Senior Recital Kathleen Hickey, soprano

Let the Bright Seraphim from Samson George Frederic Handel

(1685 1759)

Based on the Biblical hero Samson, Handels famous oratorio tells of Samsons final days before his
death. Let the Bright Seraphim is the oratorios most recognized aria, and is often performed as a
separate concert piece. In the context of the story, Let the Bright Seraphim is sung by an anonymous
Israelite women, summoning celestial hosts seraphim and cherubim to hail the perished hero, Samson.

Per piet, bellidol mio Vincenzo Bellini
Malinconia, Ninfa gentile (1801 1834)

Vincenzo Bellini is an Italian composer known for his bel canto, meaning beautiful singing, style art
songs and operas. Bellini's art songs feature flowing melodic lines. Both songs are from Bellinis set
entitled Sei Ariette, these pieces were composed while Bellini living in Milan. These songs feature
passionate texts written by Pietro Metastasio, an Italian poet.

Per piet, bell'idol mio

Per piet, bell'idol mio,
non mi dir ch'io sono ingrato;
infelice e sventurato
Abbastanza il Ciel mi fa.

Se fedele a te son io,
se mi struggo ai tuoi bei lumi,
sallo amor, lo sanno i Numi
il mio core, il tuo lo sa.

For Pitys Sake

For pitys sake, my beautiful idol,
do not tell me that I am ungrateful;
unhappy and unfortunate
Enough has heaven made me.

That I am unfaithful to you,
that I languish under your bright gaze.
Love knows, the gods know,
my heart knows, and yours knows.

Malinconia, Ninfa gentile

Malinconia, Ninfa gentile,
la vita mia consacro a te;
i tuoi piaceri chi tiene a vile,
ai piacer veri nato non .

Fonti e colline chiesi agli Dei;
m'udiro alfine, pago io vivr,
n mai quel fonte co'desir miei,
n mai quel monte trapasser.

Melancholy, gentle nymph

Melancholy, gentle nymph,
I consecrate my life to you;
He who your pleasures despises,
to true pleasures is not born.

Mountains and hills I begged of God;
at last I was heard, and I will live content,
never beyond the hills did I desire to go,
never beyond the mountains will I go pass.
Morgen Richard Strauss
Zueignung (1864 1834)
Morgen is a love song written in 1894, inspired by Strauss' wife, Pauline. Part of his Opus 10
collection, Zueignung marked Strauss emergence as a composer of lieder. The poem was written
by Hermann von Gilm, whose poetry mainly consisted of love and loves suffering. Although each
stanza ends with the same phrase, Habe dank, the musical composition does just the opposite.
Each musical verse begins with a similar four bars, but each ends with a new melodic material.
Zuignung was one of Strauss later lieder, and contains more of dramatic opera influence than his
earlier works.

Morgen

Und morgen wird die Sonne wieder scheinen
und auf dem Wege, den ich gehen werde,
wird uns, die Glcklichen sie wieder einen
inmitten dieser sonnenatmenden Erde
und zu dem Strand, dem weiten, wogenblauen,
werden wir still und langsam niedersteigen,
stumm werden wir uns in die Augen schauen,
und auf uns sinkt des Glckes stummes
Schweigen...

Tomorrow

And tomorrow the sun will shine again
And on the way which I shall follow
She will again unite us lucky ones
As all around us the earth breathes in the sun
Slowly, silently, we will climb down
To the wide beach and the blue waves
In silence, we will look in each other's eyes
And the mute stillness of happiness will sink
upon us

Zueignung

Ja, du weit es, teure Seele,
Da ich fern von dir mich qule,
Liebe macht die Herzen krank,
Habe Dank.

Hielt ich nicht, der Freiheit Zecher,
Hoch den Amethysten-Becher,
Und du segnetest den Trank,
Habe Dank.

Und beschworst darin die Bsen,
Bis ich, was ich nie gewesen,
Heilig an das Herz dir sank,
Habe Dank.

Dedication

Yes, dear soul, you know,
away from you Im in torment,
love makes hearts sick,
have thanks.

Once I, drinker of freedom,
held high the amethyst goblet
and you have blessed that draught,
have thanks.

And you drove out from it the evil ones,
till I, as never before, hold,
sank holy upon your heart,
have thanks.

Sul fil d'un soffio etesio from Falstaff Giuseppe Verdi
(1836 1891)

Falstaff was Verdi's final opera, and is based upon Shakespeare's character Sir John Falstaff from his
play Henry IV. In this scene, Nannetta, the Ford's daughter, is disguised as the Fairy Queen and calls
the fairies out from their hiding places, asking them to dance.

Sul fil d'un soffio etesio
scorrete, agili larve;
fra i rami un baglior cesio
d'alba lunare apparve.
Danzate! e il passo blando
misuri un blando suon,
le magiche accoppiando carole
alla canzon.

Erriam sotto la luna
scegliendo fior da fiore;
ogni corolla in core
porta la sua fortuna.
Coi gigli e le viole
scriviam de' nomi arcani;
dalle fatate mani
germoglino parole,..
parole alluminate di puro argento
e d'or
carmi e male.
Le fate hanno, per cifre,
i fior.

On the breath of a fragrant breeze
scurry, agile shadows
among the branches a bluish grey glow
of the rising moon has appeared.
Dance! And may the gentle steps
measure a gentle sound,
combining the magical dances
with the song

Let us wander beneath the moon,
choosing flower by flower;
each crown of petals, in its heart,
brings its good fortune.
With the lilies and the violets,
let us write secret names;
from our enchanted hands
may words blossom
words illuminated by pure silver
and gold
Magic incantations and charms.
The fairies have, for alphabet letters,
flowers.

Les filles de Cadix Lo Delibes
(1836 1891)

Delibes has been described as Frances Tchaikovsky: with his eternally popular scores for Coppelia and
Sylvia, he brought respectability and well-written music to the previously undervalued art form of
ballet. Delibes also wrote several operas and operettas. Less well known are his solo songs, which have
an irresistible charm and gaiety reminiscent of his contemporaries, Bizet and Chabrier. Les filles de
Cadix sets a text by Alfred de Musset as a vivacious Spanish song in bolero rhythm.

Les filles de Cadix

Nous venions de voir le taureau,
Trois garons, trois fillettes.
Sur la pelouse il faisait beau,
Et nous dansions un bolero
Au son des castagnettes:
Dites-moi, voisin,
Si j'ai bonne mine,
The Girls of Cadix

We just saw the bull,
Three boys, three little girls
On the lawn it was a beautiful day,
And we were dancing a bolero
To the sound of castanets;
Tell me, neighbor,
If I look well,
Et si ma basquine
Va bien, ce matin.
Vous me trouvez la taille fine?...
Ah! ah!
Les filles de Cadix aiment assez cela.

Et nous dansions un bolro
Un soir, c'tait dimanche.
Vers nous s'en vint un hidalgo
Cousu d'or, la plume au chapeau,
Et la poing sur la hanche:
Si tu veux de moi,
Brune au doux sourire,
Tu n'as qu'a le dire,
Cet or est toi.
-- Passez votre chemin, beau sire...
Ah! Ah!
Les filles de Cadix n'entendent pas cela.
And if my bodice
Goes well, this morning,
Do you find my waist slim?
Ah! Ah!
The girls of Cadix rather like that.

And we were dancing a bolero
One evening, it was Sunday,
Toward us came a dashing Spaniard
Extremely wealthy, a plume in his hat,
And his hand on his hip:
"If you want me,
Brunette with the sweet smile,
You have only to say it,
And this gold is yours."
Pass on your way, good sir.
Ah! Ah!
The girls of Cadix don't listen to that.


Siete Canciones populares Espaolas Manuel de
Falla
i. El pao moruno (1876 1946)
ii. Seguidilla murciana
iii. Asturiana
iv. Jota
v. Nana
vi. Cancin
vii. Polo
"For Falla, wrote Gilbert Chase, music historian, a folk song is not a simple tune to be arbitrarily
adorned. Each folk song, he believes, conceals a deep musical meaning, a latent wealth of expression,
that the arranger should endeavor to fathom and extract. Complex and difficult as are some of his
accompaniments, they represent the re-creation on an artistic plane of the inherent melos of each song.
Such a feat can only be accomplished when a great artist and a profound folklorist are found in the
same person.

The first song of the set, El pano moruno, sets the tone for the pieces to follow by introducing the piece
with a complicated piano introduction mimicking a Spanish guitar with rhythmic, complicated . The
text of this piece tells a cautionary tale of a young women who lost her innocence, and because of that
lost her social standing. Both the first and second song are based upon folk melodies from the Murcia
region of Spain. In the second fiery piece, Seguidilla murciana, The next piece, Asturiana, comes from
a northern region of Spain. The fourth piece, Jota, is composed entirely of original material. It is based
upon a dance form, of the same title, from Aragon. Nana, is a lullabye with a vocal line singing a
melody de Falla's mother sang to him as a child. The final song in the set, Polo, is a song of pain and
sorrow. These seven songs, are unified by emotions and pressures young women often feel.

El pao moruno

Al pao fino, en la tienda,
una mancha le cay;
Por menos precio se vende,
Porque perdi su valor.
Ay!

Seguidilla murciana

Cualquiera que el tejado
Tenga de vidrio,
No debe tirar piedras
Al del vecino.
Arrieros semos;
Puede que en el camino
Nos encontremos!

Por tu mucha inconstancia
Yo te comparo
Con peseta que corre
De mano en mano;
Que al fin se borra,
Y cryendola falsa
Nadie la toma!

Asturiana

Por ver si me consolaba,
Arrime a un pino verde,
Por ver si me consolaba.

Por verme llorar, lloraba.
Y el pino como era verde,
Por verme llorar, lloraba.



The moorish cloth

On the fine cloth in the store
a stain has fallen;
It sells at a lesser price,
because it has lost its value.
Alas!

Seguidilla murciana

Who has a roof
of glass
should not throw stones
to their neighbor's roof.
Let us be muleteers;
It could be that on the road
we will meet!

For your great inconstancy
I compare you
to a coin that runs
from hand to hand;
which finally blurs,
and, believing it false,
No one accepts!



Laurie's Song from The Tender Land Aaron Copland
(1678 1741)

Notes: The Tender Land is an opera by Aaron Copland set in the Midwest during the 1930s. The
story revolves around a teenage girl, Laurie, who is about to graduate from high school. Laurie
falls in love with a drifter her family has had doing odd jobs for them. However, there is conflict
with their relationship. The drifter sees falling in love with Laurie as an act of settling down,
while Laurie sees their romance as a chance to gain freedom. Before Laurie and the drifter fall in
love, Laurie ponders how life has changed so quickly and how she yearns to explore the world
during the aria entitled "Laurie's Song"
Laurie's Song

Once I thought Id never grow tall as this
fence.
Time dragged heavy and slow.
But April came and August went before I knew
just what they meant,
And little by little I grew,
And as I grew, I came to know how fast the
time could go.

Once I thought Id never go outside this fence.
This space was plenty for me,
But I walked down the road one day, and just
what happened I cant say.
But little by little it came to be:
That line between the earth and sky came
beckoning to me.

Now the time has grown so short; the world
has grown so wide.
Ill be graduated soon. Why am I strange
inside?
What makes me think Id like to try
To go down all those roads beyond that line
above the earth and neath the sky?

Tomorrow when I sit upon the graduation
platform stand,
I know my hand will shake when I reach out to
take that paper with the ribboned band.

Now that all the learnings done, Oh who
knows what will now begin?
Oh its so strange, Im strange inside.
The time has grown so short; the world so
wide.


Myrthen Op. 25 Robert Schumann
I. Widmung (1810 1865)
VII. Die Lotosblume
XXIV. Du bist wie eine blume

Notes: Myrthen, is a set of 26 songs Robert Schumann dedicated to his wife, Clara Schumann,
presented to her on the night before their wedding. Myrthen, translated to Myrtles are white, rosy
flowers used to make bridal wreaths. Clara's family was accomplished in poetry , so it was fitting
that Myrthen features texts from beautiful poets: Ruckert (Widmung) and Heine (Die Lotosblume
and Du bist wie eine blume). These texts epitomize the emotions that are felt in love and
marriage and are set to a passionately intense music.

Widmung

Du meine Seele, du mein Herz,
Dedication

You my soul, you my heart,
Du meine Wonn, O du mein Schmerz,
Du meine Welt, in der ich lebe,
Mein Himmel du, darein ich schwebe,
O du mein Grab, in das hinab
Ich ewig meinen Kummer gab.
Du bist die Ruh, du bist der Frieden,
Du bist vom Himmel mir beschieden.
Da du mich liebst, macht mich mir wert,
Dein Blick hat mich vor mir verklrt,
Du hebst mich liebend ber mich,
Mein guter Geist, mein beres Ich!
you my bliss, O you my pain,
you my world in which I live;
my heaven you, to which I float,
O you my grave, into which
My grief forever I've consigned
You are repose, you are peace,
you are bestowed upon me from Heaven.
Your love for me gives me my worth,
your eyes transfigure me in mine,
lovingly you raise me above myself,
my good spirit, my better self!

Die Lotosblume

Die Lotosblume ngstigt
Sich vor der Sonne Pracht,
Und mit gesenktem Haupte
Erwartet sie trumend die Nacht.

Der Mond, der ist ihr Buhle,
Er weckt sie mit seinem Licht,
Und ihm entschleiert sie freundlich
Ihr frommes Blumengesicht.

Sie blht und glht und leuchtet,
Und starret stumm in die Hh;
Sie duftet und weinet und zittert
Vor Liebe und Liebesweh.
The lotos flower

The Lotus flower fears
before the suns splendor,
and with drooping head
she dreamily awaits the night.

The moon, he is her lover.
He wakes her with his light
and to him she happily unveils
her devoted flower-face.

She blooms and glows and shines
and stares mute in the heavens.
She exhales and weeps and trembles
with love and love's pain.

Du bist wie eine Blume

Du bist wie eine Blume
So hold und schn und rein;
Ich schau' dich an, und Wehmut
Schleicht mir ins Herz hinein.

Mir ist, als ob ich die Hnde
Aufs Haupt dir legen sollt',
Betend, da Gott dich erhalte
So rein und schn und hold.
You are like a flower

You are like a flower,
so sweet, and fair and pure;
at you I gaze and melancholy
steals into my heart.

I feel as if my hands
I ought to lay upon your head
praying that God preserve you
so pure and fair and sweet.

Chanson Triste Henri Duparc
Extase (1848 1943)
L'invitation au voyage

Notes: During the siege of Paris in 1870 Duparc served in the infantry, during which difficult
time he composed LInvitation au voyage. Duparc was a founding member of the Socit
nationale di musique, which promoted French music and gave young composers opportunities to
see their works performed. During his 36 years of composing, Duparc published only 16 songs.
Duparc, was a perfectionist and destroyed much of his work. "Chanson Triste" was his first song
to be published. "Extase" is a song about love's ecstasy with a rich piano accompaniment.
"L'invitation au voyage" uses text from Baudelaires famous exhortation to Marie Daubrun inviting
her to accompany him on an imaginary journey to Holland, land of tulip-laden fields, canals, and
misty suns.

L'invitation au voyage

Mon enfant, ma soeur,
Songe la douceur
D'aller l-bas vivre ensemble!
Aimer loisir,
Aimer et mourir
Au pays qui te ressemble!
Les soleils mouills
De ces ciels brouills
Pour mon esprit ont les charmes
Si mystrieux
De tes tratres yeux,
Brillant travers leurs larmes.

L, tout n'est qu'ordre et beaut,
Luxe, calme et volupt.
Vois sur ces canaux
Dormir ces vaisseaux
Dont l'humeur est vagabonde;
C'est pour assouvir
Ton moindre dsir
Qu'ils viennent du bout du monde.

Les soleils couchants
Revtent les champs,
Les canaux, la ville entire,
D'hyacinthe et d'or;
Le monde s'endort
Dans une chaude lumire.
L, tout n'est qu'ordre et beaut,
Luxe, calme et volupt.
Invitation to voyage

My child, my sister,
Think of the rapture
Of living together there!
Of loving at will,
Of loving till death,
In the land that is like you!
The misty sunlight
Of those cloudy skies
Has for my spirit the charms,
So mysterious,
Of your treacherous eyes,
Shining brightly through their tears.

There all is order and beauty,
Luxury, peace, and pleasure.
See on the canals
Those vessels sleeping.
Their mood is adventurous;
It's to satisfy
Your slightest desire
That they come from the ends of the earth.

The setting suns
Adorn the fields,
The canals, the whole city,
With hyacinth and gold;
The world falls asleep
In a warm glow of light.
There all is order and beauty,
Luxury, peace, and pleasure.

Extase

Sur un lys ple
mon coeur dort
D'un sommeil doux
comme la mort
Mort exquise, mort parfume
Du souffle de la bien aime
Sur ton sein ple mon coeur dort
D'un sommeil doux comme la mort
Ecstasy

On your pale breast
my heart is sleeping.
In a slumber
sweet like death
Death exquisite, death fragrant
by the breath of my beloved
On your pale breast my heart is
In a slumber sweet like death

Chanson Triste

Dans ton coeur dort un clair de lune,
Un doux clair de lune dt,
Et pour fuir la vie importune,
Je me noierai dans ta clart.

Joublierai les douleurs passes,
Mon amour, quand tu berceras
Mon triste coeur et mes penses
Dans le calme aimant de tes bras.
Sad Song

Moonlight slumbers in your heart,
A gentle summer moonlight,
And to escape the cares of life
I shall drown myself in your light.

I shall forget past sorrows,
My love, when you cradle
My sad heart and my thoughts
In the loving calm of your arms.

Tu prendras ma tte malade,
Oh! quelquefois, sur tes genoux,
Et lui diras une ballade
Qui semblera parler de nous;

Et dans tes yeux pleins de tristesse,
Dans tes yeux alors je boirai
Tant de baisers et de tendresses
Que peut-tre je gurirai.

You will rest my poor head,
Oh! sometimes on your lap,
And recite to it a ballad
That will seem to speak of us;

And from your eyes full of sorrow,
From your eyes I shall then drink
So many kisses and so much love
That perhaps I shall be healed.


Dreams Charles Ives
Berceuse (1874 1954)
The World's Highway

Notes: In 1922 Charles Ives published an anthology of 114 Songs that he wrote in various periods
of his life. Charles Ives had many musical influences including his father, George Ives, who was a
military band leader and cornet player. George encouraged Charles to experiment with different
musical effects, but also instilled in him a love of traditional hymns and tunes, both which
influenced his music.
Dreams

When twilight comes with shadows drear,
I dream of thee, of thee dear one;
and grows my soul so dark and sad as
shadows drear,
They tell me not to grieve love,
for thou wilt come,
But oh! I can not tell why I fear their words
are false:
I dream of thee, I dream of thee, love!
And thou art near till I awake.

When I look back, when I look back on
happier days,
my eyes are filled with tears;
I see them then in visions plain,
so true, so full of love.
But now I fear to ask them if thou art 'live;
They tell me not to grieve love!
For thou wilt come at last:
I dream of thee, I dream of thee, love!
And thou are near till I awake.


Berceuse

O'er the mountain towards the west,
As the children go to rest,
Faintly comes a sound,
A song of nature hovers round.
'Tis the beauty of the night;
Sleep thee well till morning light.



The world's highway

For long I wander'd happily
Far out on the world's highway
My heart was brave for each new thing and I
loved the far away.

I watch'd the gay bright people dance.
We laughed, for the road was good.
But oh! I passed where the way was rough
I saw it stained with blood.

I wander'd on till I tired grew,
Far on the world's highway
My heart was sad for what I saw I feared,
I feared the far away, the far away.
So when one day, O sweetest day,
I came to a garden small,
A voice my heart knew called me in
I answered its blessed call;
I left my wand'ring far and wide
The freedom and far away
But my garden blooms with sweet content
That's not on the world's highway.