Doctoral Lecture Recital

Aaron Short, tenor

Student of Pamela Hinchman

Assisted by Leo Radosavljevic, piano

 

Sunday, November 24th, 2024 at 12:00 PM

 

Regenstein Master Class Room

Bienen School of Music

Northwestern University

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Please click here for the Live Stream link!​

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The lecture will be interspersed between songs and song sets.

 

“It’s about the way people is made” by Carlisle Floyd (1926-2021)

from Susannah 

 

Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah is a retelling of the Apocryphal tale of Susannah and the Elders, in which a young woman is ostracized by her community after she is seen bathing in a creek. When she returns home distraught by the circumstances, her older brother Sam attempts to explain why she is being treated so poorly in his blunt but loving way. 

 

It’s about the way people is made (Sam’s Aria)

Libretto by the composer

 

It's about the way people is made,

I reckon, an' how they like to believe what's bad. 

How short they are on lovin' kindness.

It must make the good Lord sad.

They don't know it ain't what you feel that counts 

But what you do about it.

So instead they take it out on you.

It must make the good Lord sad.

'Way out yonder somewheres,

The Lord's great heart must break

At seein' how men treat one another 

An' say they're doin' it all fer His sake.

It's a hard, hard thing for you to realize,

I know, that people want to believe what's bad

An' how short they are on lovin' kindness.

It must make the good Lord sad.

 

Two Britten Arias

 

“Tarquinius does not dare” by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

from The Rape of Lucretia 

 

“Asleep my love” by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

from A Midsummer Night’s Dream

 

In Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, his first chamber opera written in 1946, the Male and Female Chorus roles act as narrators and “observers”, describing and occasionally even trying to stop the classic story of the rape of a noble Roman woman that leads to an uprising. 

 

Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a mostly faithful retelling of Shakespeare’s play. The composer divides the three “tiers” of characters by different musical styles: the noble characters are accompanied and sing romantic-era melodies, the commoners folk-like tunes, and the fairies receive a more otherworldly, ethereal soundscape. The commoners perform their play based on “Pyramus and Thisby,” in Act III of the opera, with Bottom playing Pyramus and Flute playing Thisby. 

 

Tarquinius does not dare

Libretto by Ronald Duncan (1914-1982)

 

MALE CHORUS:

Tarquinius does not dare,

when Tarquinius does not desire;

but I am the Prince of Rome

and Lucretia’s eyes my Empire.

It is not far to Rome...

Oh, go to bed, Tarquinius...

The lights of Rome are beckoning...

The city sleeps. Collatinus sleeps.

Lucretia! Lucretia!

 

Tarquinius does not wait

for his servant to wake,

or his groom to saddle;

he snatches a bridle

 

and forcing the iron bit

through the beast’s bared white teeth,

runs him out of the stable

mounts without curb or saddle

 

the stallion’s short straight back

and with heel and with knees

clicks his tongue, flicks his whip,

throws the brute into mad gallop.

 

Impetuous the powered flanks,

and reckless the rider

now the Prince and Arab steed

bend as one for both are speed.

 

Hear the hoofs punish the earth!

Muscles strain, tendons taut,

tail held high, head thrust back,

all’s compact, nothing’s slack.

 

See, the horse takes the bit

between his teeth, now no rein

can impede or stop him,

yet the Prince still whips him.

 

Now who rides? Who’s ridden?

Tarquinius, the stallion?

Or the beast, Tarquinius?

In both blood furious

 

with desire impetuous

burns for its quietus

with speed aflame through sweat and dust

the arrow flies straight as lust.

 

But here they cannot cross.

Turn back, Tarquinius;

do not tempt the Tiber

try to swim this river!

 

Stallion rears, hoofs paw the stars

the Prince desires, so he dares!

Now stallion and rider

wake the sleep of water

 

disturbing its cool dream

with hot flank and shoulder.

Tarquinius knows no fear!

He is across! He’s heading here!

Lucretia!

 

Asleep my love

Libretto adapted from William Shakespeare (1564-1616) by the composer and Peter Pears (1910-1986)

 

THISBY:

Asleep, my love?

What, dead, my dove?

Pyramus, arise!

Speak, speak. Quite dumb?

Dead, dead? A tomb

must cover thy sweet eyes.

These lily lips, this cherry nose,

these yellow cowslip cheeks,

are gone, are gone:

Lovers, make moan:

His eyes were green as leeks.

Tongue, not a word:

Come, trusty sword;

come, blade, my breast imbrue:

And, farewell, friends;

thus Thisby ends:

(She stabs herself.)

Adieu, adieu, adieu.

 

Selections from “The Diary of One Who Disappeared” by Leoš Janáček (1854-1928)

 

I. Potkal jsem mladou cigánku

II. Ta černá cigánka 

III. Svatojánské mušky

 

Leoš Janáček’s “The Diary of One Who Disappeared” is a quasi-operatic song cycle written for tenor, alto, three women voices, and piano. The poems tell the story of a young man who falls in love with a “gypsy girl,” and eventually decides to leave his life and family to follow her. The poems deeply moved Janáček, reminding him of his love for Kamila Stösslová, a young married woman he met in 1917. While their relationship remained platonic until his death, he was nonetheless obsessed with her, and his obsession inspired many of his compositions.

 

Translations:

Poems by Ozef Kalda (1871-1921)

 

Potkal jsem mladou cigánku (One day I met a young gypsy girl)

 

One day I met a Gypsy girl,

lithe as a deer was she,

black hair lay on her shoulders,

her eyes were deep as the sea.

With searching eyes she looked at me

then swift as a bird flew,

but left me yearning after her

for all that day, all that day through.

 

Ta černá cigánka (That dark-skinned gypsy girl)

 

That blackeyed Gypsy has haunted me all the day.

Why does she not leave me, why does she not

leave me?

Leave me and go her way -

why won't she leave me and go her way?

If she would let me be

she would end this worry,

then to the church with my prayers I would hurry.

 

Svatojánské mušky (The glow-worms are dancing)

 

Through the twilight glowworms dance across the meadow

but the dusk falls and across the field a footstep goes.

Do not wait, I will not yield to this temptation -

that would bring mother's heart endless tribulation.

Now the moon sets through the world thick dark creating,

by the corner of the stable someone's waiting.

There are two bright eyes glittering there at me.

Oh, my savior, oh my blessed savior,

hear my prayer and come and save me.

 

PAUSE

 

“Sotto una quercia parvemi; Pondo e letal, martiro” by Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

from Giovanna d’Arco 

 

Giuseppe Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco is a retelling of the story of Joan of Arc, albeit with some unusual deviations, most notably an invented romance between Joan and King Carlo. During the prologue, Carlo describes to his subjects a vision he received from the Virgin Mary, commanding him to surrender to the invading English Army and lay his arms down. He later expresses frustration as he grapples with being the de facto ruler of the French during this turbulent time.

 

Translation:

 

Sotto una quercia parvemi; Pondo e letal, martiro

Libretto by Temistocle Solera (1815-1878)

 

CARLO

Friends, come closer... This is the last

command of the king

 

Just now, prostrate on the ground,

I fervently prayed that, if

Heaven wanted to punish these heinous crimes,

It would strike me alone with its scourge.

 

I felt an unknown feeling 

flowing through my veins... 

A sweet slumber then overcame me,

And a divine dream gripped my soul.

Under an oak tree I seemed

to rest my sad forehead;

A painted Virgin shone

In the midst of the forest...

From there she gave the order

That, arise, she said, O King!

Lay down the helmet and sword

Of this image at your feet.

 

Your words, O Virgin,

Carlo humbly adores;

I will adorn your image

With my crown again...

But let the blood be cleansed

Where the country is in mourning;

But let the foreign rod

be gentle on the free soil.

 

[...]

 

Hell has no tryst

Where the Virgin is present.

Go… soon I alone there will fulfill my vow.

I shed the title here now! Leave me. I order it!

 

My crown is a burden

And a lethal torment upon my head;

Why can I also not be allowed to enjoy the open air?

Peace, you who are so prodigal even to the poorest pauper

Send me a ray of hope; Come, I’m no longer King.

 

Vaudemont’s Romance by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

from Iolanta 

 

The last opera composed by Tchaikovsky, Iolanta tells the story of the blind daughter of a king who longs to see the world. She is betrothed to marry Robert, who laments that he no longer wishes to marry her, as he has fallen in love with another woman. His friend, Count Vaudemont, responds to Robert’s confession with a romance, in which he describes a hope for his own “bright vision” to appear. Eventually, he falls in love with Iolanta at first sight and is overjoyed when she is cured of her blindness and released to marry him at the opera’s end.

 

Translation:

 

Vaudemont’s Romance

Libretto by Modest Tchaikovsky (1850-1916)

 

No! 

 

The charming attentions of a spirited beauty 

tempt me not, 

tender passion would not be stirred in me 

by soft looks promising bliss. . . 

 

No! 

 

Immersed in the midnight stillness, 

the love within me falls to dreaming. . . 

of an angel who is chaste, 

heavenly, meek and wondrous to behold... 

 

who has the grace and dignity 

of an untainted goddess, 

with eyes that are full of kindness 

and angelic innocence... 

a guest from a celestial place, 

brighter than the vernal snow, 

purer than lily of the valley, 

more delicate than lilies - 

that is what I wait and long for! 

 

Oh, come to me, bright vision, 

love’s inspiration, 

warm the secret strings 

of my heart, bring them to life! 

 

As the storm clouds part, 

let your light shine through 

into the gloom of my ardent soul, 

oh, tarry not! 

 

Greenhorn’s Aria by Jake Heggie (b. 1961)

from Moby-Dick 

 

At the end of Act I of Heggie’s Moby-Dick, newcomer Greenhorn (Ishmael) struggles with the sea life and its ruthlessness after seeing the actions of Captain Ahab. However, after seeing Queequeg rescue the boy Pip, he decides to befriend him to stay connected to his humanity.

 

Greenhorn’s Aria

Libretto by Gene Scheer (b. 1958)

 

I see. You see.

Christian kindness and mercy

I see the fire must be fed

The burning ship drives on.

 

A boy was nearly lost at sea,

As I was lost on land,

Was he rescued by Christian kindness

Or a brave Pagan hand?

I was asleep, 

Dreaming at the helm…

 

Now I see.

The fire must be fed

The burning ship drives on.

 

His tortured flesh becomes

The fuel to feed the flames;

He burns away by his own body

As I have burned myself away.

I was asleep,

Dreaming at the helm,

My back turned on the compass

Now, I see.

I have learned.

All is vanity!

 

All but a savage’s kind embrace.

Look at the face of kindness and mercy now.

I’ll try a Pagan friend,

Since Christian kindness has proved

But hollow courtesy.

 

I was asleep.

But now, I see.

 

“Addio, fiorito asil” by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)

from Madama Butterfly 

 

Pinkerton can not bear to stay in Butterfly’s home when he returns three years after marrying her and leaving her for an American wife. He calls himself a coward and a villain as he runs away in pain and misery over what he has put her through.

 

Translation:

 

Addio, fiorito asil

Libretto by Luigi Illica (1857-1919) and Giuseppe Giacosa (1847-1906)

 

Goodbye, flowered sanctuary

of joy and love.

Always gentle its countenance

With atrocious pain I'll see.

 

Goodbye, flowered sanctuary.

I can't stand your misery.

I run away, I run away ... I am vile.

 

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