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Like most opera lovers I had very little in depth knowledge of Pietro Mascagni until I
became acquainted with Hilaire from Halle in Belgium. This has been a friendship that
started and has blossomed on the internet. Prior to Hilaire my knowledge of Mascagni
had been covering the parts of Turridu in ”Cavalleria Rusticana” and friend Fritz in
“L’Amico Fritz”, both over 50 years ago. Unlike his friend, Giacomo Puccini, a few years
his senior, with whom he roomed in Milan when they were both students, Mascagni did
not develop a “prescription for success”, if you will, and stick with it as Puccini did. Every
opera, with one exception, was an adventure for Mascagni who was always searching for
something new. His later, quite Wagnerian, opera “Isabeau” recently had its hundredth
birthday with a production in Germany. Mascagni’s masterpiece, “Parisina”, will be a hundred
years old in two years time. This opera is more like a vast Mahler symphony than an opera.
Even in 1913 the Italian musical public could not maintain interest in an opera with virtually
no “action” lasting more than five hours. Our Mascagni program and CD will be selected
from the following works:
OPERAS
“I Rantzau” Giorgio’s romance from Act 3. “L’ho sempre amata. Quando volevano ci
dividessero”. Final scene from Act 4. ‘Ed e in tal modo, forse, che in tutta la vallata di
venero I Rantzau la gente piu stimata?
“Guglielmo Ratcliff” The storm scene from Act 3, mostly unrecorded.”O, come il vento
fischia” and “Fu voce d’uom?”
“Silvano” Silvano’s conversation with his mother from Act 2. “O Madre mia,
come potrei dimenticarla?”
“Iris” Osaka’s “belief” from Act 2 “Crea in quegli occhi il lampo d’un desio,” and
“Oh, come al tuo sottile…” also “Iris, son Io! Io sono Osaka, Jor…”
“Amica” Giorgio’s opening scene “Grazie, compagni miei” and the aria “Io passar, tutti di,
la vedeva innanzi a me si gentile si cara”. Also the scene and aria “Sei proprio tu” followed
by “Orfani senza pan”.
“Isabeau” From Act 2 the people turn against Folco. “O popolo di vili! O citta vile!”
“Parisina” Mascagni’s masterpiece. Ugo, Parisina’s step son and lover, has three sorts of arias,
more like scenes. From Act 1, “Ah, meglio in selva vivere che in questa onta.” From Act 2,
“Or voi composto m’avereste nella bara”. From Act 3, “Non so, non so. Balzata e dalla note
con uno schianto di dolore, sola indomita…..”
“Lodoletta” Flammen’s two arias “Il canto dei fiori” and “Ah! Ritrovarla nella sua capanna.”
“Nerone” Nerone’s arias, From Act 2 “Egloge, o tutta bella, o fior purisimo, t’amo!”
From Act 3 “Quando al soave anelito di primavera pallide le rose si dischiudono”, and also
from Act 3 “Tu soffri, o mio tesoro… sei muta e gelida” which precedes Egloge’s death from
poisoning. I’d love to do the 1st act duet with Atte “Oh vieni, liquida porpora, vieni…”
if I can find a soprano who wants to learn it.
Religious Works
“Messa di Gloria”. Laudamus and Qui tollis.
“Ave Maria” adapted from the intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana.
“Ave Maria” based on a poem by D. Capellina.
“Pater noster”.
“Invocazione alla Madonna”.
“O Roma Felix”
Songs
“M’ama…non m’ama”
“Pena d’amore”
“la tua stella”
“Alla luna”
“La Luna”
“Rosa”
“Risveglio”
“Sintomi d’amore”
“Allora ed ora”
“Sera d’ottobre”
“Serenata”
“A Lilia”
“L’addio di Palamidone”
“Messagio d’amore”
“Ballata medievale”
“Ascoltiamo”
“Spes ultima”
“Stornelli Marini”
Other music: There are various non-vocal pieces, some for piano and others that look to me
to be piano reductions of mostly brass. I’ll be working on it with my brass playing friends.
It’s not exactly true but it sounds good: “Mahler, the greatest opera composer who never
wrote an opera, Mascagni, the greatest symphonist who never wrote a symphony.”
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