The$Development$of$Operatic$ Recitative(and(Aria:(cdgordon.org.uk/perf/finrec_notes_egs/Annie... · Handel’s!operas!are!a!stable!place!to!start!the! journey! of! the! recitative!

Anne-‐Marie Czajkowski (Soprano) Daniel Gordon (Piano)

The Development of Operatic Recitative and Aria: Six Snapshots through time. Thursday 14 March at 3pm Clothworkers Hall, Leeds University.

The Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall

The members of the Clothworkers Company were, and still, are great benefactors of the University of Leeds. Their generous grant of £1.4m towards the upgrade of this Grade II listed building allows us to enjoy such a wonderful venue today for this recital.

Front: The Singing Lesson, Arturo Ricci c.1870

Many thanks go to:

Daniel Gordon Dr Michael Allis Marie Bodenham The participants on the MMus Recital Course My friends and family who are always supportive.

Pre-‐Handelian Opera Development

Opera is a musically dramatic framework in which the parts are mainly sung by soloists, ensembles or the chorus. Included in the spectacle are elements such as the ballet and orchestral overture and these components have been the malleable and creative playthings of composers and librettists for the last 400 years. Although there was stage music before 1600, the first opera is generally considered to be either Peri’s Daphne (1597) sadly lost or Eurydice (1600) with parts composed by Caccini. The new stile rappresentativo was spread by Monteverdi’s landmark opera L’Orfeo (1607) followed closely by his Arianna (1608), where one can see the earliest beginnings of the Italian or da capo aria.

The recitative traditionally connects arias together as a sung dialogue and progresses the narrative. It tends to imitate natural speech, is often accompanied by sparse chords and leads into the aria with dropping interval of a 4th.

The aria is more fully orchestrated and gives each character chance to show how they feel about the situation they are in. It wasn’t until the mid 1600’s that the aria had fully settled into the style we have come to know as a da capo aria.

Cherubino’s recitative leading to ‘Voi Che Sapete’ in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro

Bibliography

Wagner Ashley, T. (2010, November 12). Wagner’s Tannhäuser. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/dec/11/richard-‐wagner-‐tannhauser-‐opera Gregor-‐Dellin, M. (1983). Richard Wagner, his life, his work, his century. San Diago, CA: Harcourt.

Smetana Graeme, R. (1997). Libuše. Bedřich Smetana. The Opera Quarterly, 13(3), 186–189. Helm, E. (1959). Reports from abroad: Prague. The Musical Times, 100(1392), 97–100. Henahan, D. (1986, March 14). The Opera: Benackova in Smetana’s “Libuse”. The New York Times/Arts. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/14/arts/the-‐opera-‐benackova-‐in-‐smetana-‐s-‐libuse.html

Britten Matthews, D. (2003). Britten. London: Haus Publishing. Seymour, C. (2007). The Operas of Benjamin Britten: Expression and Evasion. Woodbridge: Boydell Press.

Puccini Puccini: Madama Butterfly (Adapted from "The Victrola Book of the Opera (Victor Talking Machine Company, 1929)). (2007). Opera Today. Retrieved February 15, 2013, from http://www.operatoday.com/content/2007/01/puccini_madama_1.php Vernon, T., & Shefsiek, D. (2008). Madame Butterfly, Giacomo Puccini: Study Guide. Pacific Opera Victoria. Retrieved from http://www.pov.bc.ca/pdfs/butterfly_study_guide.pdf

“E pur così… Piangerò” from Giulio Cesare (1724) [Haym]

George Frideric Handel (1685-‐1759) “Temerari….Come scoglio” from Così fan tutte (1790) [Da Ponte]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-‐1791) “Dich, theure Halle” from Tannhäuser (1845) [Wagner]

Richard Wagner (1813-‐1883) “Bohové věční” from Libuše (1872) [Wenzig/Špindler]

Bedřich Smetana (1824-‐1884)

“How beautiful it is….No! Who is it?” from The Turn of the Screw (1954) [Piper]

Benjamin Britten (1913-‐1976)

“Un Bel dì Vedremo” from Madame Butterfly (1904) [Illica/Giacoso]

Giacomo Puccini (1858-‐1924)

Recital Programme

"No good opera plot can be sensible, for people do not sing when they are feeling

sensible." W.H. Auden

Bibliography

General Sources Ewen, D. (Ed.).(1965). The complete book of classical music. London: Robert Hale Limited. Kerman, J. (1989). Opera as drama: New and revised edition. London: Faber. Sadie, S. (Ed.).(1988). The Grove concise dictionary of music. London: Macmillan. Scholes, P.A. (Ed.).(1955). The Oxford companion to music (Ninth Edition.). London: Oxford University Press. Von Westerman, G. (1964). Opera guide. London: Thames and Hudson

Handel Burrows, D. (2003). Giulio Cesare in Egitto (HWV 17). Handel House Museum. Retrieved November 7, 2012, from http://www.handelhouse.org/discover/george-‐frideric-‐handel/opera-‐synopses/giulio-‐cesare Giordano, G. (2000). Gaetano grossatesta, an eighteenth-‐century Italian choreographer and impresario, part two: The choreographer-‐impresario in Naples. Dance Chronicle, 23(2), 133–160.

Mozart Exhibitions: Dickens’s early reading. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2012, from http://www.ull.ac.uk/exhibitions/dickensreading.shtml Kemp, T. (2012, June 1). Getting to grips with Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte”: On conducting the work for Opera Holland Park this month. Gramophone. Retrieved from http://www.gramophone.co.uk/blog/gramophone-‐guest-‐blog/getting-‐to-‐grips-‐with-‐mozarts-‐cos%C3%AC-‐fan-‐tutte Mozart Operas in Facsimile: Packard Humanities Institute. (2006). Retrieved October 30, 2012, from http://mozart.packhum.org/samples.html

George Frideric Handel (1685-‐1759)

“E pur così… Piangerò” from Giulio Cesare (1724)

E pur così in un giorno perdo fasti e grandezze? Ahi fato rio! Cesare, il mio bel nume, è forse estinto; Cornelia e Sesto inermi son, né sanno darmi soccorso. O dio! Non resta alcuna speme al viver mio. Piangerò la sorte mia, sì crudele e tanto ria, finché vita in petto avrò. Ma poi morta d'ogn'intorno il tiranno e notte e giorno fatta spettro agiterò.

Libretto: Nicola Francesco Haym

And so in just one day, Must I lose my pomp and glory? Ah, cruel fate! Cesare, my beloved god, May also be dead; Cornelia and Sesto are defenseless, Are not able to help me. Oh god! There remains no hope left in my life. [I will] Cry for my fate So cruel and so brutal, Whilst I have breath in my chest. But when I have died I will haunt the tyrant night and day With my agitated spirit. Translation: Anne-‐Marie Czajkowski

Cleopatra’s alleged handwriting. “Make it so”. Photo: Reuters

Daniel Gordon (Piano)

Daniel Gordon is a Senior Teaching Fellow, and the resident repetiteur, of Leeds University, a combined part-‐time role which sees him accompanying, coaching and examining several hundred student performances each year. He works with a very wide range of singers and instrumentalists. He is also accompanist of Huddersfield Choral Society, and has played regularly for the CBSO chorus, Back Dyke Band, Leeds Festival Chorus, and many other groups. He is an Honorary Member of the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus. He is also voluntary Musical Director of the Leeds Hospitals, and organist of Adel Parish Church. Daniel is a former Head Chorister of Westminster Abbey (where he was also the choir school’s silent-‐film accompanist from the age of 10), and was Instrumental Scholar of Balliol College, Oxford, where he read physics and philosophy. He worked in geo physics and taught computing to postgraduates for several years before becoming a professional musician.

Handel’s operas are a stable place to start the journey of the recitative and aria. In his operas, the accepted Neapolitan da capo opera seria conventions are clearly visible. Although the operas are varied and beautiful, Handel did not choose the stage to be his experimental arena. In Giulio Cesare, Cleopatra’s recitative advances the story line supported by the traditional continuo consisting of a cello bass line with light chordal type accompaniment improvised from the harpsichord. The aria, accompanied by the orchestra, is also in a typical da capo form where, in this case, she sings a slow, lamenting melody bewailing her fate followed by a lively Allegro section as her mood changes to one of revenge. Finally, there is a return to the slow section in the da capo and, also in traditional style, the opportunity now presents itself for the singer to show their taste and elegance in florid improvisation on the theme. In true Neapolitan manner, please feel free to chat and play cards in the boring bits if the entertainment is not to your taste!

George Frideric Handel (1685-‐1759)

“Witty people, therefore, never fail to tell me, the Neapolitans go to see, not to hear the opera.”

Samuel Sharp, 1765

Julius Caesar in Egypt, Hogarth, 1724

Anne-‐Marie Czajkowski pursued postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music under Kenneth Woollam, Roger Vignoles and Wolfgang Holzmair. She was a regular soloist at the Royal College and has given numerous other concerts and recitals since then, including programs of opera excepts from ENO broadcast on Channel 4 and Royal Gala performances on ITV. Her recently performed solo repertoire includes Four Last Songs by Strauss, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Mahler’s 4th Symphony, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Magnificat. Recent operatic work includes Turandot in Puccini’s Turandot, Amelia in Verdi’s The Masked Ball, Manon in Manon Lescaut by Puccini, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky, Countess in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Michaela in Bizet’s Carmen for various opera companies.

She also has a lively teaching practice and taught for 8 years at Reading University. Amongst her students have been Laura Marling who recently won British Female Solo Artist at the Brit Awards, comedian Lenny Henry and actress Jessica Barden (Tamara Drewe and others).

Anne-‐Marie Czajkowski (Soprano)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-‐1791)

“Temerari…Come Scoglio” from Così Fan Tutte K.588 (1790)

Recitative: Reckless ones, leave now this location, and do not profane, with your fatal and ominous words, our hearts, our ears or our affections! There is no point in considering our seduction: our faithfulness is intact to our beloveds who we hope are in turn faithful to us until infinity or death in spite of the world or fate. Aria: (I am) Like a rock, resting immobile Resisting wind and the tempest, So for evermore, my fidelity and my love are strong. It is my character to be so and this gives me peace and consolation Only the power of death Will change my affections. Respect, ingrates, This example of constancy; Your barbaric thoughts Are hopeless indeed!

Translation: Anne-‐Marie Czajkowski

Recitative: Temerari, sortite fuori di questo loco, e non profani l’alito infausto degli infami detti nostro cor, nostro orecchio e nostri affetti! Invan per voi, per gli altri invan si cerca le nostr’alme sedur: l’intatta fede che per noi già si diede ai cari amanti, saprem loro serbar infino a morte, a dispetto del mondo e della sorte. Aria: Come scoglio immoto resta Contro I venti e la tempest, Così ognor quest’alma è forte Nella fede e nell’amor. Con noi nacque quella face Che ci piace, e ci consola, E potrà la morte sola Far che cangi affetto il cor. Rispettate, anime ingrate, Quest’e sempio di costanza; E una barbara speranza Non vi renda audaci ancor!

Libretto: Lorenzo Da Ponte


Puccini, cognisant of Wagner, was also keenly aware of the verismo style, a gritty and naturalistic through-‐composed approach made popular by composers such as Mascagni. Never fully partisan to either side, Puccini’s music seamlessly transforms from lightly accompanied recitative blossoming to lyrical and fully orchestrated sections and back as required by the narrative. In this aria, as in Puccini’s operas as a whole, the libretto and the melody provide the story and character development whereas description, emotion and multi-‐faceted characterisation are found in the subtlety of the orchestration. For example, the quasi-‐religious style octave accompaniment to Pinkerton’s imagined ascent up the hill to meet Butterfly could imply a variety of things: her earlier religious conversion, her sanctity of faith in Pinkerton, a kind of restrained ecstasy. Each note is meticulously chosen and marked to tell the story, even down to descriptive naval gun retorts from the ‘cellos at the word ‘romba’ (rumbles) heralding the imagined arrival of Pinkerton’s ship

Puccini found inspiration for Madame Butterfly in John Luther Long’s novel of the same name. David Belasco had successfully adapted the story into a stage play in 1900, which Puccini saw in London. The first performance of the opera, however, was not a success but after several revisions it has become one of the most popular in the repertoire.

“Se n'andò e nulla vi lasciò, nulla, nulla, fuor che la morte.” (“He went and left nothing but death.”) Madame Butterfly, Act III

“Un Bel dì Vedremo” from Madame Butterfly (1904)


Un bel dì, vedremo levarsi un fil di fumo sull'estremo confin del mare. E poi la nave appare. Poi la nave bianca entra nel porto, romba il suo saluto. Vedi? È venuto! Io non gli scendo incontro. Io no. Mi metto là sul ciglio del colle e aspetto, e aspetto gran tempo e non mi pesa, la lunga attesa. E uscito dalla folla cittadina, un uomo, un picciol punto s'avvia per la collina. Chi sarà? chi sarà? E come sarà giunto che dirà? che dirà? Chiamerà Butterfly dalla lontana. Io senza dar risposta me ne starò nascosta un po' per celia e un po' per non morire al primo incontro; ed egli alquanto in pena chiamerà, chiamerà: "Piccina mogliettina, olezzo di verbena" i nomi che mi dava al suo venire. Tutto questo avverrà, te lo prometto. Tienti la tua paura, io con sicura fede l'aspetto.

Libretto: Illica/Giacoso

One good day, we will see Arising a strand of smoke Over the far horizon on the sea And then the ship appears And then the ship is white It enters into the port, it rumbles its salute. Do you see it? He is coming! I don't go down to meet him, not I. I stay upon the edge of the hill And I wait a long time but I do not grow weary of waiting. And leaving from the crowded city, A man, a little speck Climbing the hill. Who is it? Who is it? And as he arrives What will he say? What will he say? He will call Butterfly from a distance I without answering Stay hidden A little to tease him, A little as to not die. At the first meeting, And then a little troubled He will call, he will call "Little one, dear wife Blossom of Orange" The names he called me last time. All this will happen, I promise you this Hold back your fears -‐ I with secure faith wait for him.

Translation: Aaron Green

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-‐1791)

Written in a time of the Enlightenment and of revolution, Cosi Fan Tutti , is not the one dimensional opera buffa that it first seems. The Enlightenment emphasized reason over fantasy but the Cult of Sensibility emphasized the urgings of the heart over the head. At the juxtaposition lies both wit and wisdom and, like Laurence Sterne’s novel A Sentimental Journey or the works of Jane Austen, this opera can be read both seriously and humorously.

To achieve this depth of layering, the recitative and aria sections are intimately intertwined in a more complex musical form foreshadowing future operatic development. This is clearly seen in the aria “Come scoglio” in Act I scene iii. Here, the form is heroic opera seria and the text is full of unrelenting righteous zeal suggesting the influence of reasoned enlightenment. However, the leaping vocal line, romantic, rich music and opportunities for stage business suggests a double meaning.

“Not German, I beg your majesty. Italian is the proper language for opera. All educated

people agree on that.” Peter Schaffer, author, Amadeus, 1984

Caricature print from A Sentimental Journey, Rowlandson 1809

Benjamin Britten (1913-‐1976) Richard Wagner (1813-‐1883)

“Dich, theure Halle” from Tannhäuser (1845)

Dich, theure Halle, grüss’ ich wieder, Froh grüss ich dich, geliebter Raum! In dir erwachen seine Lieder Und wecken mich aus düst’rem Traum. Da Er aus dir geschieden, Wie öd’ erschienst du mir! Aus mir entfloh der Frieden, Die Freude zog aus dir! Wie jetzt mein Busen hoch sich hebet, So scheinst du jetzt mir stolz und hehr, Der mich und dich so neu belebet, Nicht weilt er ferne mehr! Der dich, und mich so neu belebet, Nicht länger weilt er ferne mehr! Sei mir gegrüsst, sei mir gegrüsst! Du, theure Halle, sei mir gegrüsst!

Libretto: Richard Wagner

You, dear hall, greetings again, Happily I greet you, beloved room! In here, his song awoke you And woke me from dismal dreams. When he left from here How dreary you appeared to me! From me fled peace, The joy was pulled from you. Now my breast is heaving You shine now to me, proud and majestic, we are as newly living, He is not far from here! You and I are newly alive, No longer is he far away from here! Let me greet you, let me greet you! You, dearest hall, let me greet you! Translation: Anne-‐Marie Czajkowski

Wagner’s influence effectively broke the historical structural moulds, and composers such as Britten have subsequently devised increasingly original internal operatic constructions to serve their vision. The Tower is in two sections. The first being mainly lyrical retaining Britten’s trademark spoken rhythmic style. This is interrupted by the ghostly appearance of Quint accompanied by the celesta, a moment described by Matthews as “the very embodiment of the uncanny”. Then follows a highly charged recitative as the Governess tries to make sense of what she has seen, a reaction which will mirror the audience’s experience at the end of the opera.

“I feel…that I am on the threshold of a new musical world.”

Britten, letter to Edith Sitwell, 1954

Britten uses a ’12 note tone row’ as a musically constructive method to tie the different sections together throughout. However, unlike Schoenberg’s atonal usage, Matthews suggests that here, they are worked more strongly to imply tonal relationships.

This opera is adapted from Henry James’ eerie ghost novella, The Turn of the Screw, where a Governess is asked to look after two children in a beautiful old house. However, all is not as innocent as it seems. Britten first encountered the story in a radio adaptation in 1932 where he diarized it as “wonderfully impressive” and “terribly scary”. The formal structure of the opera mirrors that of the novella and has sixteen short scenes in two acts with instrumental interludes, which imitate the passing of time implied in the adapted story.

Act II stage setting detail from the Dresden 1860 version of Tannhäuser

“How beautiful it is….No! No! Who is it?” from The Turn of the Screw (1954)

Benjamin Britten (1913-‐1976)

The Tower: How beautiful it is. Each day it seems more beautiful to me. And my darling children enchant me more and more. My first foolish fears are all vanish’d now, Are all banish’d now -‐ Those fluttering fears When I could not forget the letter -‐ When I heard a far off cry in the night And once a faint footstep pass’d my door. Only one thing I wish,That I could see him And that he could see how well I do his bidding. The birds fly home to these great trees, I too am at home. Alone, tranquil, serene. Ha! ‘Tis he! No! No! Who is it? Who? Who? Who can it be? Some servant – no! I know them all. Who is it? Who? Who can it be? Some curious stranger? But how could he get in? Who is it? Who? Some fearful madman lock’d away there? Adventurer? Intruder? Who is it? Who? Who? Who can it be? Who? Who can it be? Who?

Libretto: Myfanwy Piper

Richard Wagner (1813-‐1883)

No discussion on the development of opera would be complete without a mention of the great innovator, Wagner. He has been described as a musical dramatist second to none and is at the centre of operatic development in the mid to late 19th century. In his last period from 1851, he fully developed the style known as ‘Music Drama’. This through-‐composed style blended the operatic elements of the recitative and aria, the music tending to oscillate from one to the other as the words demanded. It is, therefore, very hard to extract a standalone aria from these operas. His middle period, from 1843, began to move towards a continuous atmospheric musical texture and Tannhäuser (originally entitled Der Venusburg) dates from the middle of this period. There are still set ‘numbers’ but there is a clear movement away from the traditional recitative and aria towards the ‘singspiel’ style of the later operas. Elizabeth’s aria is set at the beginning of Act II in Wartburg’s Hall of Song. She is excited to hear of Tannhäuser’s return and revels in the joy of soon seeing the Hall alive and vibrant again with his voice. The beginning of this aria is a foreshadowing of Wagner’s through composed style, which then drops into a more traditional aria style as her heart begins to soar with anticipation.

Interior of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus designed by Wagner for the performance of his

operas.

Doll under leaves by Valentino Sani

“Miles, you’re mine! You must be free.” Quint, Scene 8

Elizabeth pleads for Tannhäuser, Byam Shaw, 1908

Photo: Oxford Companion to Music

''My beloved Czech nation will not perish; gloriously she will vanquish the

terrors of hell.'' Libuše, Act III


“Bohové věční” from Libuše (1872)

Bohové věční tamo nad oblaky, v milosti shlížejte na tuto zem! Ku svornosti je veďte a lásce pozasvěťte, had sváru nechať mine její lem! Ať síly země jeho blaho rodí a lidu všemu hojnost plodí! Ať svorné síly vedou národ k štěstí a příštím věkům jeho slávu věstí! Ó bohové, slyšte modlitbu mou, můj národ vezměte v ochranu svou! Ó, chraňte mou vlast! Můj národ vezměte v ochranu svou!

Libretto: Wenzig/Špindler

Eternal gods, that live above the clouds Look down with grace upon our land! To concord do you lead it, to love consecrate it, outside its borders keep the serpent of strife! May the land’s powers bring goodness and produce plenty for all its men! May concord and love lead the people and proclaim the glory of its future days! O, my gods, hear this my prayer, take my people under your wing! O, protect my land! Take my people under your wing!

Translation: Unknown


The influence of Wagner’s operatic reforms was wide ranging. Smetana, who knew Wagner personally, wrote Libuše, in part, to please critics who had accused him of imitating Wagner’s musical style saying, ''I regard this as my most perfect work in the field of higher drama and, I can say, as a completely original work.” However, more recent critics are still divided on the successful nature of this intent. In comparison to Wagner’s purely through-‐composed style, Smetana still organized his operas into ‘numbers’. However, Wagner’s influence is clearly heard in this aria both harmonically and in the lyrical treatment of the text. After the wonderfully dramatic orchestral introduction, Libuše exhorts the gods on high in a declamatory heroic style followed by the body of the aria. The section is gently brought to a close with a reflective recitative to link to the next choral section. This opera is based on a well-‐loved Czech history/myth about divinely inspired Princess Libuše who chose a humble farmer husband and founded the Přemysl Dynasty at Prague. It was composed for performance at coronations and state functions. Sadly the Bohemian Dynasty became the Czech Republic before the opera could be used for these purposes.

Smetana Museum, Prague.

Princess Libuše portends the glory of Prague by Josef Mathauser (1846-‐1917)

Documents

The$Development$of$Operatic$ Recitative(and(Aria:(cdgordon.org.uk/perf/finrec_notes_egs/Annie... · Handel’s!operas!are!a!stable!place!to!start!the! journey! of! the! recitative!