Salinas Opera Company At Puckets’ Whale Studio in Prunedale, CA.
Sunday May 10, 2009 at 3 p.m.

Ah! Forse. Alma soave e cara ~ "Maria di Rohan" ~ Gaetano Donizetti         
Donizetti (1797-1848). "Maria di Rohan" was first performed in Vienna in 1843. It was over 100 years before it was revived in Bergamo in 1957. The action takes place in Paris during the reign of Louis X111 and Cardinal Richelieu. It concerns yet another tragic love triangle where Maria, Countess of Rohan, who is secretly married to Enrico, Duke of Chevreuse, BUT, is really in love with Enrico's friend, Riccardo, Count of Chalais. In this lovely aria, Riccardo, forecasting his death in a duel with Enrico, contemplates joining his mother in heaven.

Il Lacerato Spirito ~ "Simon Bocanegra" ~ Giuseppe Verdi             
Verdi (1813-1901) wrote "Simon Boccanegra" (Simon Black Mouth) in 1857. The 1857    version was not much of a success, so Verdi reworked it 24 years later in his first historic cooperation with Arrigo Boito, a great man of letters as well as a pretty good composer.    It is an opera dealing with Genoa style skullduggery (sort of Northern Italian Mafioso, if you will). There are three great bass or baritone roles. Simon, a pirate and future Doge; Jiacopo Fiesco, a former Doge; and Paolo Albiani, a commoner. In this beautiful aria Fiesco mourns the death of his daughter.            

O mon bonheur, ma vie ~ "Lelio" ~ Hector Berlioz Berlioz (1803-1869) wrote Lelio as a monodramatic continuation of his Symphonie Fantastique in 1831. Lelio was, in part, inspired by Berlioz's unhappy love affair with Camille Moke, as the Symphonie Fantastique was inspired by Berlioz's wife, the Irish Shakespearian actress, Harriet Smithson. Later this week you will see pictures of both    of hem on our web site. At our last concert we sang the opening song "Le pecheur", based on Goethe's ballade. This aria "Chant de Bonheur" or "Song of Bliss" is Lelio    listening to himself pour forth a paean towards his lost love. Our host, Randy Puckett, will portray Lelio, sobbing and pouring forth his "Shakespearian" love lost misery.                       

Si la Rigueur et la vengeance  ~ "la Juive" ~ Jacques Fromental Halevy Loin de son amie vivre sans plaisirs Halevy (1799-1862) This long, very complicated, very French, grand opera was very popular in its time, 1835. It was described as the "grandest of grand operas". Over 99 years from 1835–1934 there were 534 performances of the work at the Paris opera. I saw it at the Met several years ago. Two of the features of this opera were subsequently used by Verdi. Identity snafus (Il trovatore & Rigoletto) & royalty pretending to be a commoner in order to get the girl (Rigoletto). In this glorious bass cavatina  Cardinal Brogni (unknowingly the real father of Rachel ("La Juive" )(the Jewess),saves Eleazar, Rachel's father, from a Christian lynch mob. His crime working on the Sabbath (Sunday) Immediately after this scene, Prince Leopold    tries to win Rachel , borrowing a harp from a street musician and singing this beautiful serenade celebrating his return.           

Eepouse quelque brave fille ~ "Manon" ~ Jules Massenet
Massenet (1842-1912) wrote "Manon", his most popular opera, in 1884. The Count Des Grieux, confronting his son in the chapel of the seminary at St-Sulpice, exhorts him not to take his vows as a priest but to return and marry a woman worthy of himself and his family; to follow in his fathers footsteps.

INTERVAL   

S'e spento il sol ~ "Silvano" ~ Pietro Mascagni
Mascagni (1863-1945) wrote "Silvano" in 1895. It was an attempt to repeat the success of "Cavalleria Rusticana". It failed in spite of much beautiful music including this lovely aria "The sun has set far away in the placid ocean". We sang this magical piece at our last concert to great success. This time we will include the beautiful orchestral postlude, or Silvano's dream.

Isis und Osiris ~ "Die Zauberflote" ~ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart          
Mozart wrote "The Magic Flute" in 1791 shortly before his death. There quite a few    references to Freemasonry. If you get a chance, go to the new York Met to see Julie Taymor's magical production. Sarastro and the assembled priests resolve to let Tamino undergo the trials for admission to the brotherhood. The gods have decided that Pamina is to be his wife. All join in the hymn asking that this noble pair be favored with wisdoms light.

La dolcissima effigie sorridente  ~ "Adriana Lecouvreur" ~ Francesco Cilea                       
            L'anima ho stanca Cilea (1866-1950). This 1902 opera is loosely based on the life of a famous French actress, Adriana Lecouvreur (1692-1730). In spite of a very confusing libretto there is    much beautiful music in this great Verismo score, including two very short tenor arias.   

Gremin's Aria  ~ "Eugene Onegin"  ~ Pyotr Tchaikovsky     
Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) wrote this, his most popular opera, in 1879. In this lovely bass aria the aged Gremin tells Onegin of his love for his young wife Tatiana, whom Onegin now realizes he has always loved. How amid the silly foolish , hypocrital society in which we live Tatiana has made my life wonderful.

L'alba separa della luce l'ombra  ~ Francesco Paolo Tosti   
Tosti (1846-1916) was music teacher to the court of Queen Victoria. He was knighted by Edward V11 in the early 20th century before returning to Italy to die. This great song has magical lyrics by Gabriele D'Annunzio. "Dawn divides the light from the shadows, my pleasure from my desire".

I want to be a Prima Donna  ~ "The Enchantress"  ~ Victor Herbert
Always a popular favorite           

L'ultima Canzone  ~ Francesco Paolo Tosti      
Yes, literally the last song.