Masewicz Program Notes

The last of Handel’s oratorios, Jeptha, was premiered in the Covent Gardens Theater in London in 1752, and was the setting of the aria, O sleep, why dost thou leave me. Handel composed this with great difficulty, as he was close to blindness towards the end of his career. The English libretto was written by Rev. Thomas Morell based on the story of Jeptha in the Book of Judges from the Bible. Jeptha promised God that he would sacrifice the first thing he saw for Him, but it happened to be his daughter, Iphis. She asked her father to let her live for two months, so she could go to the mountains and mourn her virginity and short life, which was when she sung this aria. Today, this aria is often performed fully staged, and is thought of as one of Handel’s greatest oratorio pieces. “Życnenie” was one my mother and her friends would sing in the courtyards and parks on a sunny day in the oldest city in Poland, Kalisz. The words were written by Stefan Witwicki, a Polish poet. This song symbolizes the young, coy, and shy farm girls of Poland who dreamed of a life of romance. Poland has and had very strong relationship values. Chopin did a wonderful job of composing this naive flirtation with his signature use of grace notes and a free, dancelike rhythm which resemble a Mazurka. This is his most popular vocal piece out of his Pieśni song cycle.

“Kotek” by Stanisław Moniuszko is a song for children. He composed many songs for kids and nursery rhymes, some of which I grew up singing and hearing at school and on the streets of Poland. These songs would be considered Polish standards, and the tunes have become closely tied to Polish culture. Moniuszko traveled to Berlin, Moscow, Prague, and many other European cultural hotspots. Some of his musical comrades include Gioachino Rossini, Bedřich Smetana, and Carl Friedrich Rungenhagen. Moniuszko’s compositions remain a steadfast pillar of Romantic Polish repertoire. His Śpiewnik Domowy, or Household Songbook, fills the homes of all the Poles even today. His many songs, his opera Halka, and his organ pieces are some of the most performed and recognized repertoire pieces in Poland.

“Pamiętam ciche, jasne, złote dnie” is a beautiful lyric song from Polish composer, Mieczysława Karłowicz. His 29 Modern Songs song cycle can be divided into 2 sections. First, the songs which resemble earlier, older and more nationalistic Polish folk melodic nuances and poems.

This song, however, comes from the second section of more modern sounding songs. Out of these 29 pieces, Karłowicz wrote the text to 10 of them. The text of this song was written by the iconic “modern poet” of Poland, Kazimierza Przerwy-Tetmajera. Karłowicz was a talented composer, conductor, writer, photographer who spent his time away from the Polish Music Society climbing mountains in Zakopane, the mountainous region of Poland. He studied in Warsaw and drew inspiration from Strauss, Wager and Tchaikovski;however, his music is less bombastic and more melancholy than that of those composers. Karłowicz composed lieder, Polish songs, and orchestral works, and is considered the Father of Polish Modern Music.

“Morgen!” by Richard Strauss is one of four songs he composed as a wedding gift to his lifelong companion and muse, soprano Pauline de Ahna. The songs were first composed for voice and piano in Op.27, but he orchestrated them in 1897, three years after the original compositions, so that Pauline could perform them while he conducted. The text was written by Irish born, German raised poet John Henry Mackay. This is along one of Strauss’ most performed pieces for voice and piano, as well as piano and violin.

“An die nacht” is the first song of Richard Strauss’ Brentano Lieder, informally known as Sechs lieder. He composed this song cycle towards the end of his career in 1918. Despite their prolific nature and opera-esque style, this set of songs was overshadowed by Strauss’ immensely successful Last four songs, thus, it is seldom performed. Like many of his works after his success with opera, this one was composed for piano and voice, as well as orchestra and voice.The lush accompaniment sets poetry by German poet, Clemens Brentano, whose greatest success include children’s fairytales and a collection of folk poems and stories in collaboration with Anhim Arnim, Des Knaben Wunderhorn. These works were set by many successful German poets, including Mahler.

Les oiseaux dans la charmille is an aria for high soprano from the French opera, Les Contes d'Hoffmann. This wacky opera follows the protagonist's recollections of his past three loves.

This eccentric aria by Jacques Offenbach happens in the first act and is sung by a doll or machine that comes to life through the magical glasses of the protagonist, E.T.A. Hoffmann. Originally, Hoffmann thinks that the doll is her inventor’s daughter, and falls madly in love with her. The doll, Olympia, performs an aria for a party of guests, and Hoffmann falls even more in love. His glasses break and a business deal with the doll’s inventor goes awry, so the inventor destroys the doll, and Hoffman is ridiculed by the party guests for falling in love with a machine.

“Coquette” by Pauline Viardot is one of 12 Mazurkas that Viardot composed in collaboration with her good friend, Frederic Chopin. Viardot was the daughter of famous Spanish singer and teacher Manuel Garcia. She was also the sister of Maria Malibran, renowned Contralto who died in a riding accident. Viardot was a successful mezzo-soprano who premiered many roles and served as a muse to many leading French impressionist composers.

Alongside Les filles de Cadix, Bonjour Suzon is one of Leo Delibes most successful mélodies.

Delibes often composed songs that defied gender formalities, so this piece is performed equally by male and female singers. The librettist, Alfred de Musset, included this poem in a larger collection called Oeuvres posthumes, published in 1860. A year later, the melody and clever castanet-like accompaniment came into fruition. Bizet set a sister poem from the collection titled Adieux à Suzon as a symbol of friendship between him and Delibes.

Glitter and Be Gay is one of the highlights of Leonard Bernstein’s operetta, Candide. Candide was based on a 1759 novella by Voltaire. It premiered on Broadway in 1956 and wasrevived in 1973. A parody on Gounod’s “Jewelry Aria” from Faust, Glitter and be Gay is a farse on the unpleasantries of a life of luxury. Bernstein personally chose and coached Barbara Cook to be the first Cunagonde. It was difficult to find a dramatic coloratura who could manage the high notes and be audible in the middle range. This is one of the most performed pieces by coloratura sopranos.

The text to “Nacht und Träume was written by Matthäus von Collin was by Franz Schubert in 1825. Collin was a dear friend of Schubert, and this song is said to have been an ode to his late friend. Throughout this lieder, the relationship between voice and piano is essential in creating the dreamy atmosphere of the piece. Schubert was quite the child prodigy, composing some of his more successful lieder by the time he was a teenager. A lied like this may have been performed during one of his infamous Schubertiads, where composers, musicians and artists would gather for a casual, saloon style recital.

Originally composed for Easter, Handel’s Messiah is now THE oratorio of the Christmas season.

It premiered in Dublin in 1742 to an audience of 700 spectators. The Messiah encompasses the birth, Passion, resurrection and resurrection of Jesus Christ as stated in the King James Bible.

Charles Jennes, a friend of Handel, assembled the text for this work. Rejoice greatly is a fast (allegro) da capo aria traditionally sung with choir that expresses great joy about the coming Saviour, specifically from Zechariah 9:9–10.