Bellini, Gounod, due Giuliette e un soprano – A soprano to start professional career has always been a dream: the first big concert with orchestral accompaniment.
By Natalia Di Bartolo —
A soprano to start professional career has always been a dream: the first big concert with orchestral accompaniment.
Well, the time has come to prepare the program and our friend the soprano, with secure entry, well placed and well set, after quite a few’ vocalizations and various tests with the pianist, now exhausted, dismissed him and sat at a table with a stack of sheet music in front of sizeable and many, many ideas…But not very clear. One thing for sure: that the concert will be the best and to contain the songs you love and the characters feel more.
Meanwhile, turns to meditate on the National Opera production for your voice. Given that "O mio babbino caro" and "When men’ Vo "can not miss, and bravely but more conscientiously with well-known pieces typically deemed inevitable and" concert ", seeks to draw up the final program…But the two songs and especially feel the lack of "highlight": his beloved Vincenzo Bellini.
In this case, our friend has always loved Bellini, but, like many colleagues, he has had and still has an awe: he always found so ingenious as to be often unintelligible. A defect of genius? Maybe.
Believes that being too big always hurt him, apparently, and that do not have found, often, scholars and performers up to “decipher”; claims that before being executed, must be deeply understood, decrypted even: it's too big. And when the “Too much” clashes with the desire to make it “saleable repertoire”then the magnitude, in the hands of incompetent and greedy exploiters, becomes chopped staves, aberration, decoction of notes; I mean, what, from 50 onwards, the “music players” who dared to put their hands on his music have implemented. A “Bellini's recovery”then, at least one less run, would be appropriate.
"I will!" she murmurs, smiling with self-criticism, but with the ambition of one who knows his stuff. And she just knows, to tell you the truth: it deserves that you are here to see it…
Our Soprano, so before wanting to sing it, Bellini, had a great desire to listen to it: he listened too little, however, despite having heard a great deal. Contradiction? No, poor thing: desperation! ERGO, now that sings, eats bread even more, and theatre (rare) quality discs and finally dares to approach the immense, candido, supernatural Swan Carpenter for singing a song with orchestral accompaniment.
Daydreaming on his first concert schedule with included a song by Bellini, then, flipping through thousand volumes and collections, thinking and rethinking and mentally rehearsing the large amount of pieces studied and stored, the hands get the sheet music for "I Capuleti e I Montecchi" and electrocution:”Here I am in happy vesta…Oh, how many times! Oh! How many”, Recitative and cavatina of Juliet, by the Act: this is the song by Bellini for the Concert! " Yes, he decided, is irresistible…To put it with Liù, indeed, “And’ Supreme delight owning it”.
The interpreter has fully met in the studio (and to fix time, first met with) a sort of “sensual communion”. He has already brought in concert accompanied by one of the countless pianists who killed until then for consumption the same fingers after hours of testing insatiable. The fact is that with more than one of them sang this song in public and always with tears in his eyes. And do not believe that all singers are easy to emotion. That is not disturbed even by “La Bohéme”, where I usually cry all, performers and audience. But, with Juliet by Bellini, his tears of empathy in the past often ranks, concerts, have managed to infect the audience and sometimes show ended, he heard (and still proud!): “I don't understand much about Opera, but I got goose bumps”.
Here, Juliet, candida, sensual, sweet Romeo's wedding: the score unfolds before the eyes of curious and greedy of art of our soprano.
Talking “I Capuleti e i Montecchi” Juliet is shown at his appearance already adorns the sumptuous bridal garments placed upon it under by the father to marry another nobleman; to her, that he had already given her love, her husband Romeo, fled via to the cruelty of fate, into exile to the song of the Lark.
Beautiful words that Felice Romani, librettist of author Caroline, puts on her lips:
Here I am in happy vesta… Here I am adorned…
As a victim to the altar. Oh! at least I could
What ara fall victim!
The nuzïali you have,
Abborrite so, so fatal
Be, ah! be for me feral faci.
Ardo… a blaze, a fire
All I go to pieces.
Refreshing winds I ask in vain. –
Where art thou, Romeo?
What haunts thee in Earth?
Where invïarti my sighs?
Oh! How many times,
Oh! How many do you wonder
The sky crying
With what ardor I await you,
And deception on my request!
Radius of your countenance
I think it is the shine of the day:
The aura that blows around
It seems to me a sigh.
Beautiful music and, overcome technical, rocks found in a line of song based on a b flat from never lose sight not wane when the voice tone is devoid of accompaniment for longer sentences (Bellini tends “traps” infernal singers), delicious to perform the interpretation; like that to keep pianissimo on the words “your sigh”.
Issued to breath, singing, those two words seem to whirl around, perfuming the air and vanish, deception of dreams and the pain of reality. Our friend knows how to go around the track performed by modulating the voice, without “peaks” except in certain nodal points; without haste; a kind of “pleasure of pain”: gorgeous poetry in music.
No more delay: usually, the scanner will alert the pianist: that if the studies to perfection or flies away with the whole plan. He dares not tell her that is rising to make it give up and switch to robetta zum-pa-PA directory: won't make it. This was due to defend in the past…
"One Juliet?" but still doubtful, at Bellini's decision, taken with his elbows propped on the scores to pile on the table and clenched fists that hold up his head thoughtfully…It would be expected that the earliest eighth notes are out and eared demisemiquavers…
"Why?" How many Juliette are there? " Protesting the reader would object, if only she would give him the time…But a fist on the table anticipates no escape: "I decided: two Juliette in concert! The Bellini and Gounod. "
The player silences: the voice, albeit mental, of our friend is pretty authoritative on the subject.
Strange talk of "Juliette", but not that much: it is not the first time that two authors face the same plot with the same characters. Here two giants, one Italian and one French have “shaped” Juliet Capulet, eternally, without one can be confused with each other, even if it is the same, the famous character of Shakespearean tragedy.
The soprano knows that it is not usual that both Juliette come ensemble concert… But his weakness is also out now: loves the Opera Francais and therefore also the Juliette from "Roméo et Juliette" by Gounod. And’ well explain why the reader that if ask…
Who is devoted to Italian Opera, not only to listen, but above all to study singing and has the talent and the ability, at some point, inevitably, it begins to want to wander to other shores and, therefore, towards other ways and interpretations.
In this case, a few years earlier, when our soprano was already far ahead in studies (Diploma is never a goal, but a pass) itself had noted an increasing “opening” the foreign Work. He knew he was “veering”Perhaps physiologically, because of the quality of your voice that “matured” and you “rounded”, specializing in colorful expressions, interpreting. It was an unavoidable step and absolutely positive. It was time to “improve”to investigate, study, reflect, compare again, understand.
Italo-German issue late-nineteenth century absorbed and stored (sometimes with italica, unwavering stubbornness), could turn to, for example, endlessly Mozart (and did), or, if he wanted to stay within the melodrama and not explore the Lieder, or sacred music or anything else, is how he noticed peeking out from the history of the much-lauded Music Opéra Francais. It was curious and…curiosity is female.
Maybe, until then, had a little’ snubbed. It may be that it was some sort of “parochialism italico”: for her, until then, Opera and Italy were synonyms, probably for listening education”that led to some “models” more than towards others. Then, studying, he was blown away.
But if you love already so Bellini the Giulietta, now as love in the same way the other Juliet”the French, Juliette? He loves it, because it is “the other side” by Juliet.
Happy girl sees her at the beginning, in the Opera, while the Bellini's Giulietta is now doomed to “martyrdom”. Therefore, that “Je veux vivre”, ariette-valse all French of Juliette by Gounod, first Act, too is very greedy for the interpreter who would allow for voice quality and extension; is intoxicating, addictive, exciting. A flurry of notes interspersed with pauses between an acciaccatura and appoggiatura lasting full pages of Waltz.
Difficult, no doubt, but fluid. Come out from the lips before the soul, while touching it too. Another whirlwind, this…a whirlwind of veils, of smiles, hopes, the more beautiful the more you know intended to despair and death.
Gounod also is a magician. The words in the libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré are simple and lovely:
Je veux vivre
In this dream that intoxicates me
This day again,
Soft flame
I keep you in my soul
As a treasure!
I want to live, etc.
This intoxication of youth
Only lasts, alas! What a day!
Then comes the time
Where is crying.
Away from the gloomy winter
Leave me, leave me doze
And breathe the rose,
Before effeuiller it.
Ah! -Ah! -Ah!
Soft flame!
Rest in my soul
As a sweet treasure
A long time yet.
Ah! - As a treasure
Long ago
Adorabili, addirittura, queste parole; My what che è splendido e lo “Spirito” Tutto francese del personaggio che the pronuncia como vadano Cantata e.
Here in Italy, studying the track to prepare for a terrifying Master a few years earlier, our diligent had respected Soprano breaks, staccato notes, embellishments & various: carefully study Gounod to perfect it in Nice and then singing in Paris is very strong livers: his is iron.
Got there well prepared, what he learned from authoritative teachers, the lessons of which are honored to follow? All those removed were “staccàti less”; so they went “related”!? NO! Staccàti: this is the “Tradition francaise”! And there is much more important tradition of philology (sometimes a little’ pedantic) that often puts into action here in Italy.
The interpreter came to know that that time Juliette Waltz does not only have to sing it, but must also give the impression of to dance it! Most ligatures and related possible; and agility with pauses between more related can…In short: another planet.
And so, in the end, willy-nilly, he bowed reverently and admired in that tradition that did not fit into his philological italic strings. And what had come out? Exactly what must be the”other Juliet”, which now had become an exciting discovery that had finally conquered, making for her the whole “Opéra Francaise” a world parallel to’ "Italian Opera", to visit and explore.
Now that our friend loves both long Giuliette, those two, I recommend listening to all lovers of Opera.
"In concert also Juliette!" Exclaims then, without delay, determined and enthusiastic. And Juliette is instantly awarded to the program. Sings while talking search sheet music…
Conclusion? To recommend to the public concert: the two are very good Juliette ensemble program and our friend's good soprano…you will make…
© Natalia Dantas – operaeopera.com