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(applause)
(Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise")
>> (singing operatically)
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(piano music)
(applause)
>> DIANE HAS ASKED THAT I SAY A FEW WORDS
ABOUT THE BARBER BEFORE IT'S PERFORMED FOR YOU
THIS AFTERNOON.
ALTHOUGH MUSIC DIRECTORS AND CHURCHES
ALWAYS SEEM TO HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY,
THIS IS A PARTICULAR INSTANCE WHERE LESS IS MORE.
AFTER ALL, GREAT ART, LIKE SACRED SCRIPTURE,
HAS A LIFE FORCE AND THE VOICE OF ITS OWN.
THERE IS NO NEED FOR ANY FURTHER TALKING.
WE NEED ONLY TO LISTEN.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU WHY I ASKED DIANE TO PERFORM "KNOXVILLE"
IN TODAY'S PROGRAM.
AS YOU ARE AWARE,
WE ARE CELEBRATING THE 100th ANNIVERSARY
OF THIS BEAUTIFUL SACRED SPACE.
I FELT STRONGLY THAT AN AMERICAN COMPOSER
LIKE SAMUEL BARBER
SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE CONCERT SERIES THIS YEAR,
AND I KNEW THAT DIANE PENNING WAS THE PERFECT ARTIST
TO SEIZE THE MOMENT.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH BARBER'S SONG CYCLES,
YOU MAY WONDER WHY DIANE IS PERFORMING HERMIT SONGS.
THESE WHIMSICAL MUSINGS OF A MONK WOULD CERTAINLY
HAVE BEEN A CLEVER CHOICE FOR A PERFORMANCE
IN A BASILICA CHURCH.
THEY ARE QUITE INSIGHTFUL AND EVEN A LITTLE NAUGHTY.
THE HERMIT'S SONGS LIKE "KNOXVILLE"
HAVE MASTERFUL PIANO ACCOMPANIMENTS.
BARBER HIMSELF PREPARED THE TRANSCRIPTION OF "KNOXVILLE"
FROM ORCHESTRA TO PIANO.
HE WOULD MOST CERTAINLY BE PLEASED WITH MR. BYRENS
AT THE KEYBOARD THIS AFTERNOON.
I BELIEVE THAT "KNOXVILLE,"
UNLIKE ANY OTHER OF BARBER'S SONGS,
SPEAKS TO THE CELEBRATION OF OUR CENTENNIAL YEAR.
ALTHOUGH THE TEXT IS SET IN A PLACE THAT IS REMOVED
FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF THOSE WHO LIVED AND WORKED
IN THIS COMMUNITY IN 1915--
THE YEAR AFTER THIS BASILICA CHURCH WAS COMPLETED--
IT CERTAINLY IS A CHALLENGE FOR US TO PONDER THE MEANING
OF WHAT IT MEANS TO TRULY REMEMBER.
REMEMBERING FOR OUR BASILICA COMMUNITY,
AS IN ANY COMMUNITY OR FAMILY,
HAS BEEN A MULTIFACETED EXPERIENCE,
FOR THE REAL GIFT OF REMEMBERING LIES NOT JUST IN THE ABILITY
TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PAST,
BUT TO DO SO IN THE FULLNESS OF GRATITUDE
AND TO BE OPEN TO ITS CHALLENGE FOR US
AS WE CARVE OUT WHO WE ARE GOING TO BE
IN THE NEXT 100 YEARS.
MY HOPE-- AND I KNOW IT'S DIANE'S HOPE--
IS THAT THIS PERFORMANCE OF "KNOXVILLE SUMMER OF 1915"
WILL BE A GIFT TO YOU IN WHATEVER WAY IT IS MEANT TO BE.
(applause)
(Samuel Barber's "Knoxville Summer of 1915")
(piano music)
(piano music)
>> (singing operatically) ♪ IT HAS BECOME ♪
♪ THE TIME OF EVENING ♪
♪ WHEN PEOPLE SIT ON THEIR PORCHES ♪
♪ ROCKING GENTLY AND TALKING GENTLY ♪
♪ AND WATCHING THE STREET ♪
♪ AND THE STANDING UP INTO THEIR SPHERE ♪
♪ OF POSSESSION OF THE TREES ♪
♪ OF BIRDS' HUNG HAVENS ♪
♪ HANGARS ♪
(piano music)
♪ PEOPLE GO BY THINGS GO BY ♪
♪ A HORSE DRAWING A BUGGY ♪
♪ BREAKING HIS HOLLOW IRON MUSIC ON THE ASPHALT ♪
♪ A LOUD AUTO A QUIET AUTO ♪
♪ PEOPLE IN PAIRS NOT IN A HURRY ♪
♪ SCUFFLING SWITCHING THEIR WEIGHT OF AESTIVAL BODY ♪
♪ TALKING CASUALLY ♪
♪ THE TASTE HOVERING OVER THEM OF VANILLA ♪
♪ STRAWBERRY PASTEBOARD ♪
♪ AND STARCHED MILK ♪
♪ THE IMAGE UPON THEM OF LOVERS AND HORSEMEN ♪
♪ SQUARING WITH CLOWNS ♪
♪ IN HUELESS AMBER ♪
(piano music)
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♪ A STREETCAR RAISING ITS IRON MOAN ♪
♪ STOPPING ♪
♪ BELLING AND STARTING STERTOROUS ♪
♪ ROUSING AND RAISING AGAIN ♪
♪ ITS IRON INCREASING MOAN ♪
♪ AND SWIMMING ITS GOLD WINDOWS ♪
♪ AND STRAW SEATS ON PAST AND PAST AND PAST ♪
♪ THE BLEAK SPARK CRACKLING AND CURSING ABOVE IT ♪
♪ LIKE A SMALL MALIGNANT SPIRIT SET TO DOG ITS TRACKS ♪
♪ THE IRON WHINE RISES ON RISING SPEED ♪
♪ STILL RISEN FAINTS ♪
♪ HALTS ♪
♪ THE FAINT STINGING BELL ♪
♪ RISES AGAIN ♪
♪ STILL FAINTER ♪
♪ FAINTING ♪
♪ LIFTING LIFTS ♪
♪ FAINTS FOREGONE ♪
♪ FORGOTTEN ♪
(piano music)
♪ NOW IS THE NIGHT ♪
♪ ONE BLUE DEW ♪
(piano music)
♪ NOW IS THE NIGHT ♪
♪ ONE BLUE DEW ♪
♪ MY FATHER HAS DRAINED HE HAS COILED THE HOSE ♪
♪ LOW ON THE LENGTH OF LAWNS ♪
♪ A FRAILING OF FIRE ♪
♪ WHO BREATHES ♪
♪ PARENTS ON PORCHES ♪
♪ ROCK AND ROCK ♪
♪ FROM DAMP STRINGS MORNING GLORIES ♪
♪ HANG THEIR ANCIENT FACES ♪
(piano music)
♪ THE DRY AND EXALTED NOISE OF THE LOCUSTS ♪
♪ FROM ALL THE AIR AT ONCE ♪
♪ ENCHANTS MY EARDRUMS ♪
(piano music)
(piano music)
♪ ON THE ROUGH WET GRASS OF THE BACK YARD ♪
♪ MY FATHER AND MOTHER HAVE SPREAD QUILTS ♪
♪ WE ALL LIE THERE MY MOTHER ♪
♪ MY FATHER MY UNCLE ♪
♪ MY AUNT ♪
♪ AND I TOO AM LYING THERE ♪
♪ THEY ARE NOT TALKING MUCH AND THE TALK IS QUIET ♪
♪ OF NOTHING IN PARTICULAR ♪
♪ OF NOTHING AT ALL IN PARTICULAR ♪
♪ OF NOTHING AT ALL ♪
♪ THE STARS ARE WIDE AND ALIVE ♪
(piano music)
♪ THEY SEEM EACH LIKE A SMILE OF GREAT SWEETNESS ♪
♪ AND THEY SEEM VERY NEAR ♪
♪ ALL MY PEOPLE ARE LARGER BODIES THAN MINE ♪
(piano music)
♪ WITH VOICES GENTLE AND MEANINGLESS ♪
♪ LIKE THE VOICES OF SLEEPING BIRDS ♪
♪ ONE IS AN ARTIST SHE IS LIVING AT HOME ♪
♪ ONE IS A MUSICIAN SHE IS LIVING AT HOME ♪
♪ ONE IS MY MOTHER WHO IS GOOD TO ME ♪
♪ ONE IS MY FATHER WHO IS GOOD TO ME ♪
(piano music)
♪ BY SOME CHANCE HERE THEY ARE ♪
♪ ALL ON THIS EARTH ♪
♪ AND WHO SHALL EVER TELL THE SORROW ♪
♪ OF BEING ON THIS EARTH ♪
♪ LYING ON QUILTS ♪
♪ ON THE GRASS ♪
♪ IN A SUMMER EVENING ♪
♪ AMONG THE SOUNDS OF THE NIGHT ♪
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♪ MAY GOD BLESS MY PEOPLE ♪
♪ MY UNCLE MY AUNT ♪
♪ MY MOTHER MY GOOD FATHER ♪
♪ OH REMEMBER THEM KINDLY ♪
♪ IN THEIR TIME OF TROUBLE ♪
♪ AND IN THE HOUR ♪
♪ OF THEIR TAKING AWAY ♪
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♪ AFTER A LITTLE I AM TAKEN IN ♪
♪ AND PUT TO BED ♪
♪ SLEEP SOFT SMILING DRAWS ME UNTO HER ♪
♪ AND THOSE RECEIVE ME WHO QUIETLY TREAT ME ♪
♪ AS ONE FAMILIAR ♪
♪ AND WELL-BELOVED IN THAT HOME ♪
♪ BUT WILL NOT OH WILL NOT ♪
♪ NOT NOW ♪
♪ NOT EVER ♪
(piano music)
♪ BUT WILL NOT EVER TELL ME ♪
♪ WHO I AM ♪
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(applause)
(piano playing chord)
(flute tuning)
(George Hue's "Fantasie")
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(Gustave Charpentier's "Depuis le jour" from "Louise")
(piano music)
>> (singing operatically in French)
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(applause)
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
DIANE ASKED IF I WOULD TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE MAD SCENE FROM "LUCIA."
FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW HAPPY WE ARE
TO BE WELCOMED HERE TODAY AND TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL CROWD.
IT'S VERY SPECIAL TO US,
AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING US BE A PART
OF YOUR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
YOU MIGHT'VE NOTICED IN THE PROGRAM NOTES
THAT THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE INTERESTING OPERATIC STORIES.
I THINK IT PARALLELS A BIT OF "ROMEO AND JULIET,"
IN THAT LUCIA FALLS IN LOVE WITH EDGARDO,
WHO IS FROM ANOTHER CLAN, ANOTHER FAMILY,
AND THEY ARE RIVALS.
SO OF COURSE, HER BROTHER FORBIDS THIS
AND TRIES TO PLOT TO BRING HER TOGETHER WITH ARTURO,
WHO IS FROM THEIR FAMILY.
SO...
HE ACTUALLY FORGES THE LETTER,
SAYING THAT EDGARDO DOES NOT LOVE HER ANYMORE,
AND IN HER SORROW, SHE AGREES TO MARRY ARTURO.
SO IN THIS MAD SCENE THEN, IT'S THEIR WEDDING NIGHT,
AND THEY GO UPSTAIRS AND LUCIA STABS ARTURO,
KILLS HIM...
AND IS BASICALLY UNAWARE OF WHAT SHE HAS DONE,
AND COMES BACK DOWNSTAIRS TO THE WEDDING FESTIVITIES,
AND THINKS THAT IT IS HER WEDDING TO EDGARDO.
SO IT'S A VERY INTERESTING STORY, I THINK...
(audience laughing) TYPICAL OF OPERA STORIES.
AND SO, AT THE END, THE FAMOUS MAD SCENE THAT DIANE WILL SING--
THIS INCREDIBLE VIRTUOSO PIECE FOR SOPRANO--
AND IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO BE A PART
AND SHARE WITH DIANE'S ARTISTRY IN THIS BEAUTIFUL ARIA.
I DID SAY THAT I WOULD TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT GAETANO DONIZETTI, THE ITALIAN COMPOSER.
HE ACTUALLY COMPOSED 75 OPERAS, WHICH I THINK IS JUST AMAZING,
AND PROBABLY ABOUT 10 OR 12 OF THEM
ARE STILL IN REPERTOIRE TODAY,
SOME SERIOUS OPERAS LIKE "MARIA STUARDA"
AND "ANNA BOLENA,"
AND HE'S PROBABLY MOST WELL-LOVED FOR HIS COMEDIES--
"THE ELIXIR OF LOVE," "DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT,"
AND "DON PASQUALE."
JUST ON A PERSONAL NOTE, WHEN HE LOST HIS WIFE IN 1837,
HE WENT INTO A VERY MAJOR DEPRESSION
AND NEVER REALLY RECOVERED FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.
HE STOPPED COMPOSING OPERAS
AND, EVENTUALLY, ENDED UP IN AN INSANE ASYLUM
WHERE HE PASSED AWAY
AFTER SEVERAL YEARS THERE.
SO A VERY SAD STORY.
ALSO INTERESTING THE PARALLEL BETWEEN HIM LOSING HIS MIND
AND LUCIA IN THE MAD SCENE,
SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF AN INTERESTING CORRELATION.
UM, BERLIOZ-- I FOUND AN INTERESTING QUOTE
THAT HECTOR BERLIOZ SAID ABOUT ITALIAN MUSIC AT THIS TIME.
HE SAID THAT, "MUSIC FOR THE ITALIANS
"IS A SENSUAL PLEASURE AND NOTHING MORE.
"FOR THIS NOBLE EXPRESSION OF THE MIND,
"THEY HAVE HARDLY MORE RESPECT THAN THE ART OF COOKING."
(chuckling) AND I JUST THOUGHT
THAT WAS KIND OF AMAZING.
I DID WANT TO DO A MUSICAL EXAMPLE OF THE MAD SCENE
BEFORE DIANE COMES OUT AND JOINS US.
TYPICAL OF THE STYLE AT THIS TIME--
THE BEL CANTO COMPOSERS LIKE DONIZETTI AND BELLINI--
THEY WOULD COMPOSE A VERY SIMPLE ACCOMPANIMENT
FOR THE ORCHESTRA OR, IN THIS CASE,
FOR A PIANO PART.
AND THEN, THEY WOULD SPIN THIS BEAUTIFUL MELODY
OVER THE SIMPLE ACCOMPANIMENT,
WHICH BECAME SORT OF A ROLE MODEL FOR VERDI LATER ON
IN HIS OPERATIC WRITING.
SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD JUST PLAY A QUICK EXCERPT
TO SHOW THAT COMPOSITIONAL STYLE.
THIS IS THE ACCOMPANIMENT...
(piano playing one chord repeatedly)
(audience laughing)
YOU GET THE IDEA. (audience laughing)
AND HERE IS WHAT HE DOES WITH IT...
(piano playing)
(audience laughing)
(applause)
(Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia's Mad Scene"
(from "Lucia di Lammermoor")
(piano music)
>> (singing operatically in Italian)
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(piano music)
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(singing operatically in Italian)
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(applause)
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>> HELLO AGAIN.
WASN'T THAT FABULOUS?
(applause)
IT WAS A PLEASURE FOR ME, TOO.
I TOLD DIANE THAT I WOULD SAY A FEW WORDS
ABOUT ERIC SATIE'S "GYMNOPEDIE."
IT'S A VERY INTERESTING PIECE--
KIND OF A PALATE CLEANSER BETWEEN THE TWO (indistinct)
THAT WE'RE ENDING THE PROGRAM WITH.
ERIC SATIE WAS A FRENCH COMPOSER,
STUDIED AT PARIS CONSERVATOIRE BEGINNING IN 1879,
AND HE BECAME GOOD FRIENDS WITH DUBUSSY IN 1890.
HE'S NOT AS PROLIFIC A COMPOSER AS SATIE.
HE COMPOSED THREE BALLETS, SOME OPERETTAS,
FOUR SETS OF SONGS,
AND IS MOST WELL-KNOWN FOR HIS PIANO WORKS.
AND I FOUND IT INTERESTING THAT, FOR A WHILE,
HE WORKED AS A CAFE PIANIST,
WHICH PROBABLY SHOWS THE INFLUENCE OF HIS CASUAL STYLE,
PARTICULARLY IN THIS OLD PIANO SOLO.
THE WORD "GYMNOPEDIE" COMES FROM THE ANCIENT GREEK FESTIVAL
OF THE DANCE.
THAT IS ABOUT ALL THAT WE KNOW FOR SURE ABOUT THAT TERM.
AND IT WAS PUBLISHED IN 1888 WHEN HE WAS 22 YEARS OLD.
THE MELODY OF THE PIECE USES MILD DISSONANCES
AGAINST THE HARMONY, AND IS VERY MELANCHOLY IN CHARACTER.
HE INSTRUCTS THE PIANIST TO PLAY WITH "A PAINFUL AND SAD STYLE."
AND WHILE I'D THINK THE PIECE DOES SUGGEST THAT,
I ALSO FIND IT SOMEWHAT HOPEFUL AT THE SAME TIME.
SO ONE FINAL NOTE...
TOWARD THE END OF HIS CAREER, HIS POPULARITY WAS SUBSIDING--
DEBUSSY WAS-- DEBUSSY'S POPULARITY WAS REALLY GROWING,
SO DEBUSSY, AS A FAVOR TO SATIE,
ORCHESTRATED THIS FIRST AND THIRD "GYMNOPEDIE"
IN A BEAUTIFUL ORCHESTRATION WHICH I'VE ALSO PLAYED.
SO I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS LITTLE MINIATURE.
(Eric Satie's "Gymnopedie No. 1")
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(applause)
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(Mozart & Adolphe Adam's "Ah! vous dirais je Maman")
>> (singing operatically in French)
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