who is a professor of linguistics at a local college. She is fluent in Japanese,
so the anchor of her program was the seven-song set by Nakada. She provided
a nice aural diversity by including the Ladino songs, three of which were
for voice and guitar, and one for voice and flute. She performed her final
piece with only a guest concertina artist, lending a lovely flair to the
classic Piaf song. She also gave the audience the treat of an encore, which
was Milord, a rousing Piaf hit, performed with
guitar and concertina, and she had the audience clapping along on the choruses
and singing the final
chorus along with her on "la la la." This program was performed in July
2004.
PROGRAM TITLE: Six (or so) Languages in Search of a Singer
RUSSIAN
The Lilacs - Rachmaninoff
FRENCH
Le temps des lilas - Chausson
LADINO/SPANISH
Una matica (guitar)
Durme, durme (guitar)
Nani, Nani (flute)
Como la Rosa (guitar)
LATIN
Alleluia – Rorem
INTERMISSION
JAPANESE
Toy Songs (seven short pieces) – Nakada
ENGLISH
Beautiful Soup & The Duchess’ Lullaby – Alec Wilder
(This 2nd song was a bit of comic relief, as the page turner and the pianist
are directed to sing "Wow, wow, wow" on the chorus with the soloist.)
SPANISH
De donde from Cuatro madrigales amatorios – Rodrigo
FRENCH
La Vie en Rose – Piaf