Thursday, July 14, 2011

Oh, quante volte (Bellini)


ECCOMI IN LIETA VESTA ... OH! QUANTE VOLTE

Eccomi in lieta vesta... eccomi adorna...
Come vittima all'ara. Oh! almen potessi
Qual vittima cader dell'ara al piede!
O nuzïali tede,
Abborrite così, così fatali,
Siate, ah! siate per me faci ferali.
Ardo... una vampa, un foco
Tutta mi strugge.
Un refrigerio ai venti io chiedo invano.
Ove se'tu, Romeo?
In qual terra t'aggiri?
Dove, dove invïarti i miei sospiri?

Oh! quante volte,
Oh! quante ti chiedo
Al ciel piangendo
Con quale ardor t'attendo,
E inganno il mio desir!
Raggio del tuo sembiante
Parmi il brillar del giorno:
L'aura che spira intorno
Mi sembra un tuo respir.

Soprano: Pamela Andrews
Pianist: Alan Hicks

Filmed and recorded in Llewellyn Hall, Canberra, by the Australian National University, November 2010, on behalf of Pamela Andrews.
Edited for YouTube by JRR4FILM Productions.

© JRR4FILM Productions 2011

"Oh! quante volte" is a lyric coloratura aria from the first act of the Italian opera "I Capuleti e i Montecchi" by Vincenzo Bellini, and is performed by the character Giulietta: the daughter of Capellio, and lover of Romeo. The scene is set on Giulietta's balcony in the palace of Capulet, Verona, Italy, in the fifteenth century; Giulietta is longing for Romeo to come and see her; she wishes to see his silhouette in the light of the day, and hear his sigh, which reminds her of the breeze. The opera is based on an opera by Nicola Vaccai, Giulietta e Romeo, which was based on the play by English playwright, William Shakespeare.

Pamela Andrews is a Tasmanian-born lyric soprano and a recent Master's graduate of the Australian National University. Pamela is currently studying with soprano Louise Page (Canberra), having previously studied under Jane Edwards and Marilyn Smith (Hobart). Read more about Pamela at http://www.sopranopamela.com

Alan Hicks is a graduate of Newcastle Conservatorium of Music (DSCM piano and flute) and the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester (Diploma in Professional Performance with distinction). Alan is currently Head of Voice at the Australian National University. Read
more about pianist Alan Hicks at
http://music.anu.edu.au/academic-staff/Alan-Hicks

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Let The Bright Seraphim



LET THE BRIGHT SERAPHIM

Let the bright Seraphim in burning row,
Their loud uplifted Angel-trumpets blow.
Let the Cherubic host, in tuneful choirs,
Touch their immortal harps with golden wires.

Soprano: Pamela Andrews
Pianist: Alan Hicks

Filmed and recorded in Llewellyn Hall, Canberra, by the Australian National University, November 2010, on behalf of Pamela Andrews. Edited for YouTube by Joseph Restubog.

© JRR4FILM Productions 2011

The magnificent trumpet aria, "Let the Bright Seraphim", occurs at the end of Händel's oratorio, Samson (HWV 57), and is a joyous, uplifting aria set directly after a funeral march. Interestingly, it was not the original ending to the work, and was added by Händel some twelve months after he had originally declared the work to be finished. The character of Manoah calls upon the Israelites to cease their mourning for Samson, which is followed thus by the trumpet aria. Sadly, we were not able to find a trumpeter for this performance. The trumpet part is instead written into the piano arrangement.

Pamela Andrews is a Tasmanian-born lyric soprano and a recent Master's graduate of the Australian National University. Pamela is currently studying with soprano Louise Page (Canberra), having previously studied under Jane Edwards and Marilyn Smith (Hobart). Read more about Pamela at http://www.sopranopamela.com

Alan Hicks is a graduate of Newcastle Conservatorium of Music (DSCM piano and flute) and the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester (Diploma in Professional Performance with distinction). Alan is currently Head of Voice at the Australian National University. Read more about pianist Alan Hicks at http://music.anu.edu.au/academic-staff/Alan-Hicks